Romance Scam Research Center

Evaluating Privacy & Security of Online Dating Applications with a Focus on Older Adults

Noah, Naheem; Thakur, Supriya; Beck, Jason; Das, Sanchari (2024) — 2024 IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy Workshops (EuroS&PW)

Type: Proceedings Article Country: United States

Evaluating Privacy & Security of Online Dating Applications with a Focus on Older Adults examines how dating apps collect, store, and share personal data, and how secure and trustworthy interactions are supported across...

How Do Real Cybercrime Syndicates Operate?: The Case of Online Romance Fraud Syndicates

Andoh-Baidoo, FK.; Offei, MO.; Ayaburi, EW.; Siponen, M.; Gladyshev, P. (2024) — IEEE Security & Privacy

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: AI misuse

Catalog entry: Online romance frauds originating from Africa are described as organized activities conducted by syndicates typically comprising 150 to 200 individual scammers. The material outlines a multi-tiered network...

Hyperpersonal feedback and online romance fraud: an empirical examination

Wang, F.; Dickinson, T. (2024) — Journal of Crime and Justice

Type: Journal Article Country: United States

This catalog-style synopsis surveys an empirical investigation into hyperpersonal feedback in online romance and its relationship to fraud. The study frames online dating interactions through hyperpersonal dynamics, wher...

More Than Just a “Bad” Online Experience: Risk Factors and Characteristics of Catfishing Fraud Victimization

Snyder, Jamie A.; Golladay, Katelyn (2024) — Deviant Behavior

Type: Journal Article Country: United States

This study examines the relatively underexplored area of catfishing victimization—cases where individuals are deceived online but not necessarily defrauded financially. Using survey data from 1,511 social media and datin...

Scammed by Love: The Role of Loneliness, Trust, and Age in Financial Losses from U.S. Online Romance Scams

Cole, R. (2024) — Innovation in Aging

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, older adults, AI misuse, measurement, cross-cultural Populations: older adults Methods: survey, quantitative

This piece examines SCAMMED BY LOVE: THE ROLE OF LONELINESS, TRUST, AND AGE IN FINANCIAL LOSSES FROM U.S. ONLINE ROMANCE SCAMS within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common pat...

The Trajectory of Romance Scams in the U.S

Herrera, LD.; Hastings, J. (2024) — 2024 12th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS)

Type: Proceedings Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, platform policy, prevention Methods: quantitative

Romance scams inflict financial and emotional harm by defrauding victims under the pretense of meaningful relationships. The study explores trends of RS in the United States through a quantitative synthesis of diverse so...

Victim-offender overlap: the identity transformations experienced by trafficked Chinese workers escaping from pig-butchering scam syndicate

Wang, F. (2024) — Trends in Organized Crime

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, platform policy, AI misuse, social engineering, prevention

This study explores the intersection of human trafficking and online romance fraud within the context of the pig-butchering scam (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘). While the scam is widely recognized for combining romance and invest...

A Game-Theoretic Approach to Detecting Romance Scams

Nwafor, E. (2023) — New Perspectives in Behavioral Cybersecurity

Type: Book Chapter Country: United States

This piece examines A Game-Theoretic Approach to Detecting Romance Scams within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documented in the literature, describes how offe...

Neutralizations, Altercasting, and Online Romance Fraud Victimizations

Dickinson, T.; Wang, F. (2023) — Deviant Behavior

Type: Journal Article Country: United States

This piece examines Neutralizations, Altercasting, and Online Romance Fraud Victimizations within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documented in the literature,...

Profiling consumers who reported mass marketing scams: demographic characteristics and emotional sentiments associated with victimization

DeLiema, Marguerite; Witt, Paul (2023) — Security Journal

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, AI misuse, risk factors

This piece examines Profiling consumers who reported mass marketing scams: demographic characteristics and emotional sentiments associated with victimization within the broader context of online fraud and mediated commun...