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...

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...

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...

Legal Policies for Eradicating Perpetrators of Online Romance Fraud in the Digital Sphere

Fikri, AM. (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...

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...

Analysis of the Romance Scam Phenomenon in Interpersonal Communication of Love Scammer & Victim

Nomleni, KEJ. (2023) — Jurnal Communio : Jurnal Jurusan Ilmu Komunikasi

Type: Journal Article Country: Indonesia Tags: victim experience, AI misuse, online dating platforms Methods: interview

In line with the progress of the times, online interaction has become a real part of the dynamics of romantic relationships. This phenomenon brings various impacts: some relationships continue to the stage of marriage, b...

Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research

Bilz, A.; Shepherd, LA.; Johnson, GI. (2023) — Interacting with Computers

Type: Journal Article Country: United Kingdom Tags: victim experience, offender tactics, law enforcement, platform policy, AI misuse, measurement, cross-cultural Methods: interview, content analysis, experiment, qualitative, quantitative

Romance scams are orchestrated by online criminals who cultivate a deceptive romantic relationship on dating platforms with the aim of extracting money from victims. This form of cybercrime is harmful and often leaves th...

The tinder swindler: Analyzing public sentiments of romance fraud using machine learning and artificial intelligence

Lokanan, ME. (2023) — Journal of Economic Criminology

Type: Journal Article Country: Canada

This article surveys public responses to romance fraud in online dating contexts, with a case-frame inspired by the phenomenon popularly summarized as "The Tinder Swindler." Positioned within the field of economic crimin...

The Transformation of LGBTQ+ Relationships in Turkey from Digital Dating to Digital Violence

Gümüş, Burcu (2023) — Journal of Family Violence

Type: Journal Article Country: Turkey

This study explores how dating apps both enable and endanger LGBTQ+ individuals in Turkey, focusing on how relationships initiated online can lead to violence. While digital matchmaking offers opportunities for LGBTQ+ pe...