A scoping review of online romance scams: Conceptual construction and comparative analysis
Wang, Fangzhou (2026) — International Review of Victimology
Type: Journal Article
Country: Global
Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, psychology, platform policy, money mules, prevention, scoping review, online romance scams, AFRS, InvRS, pig-butchering, typology, victim vulnerabilities, cross-border policy, PRISMA, cross-language synthesis, victimology, cross-cultural, transnational crime
This scoping review synthesizes findings from a body of 62 empirical investigations to construct a framework that differentiates two primary forms of online romance scams: advance fee romance scams and investment-based r...
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
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...
Romanssihuijaus - rakkauden varjolla tehty kyberrikos
Kanervo, Riikka; Normann, Maria; Korhonen, Helmi (2025) — Kriminologia
Type: Journal Article
Country: Finland
Tags: AI misuse
The paper analyzes romance scams as a distinct and serious form of cybercrime, emphasizing that these schemes rely on emotional manipulation rather than purely financial deception. Offenders build fabricated romantic rel...
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
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...
Are fraud victims nothing more than animals? Critiquing the propagation of “pig butchering” (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘)
Whittaker, Jack M.; Lazarus, Suleman; Corcoran, Taidgh (2024) — Journal of Economic Criminology
Type: Journal Article
Country: United Kingdom
The article explores the growing phenomenon of romance scams as a particularly harmful form of cybercrime that exploits emotional vulnerability for financial gain. The authors position romance scams within the wider land...
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
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...
The Emerging Trends of Online Romance Fraud in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
Sahni Jindal, Sanjeev P. (2024) — Relation between International and National Criminal Law
Type: Proceedings Article
Country: India
Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, psychology, law enforcement, AI misuse, prevention, measurement
The convergence of online connectivity and increasingly capable artificial intelligence has transformed how people form and maintain relationships. Against this backdrop, online romance fraud has emerged as a notable cyb...
Romance Through Digital Avatars: Online Courtship, Representation and “Catfishing” Amongst Irregular Female Migrants in Sabah
Somiah, V. (2023) — New Media in the Margins
Type: Book Chapter
Country: Singapore
Tags: victim experience
This chapter explores the phenomenon of romance scams, situating it within broader discussions of online fraud, victim vulnerabilities, and the lived experiences of those deceived. Romance scams are defined as fraudulent...
Exploring Fear of Crime for Those Targeted by Romance Fraud
Cross, C.; Lee, M. (2022) — Victims & Offenders
Type: Journal Article
Country: Australia
Exploring Fear of Crime for Those Targeted by Romance Fraud is a cataloging-style examination of how fear of crime arises and persists among individuals who engage with or fall victim to online romantic deception. The di...
The online dating romance scam: causes and consequences of victimhood
Buchanan, T.; Whitty, MT. (2013) — Psychology, Crime & Law
Type: Journal Article
Country: United Kingdom
This catalog-style synopsis surveys the topic of online dating romance scams as presented in Psychology, Crime & Law. The article defines the phenomenon as deceitful relationship-building undertaken through digital datin...
