From swipe to swindle: a narrative review of research on older adult victims of romance fraud

This narrative review examines research on romance fraud affecting older adults (defined as 55 and older) and synthesizes empirical findings from eight studies published between 2017 and 2024. Its purpose is to understand the characteristics of older adult victims, how scammers target this group, and which prevention and detection approaches may be effective. The authors draw on criminology and gerontology perspectives to situate romance fraud within broader digital risk and aging-related social dynamics, and they distinguish romance fraud from other online scams such as grandparent or impersonation schemes. The review identifies that older adults often face a convergence of factors—social isolation, widowhood, emotional vulnerability, and variable digital literacy—that shape their risk and experience of victimization. Victims tend to experience deeper emotional investment, longer grooming periods, and substantial psychosocial harm, including heartbreak, self-blame, and fear of losing independence. Financial losses occur, but the emotional and relational consequences can be especially severe. A notable theme is that older victims may underreport abuse due to shame or perceived judgment, and reporting behaviors influence observed risk patterns. The review also notes that the level of victimization by age is not uniformly higher for older adults compared with younger groups, but the impact when victimized can be more consequential for the elderly. Limitations highlighted include reliance on cross-sectional designs, a concentration of data from the U.S. and U.K., and potential reporting biases. The authors call for more longitudinal, cross-cultural research and for interventions such as scam-education programs, digital-safety supports, and platform safeguards to adapt to evolving scam techniques. They emphasize treating romance fraud as a dynamic, environment-influenced problem rather than attributing risk solely to individual vulnerability.