Romance Scam Research Center

“Falling into a Black Hole”: A Qualitative Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Cyberscam Victim-Survivors and Their Social Support Networks

Cazanis, Alyxandra; Carminati, Jao-Yue; Chew, Kimberly; Cross, Cassandra; Ponsford, Jennie; Gould, Kate Rachel (2025) — Victims & Offenders

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This study investigates the lived experiences of cyberscam victim-survivors and their friends and family members, highlighting vulnerabilities, impacts, and support needs. Although cyberscams affect millions globally, ex...

Catfishing: a conduta de assumir uma identidade falsa nas plataformas de mídia social e suas consequências jurídico-penais

Almeida, Paulo Henrique Carvalho; Costa, Sebastião Patrício Mendes da (2025) — Opinión Jurídica

Type: Journal Article Country: Brazil Tags: AI misuse

The central objective of the work is to examine the legal issues associated with the use of fake profiles on social media platforms, in order to determine whether such conduct constitutes a criminal offense under Brazili...

Love Scam as a Manifestation of Online Gender-Based Violence: Aligning Legislation to Ensure Victim Protection

Maulidia Mulyani (2025) — Istinbath : Jurnal Hukum

Type: Journal Article Country: Indonesia Tags: victim experience, psychology, AI misuse, measurement Methods: interview, content analysis, secondary data, qualitative

Love scams have emerged as a notable form of gender-based violence within Indonesia’s digital sphere, drawing attention to harms that extend beyond financial loss to include psychological distress. This article seeks to...

Recognizing the Evolving Cybercrime Threats in South Africa

Mpuru, Lebogang; Kgoale, Charles (2025) — African Security

Type: Journal Article Country: South Africa

This article investigates recent cybercrime trends in South Africa (2019–2023) and highlights the persistent threats facing the country’s economy and financial markets. Using a systematic literature review organized thro...

The Gamification of Online Romance Fraud Through Offenders’ Cards

Abubakari, Yushawu; Oseh-Ovarah, Valeen (2025) — Digital Threats: Research and Practice

Type: Journal Article Country: Czech Republic Tags: victim experience, psychology, AI misuse, prevention, cross-cultural Methods: interview

This study addresses the persistence of online romance fraud in Ghana and treats offenders as strategic players within a game-theoretic framework. By viewing fraudulent encounters as a strategic contest, the researchers...

A qualitative investigation of the emotional, physiological, financial, and legal consequences of online romance scams in the United States

Cole, R. (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United States

This catalog-style study provides a qualitative examination of the consequences associated with online romance scams in the United States, emphasizing emotional, physiological, financial, and legal dimensions. Situated w...

Addressing Cyberscams and Acquired Brain Injury (“I Desperately Need to Know What to Do”): Qualitative Exploration of Clinicians’ and Service Providers’ Perspectives

Chew, Kimberly Ann; Ponsford, Jennie; Gould, Kate Rachel (2024) — Journal of Medical Internet Research

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, psychology, AI misuse, prevention Methods: interview

Acquired brain injury can heighten susceptibility to scams due to ongoing cognitive and psychosocial changes following injury. Cyberscams produce financial harm alongside debilitating psychological effects such as shame...

Kebijakan Hukum dalam Pemberantasan Pelaku Online Romance Fraud di Ruang Maya

Fikri, Ahmad Ma'mun (2024) — JCIC : Jurnal CIC Lembaga Riset dan Konsultan Sosial

Type: Journal Article Country: Indonesia Tags: law enforcement, platform policy, AI misuse, measurement, cross-cultural Methods: survey, interview, secondary data, qualitative

Online romance fraud represents a category of cybercrime that exploits emotional manipulation to extract financial resources or secure personal information. The conduct has grown alongside rising internet penetration in...

Pig Butchering in Cybersecurity: A Modern Social Engineering Threat

L. Burton, Dr. Sharon; D. (Vickerson) Moore, Dr. Pamela (2024) — SocioEconomic Challenges

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: victim experience, psychology, law enforcement, platform policy, AI misuse, online dating platforms, social engineering, risk factors, prevention, measurement, cross-cultural Methods: interview, qualitative

Pig butchering represents an expanding cybersecurity threat that relies on social engineering to establish trust and execute financial fraud. The relevance of this issue lies in the growing frequency and sophistication o...

The charade of discreetness: Exploring the paradoxical lifestyles of romance fraudsters

Barnor, J. (2024) — Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling

Type: Journal Article Country: Ghana Tags: law enforcement, AI misuse, prevention, measurement Methods: interview, qualitative

This article investigates the mechanisms that shape why romance fraud perpetrators publicly display wealth, a line of inquiry that has received limited attention in prior research. The study gathered data through semi-st...