Romance Scam Research Center

Do You Love Me? Psychological Characteristics of Romance Scam Victims

Whitty, MT. (2018) — Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom

Do You Love Me? Psychological Characteristics of Romance Scam Victims, published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, presents a catalog-style overview of how perpetrators exploit online romance scripts a...

Expectations vs reality: Responding to online fraud across the fraud justice network

Cross, C. (2018) — International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This catalog-style synopsis surveys how online fraud is addressed within the broader fraud justice network, spanning agencies, institutions, and jurisdictions. Framed by the contrast between stated expectations—rapid res...

Knowledge and Protective Practices of Female Facebook Users Against Love Scams in Malaysia

Abidin, Norazlina Zainal; Kamaluddin, Mohammad Rahim; Shaari, Azianura Hani; Din, Norazura; Ramasamy, Saravanan (2018) — Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication

Type: Journal Article Country: Malaysia

This catalog-style synopsis presents an overview of a study on knowledge and protective practices among female Facebook users in Malaysia in relation to love scams (Penipuan Cinta). The focus lies on how women perceive t...

Suicidal Risk Following the Termination of Romantic Relationships

Love, Heather A.; Nalbone, David P.; Hecker, Lorna L.; Sweeney, Kathryn A.; Dharnidharka, Prerana (2018) — Crisis

Type: Journal Article Country: United States Tags: AI misuse, risk factors, cross-cultural Methods: quantitative

The study is framed by the notion that ending a romantic relationship can be a predictor of suicide attempts, with attachment perspectives suggesting that the experience of breakup may feel overwhelming to individuals wh...

Understanding Romance Fraud: Insights From Domestic Violence Research

Cross, C.; Dragiewicz, M.; Richards, K. (2018) — The British Journal of Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

Understanding Romance Fraud: Insights From Domestic Violence Research frames romance fraud as a form of manipulation that shares features with coercive control and financial abuse described in domestic violence scholarsh...

Slumdog romance: Facebook love and digital privacy at the margins

Scheiber, Laura; Arora, Payal (2017) — Media, Culture & Society

Type: Journal Article Country: Netherlands Tags: platform policy, AI misuse, online dating platforms, cross-cultural

This study frames Facebook as a central arena for social life among economically disadvantaged populations in the global South, consolidating a range of online activities into a single, dominant platform. It notes that i...

The Electronic Spanish Prisoner

Gillespie, AA. (2017) — The Journal of Criminal Law

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: victim experience, AI misuse

This study examines romance frauds, a form of conduct that has recently attracted notable public attention. The central focus is on how such frauds unfold, by guiding a target to believe they are engaged in a genuine rom...

The Role of Love stories in Romance Scams: A Qualitative Analysis of Fraudulent Profiles

Christian Kopp; Robert Layton; Jim Sillitoe; Iqbal Gondal (2016) — Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Type: Journal Article Country: Nigeria Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, AI misuse, cross-cultural Methods: interview, qualitative

The Online Romance Scam represents a highly effective form of fraud that imposes substantial financial losses and emotional distress on those targeted. This study develops a perspective intended to help explain why this...

Imagining the Absent Partner: Intimacy and Imagination in Long-Distance Relationships

Jurkane-Hobein, Iveta (2015) — Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences

Type: Journal Article Country: Latvia

This piece examines IMAGINING THE ABSENT PARTNER - INTIMACY AND IMAGINATION IN LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS within the broader context of online fraud and mediated communication. It outlines common patterns documented in...

The online dating romance scam: The psychological impact on victims – both financial and non-financial

Whitty, MT.; Buchanan, T. (2015) — Criminology & Criminal Justice

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: victim experience, psychology, law enforcement, platform policy

This study explores the psychological consequences of online dating romance scams, a form of fraud that combines financial harm with the collapse of a personal relationship. Unlike victims of other mass marketing frauds,...