Romance Scam Research Center

Strategic business movements? The migration of online romance fraudsters from Nigeria to Ghana

Lazarus, S.; Button, M.; Garba, KH.; Soares, AB.; Hughes, M. (2025) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom

This catalog entry surveys the topic of cross-border movement among actors involved in online romance fraud, focusing on a shift from Nigeria to Ghana. The article situates the phenomenon within the broader field of econ...

The effect of true crime docuseries on romance fraud reporting to the police

Grant, Stephany; Buil-Gil, David (2025) — Crime Science

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

Romance fraud is a crime in which an individual is deceived for financial gain by someone they believe to be a romantic partner. Despite its reach and impact on victims, this form of wrongdoing remains markedly underrepo...

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...

The Mental Health Impacts of Internet Scams

Balcombe, Luke (2025) — International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia Tags: victim experience, AI misuse, risk factors, prevention Methods: case study

Cyber fraud schemes have grown in sophistication and are increasingly prevalent in affluent countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Within this landscape, Australia has demonstrate...

The prevention of online romance scams using a crime script analysis from the victim’s perspective

Wang, Fangzhou; Kelsay, James D (2025) — International Review of Victimology

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

Online romance scams (ORS) have grown in severity, exploiting human vulnerabilities and trust through social engineering, which underscores the need for robust preventive strategies. This study advances the field by deve...

Therapeutic but toxic spaces: Romance fraud victimization from a psychosocial perspective

Yoshida, Yutaka (2025) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom

Therapeutic but toxic spaces: Romance fraud victimization from a psychosocial perspective is positioned within economic criminology to explore how intimate-deception operates at the junction of individual psychology and...

Uncovering vulnerability to fraud and scams among adult victims in online and offline contexts: A systematic review

Dadà, Chiara Barbara; Colautti, Laura; Rosi, Alessia; Cavallini, Elena; Antonietti, Alessandro; Iannello, Paola (2025) — Computers in Human Behavior

Type: Journal Article Country: Italy

This catalog-style synopsis summarizes a systematic review of adult vulnerability to fraud and scams in online and offline contexts, as published in Computers in Human Behavior. The review aggregates empirical work to ma...

Understanding the Characteristics of Pig Butchering Scams: Impact on Victims and Challenges for Law Enforcement in Indonesia

Aissyach, Aissyach Noor Chairinovadanti; Sigid, Sigid Suseno; Budi, Budi Arta Atmaja (2025) — KRTHA BHAYANGKARA

Type: Journal Article Country: Indonesia Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, law enforcement, platform policy, money mules, AI misuse, online dating platforms, cross-cultural Methods: case study

The study analyzes the pig-butchering scam, a cyber-enabled form of investment fraud that has expanded rapidly in Indonesia since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also known as Sha Zhu Pan, this manipulative scheme bl...

“What action should l take?”: Help-seeking behaviours of those targeted by romance fraud

Meikle, Wesley; Cross, Cassandra (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Australia

This catalog-style synopsis summarizes a peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of Economic Criminology, examining help-seeking behaviours among people targeted by romance fraud. The piece surveys how victims res...

“Why did I fall for it?” Exploring internet fraud susceptibility in the pig butchering scam

Xie, Ziyi; Duan, Zhizhuang (2024) — Security Journal

Type: Journal Article Country: China Tags: victim experience, platform policy, prevention Methods: interview

Pig butchering scam, known also as Sha Zhu Pan or 杀猪盘, represents a contemporary form of online fraud that initially targeted Asian victims. With the expansion of Southeast Asian fraud networks, the scheme has achieve...