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Love, Lies, and Larceny: One Hundred Convicted Case Files of Cybercriminals with Eighty Involving Online Romance Fraud

Soares, Adebayo Benedict ; Lazarus, Suleman ; Button, Mark (2025) — Deviant Behavior

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DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2025.2482824 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   Nigeria
Tags:   Case File Analysis, Convicted Offenders, Cyber Impersonation, Cybercrime, Efcc, Efcc Case Files, Nigeria, Romance Scams, Sentencing, Space Transition Theory
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Synopsis

            
This article analyzes 100 convicted cybercrime case files prosecuted by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, with 80 cases involving online romance fraud. Many offenders engaged in multiple offenses, including cryptocurrency investment fraud and hacking. Guided by Space Transition Theory (STT), the study highlights the transient and intermittent nature of online offending. The findings show that most offenders are young males aged 18–28, largely university undergraduates or graduates. Geographically, 96% originate from southern Nigeria. The majority of offenders (96%) acted as primary perpetrators, with only 2% serving as mules, another 2% taking dual roles. While there are perceptions of lenient cybercrime punishments, the case files reveal active prosecution and sentencing. By using verified case files rather than online scammer profiles, which are often fabricated, the study provides unique insights into offender demographics and enforcement practices. These findings can inform future research and evidence-based strategies to counter cybercrime in Nigeria and beyond.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
Empirical research based on convicted online-fraud offenders is limited, and, apart from one prior study, convicted romance-fraud case files have not been used. The paper identifies uncertainty about prevention effectiveness across diverse platforms and adaptable offenders, limited direct Nigeria–Ghana sentencing comparisons, and a need to investigate regional cybercrime differences, offender migration, post-conviction outcomes, and how technological change alters methods and motivations.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
Documentary content analysis of 100 EFCC case files concerning convicted cyber-fraud offenders from one Nigerian zonal command, covering January 2021–April 2023; 80 cases involved romance fraud. Cases were selected using arrest mode, financial amounts, scheme role, victim country, and penalties. Guided by Scott’s authenticity, credibility, representativeness, and meaning criteria, researchers cross-checked handwritten statements with investigation reports and organized variables in Excel for content analysis and comparison. Space Transition Theory framed interpretation.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
The sample includes only convicted offenders from one EFCC zonal command and may not represent the broader cybercriminal population. The authors characterize findings as a snapshot of romance scams in Nigeria. The southern location of the source office may have affected the apparent north–south offender distribution. Documentary records were created for prosecution rather than research, creating potential contextual constraints.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Study socioeconomic and psychological drivers in greater depth; map regional and international offender migration, especially Nigeria–neighbor movements; compare sentencing and enforcement across affected countries; assess recidivism and reintegration after conviction; and add qualitative interviews with offenders, law-enforcement personnel, and stakeholders. The authors also call for research on how local governance, internet penetration, cultural norms, and evolving online environments shape offending and victim profiles.

          

              

    
    

        
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