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Attack Methods and Offender Strategies

273 approved publications in the Library, including 3 datasets.

Each count opens the matching Library records. Classifications can overlap; they count publications, not unique studies, participants, or proven interventions. “Not classified” means that detail has no recognized label in the catalog.

Research Insight Published

How romance scammers turn trust into payments

Romance scammers make a financial request feel like part of a relationship, including by introducing a supposed investment opportunity. Research documents both repeated scripts and changing demands. It does not establish how often each tactic succeeds or whether explaining these tactics prevents losses.

6 min read 14 sources cited in this explanation

Publication types

Format describes the record. It is not a quality score. Datasets are available for discovery, not Insight synthesis.

What do these research terms mean?
Preprint
A manuscript shared before formal peer review and publication. Check whether a later published version is available.
Dataset
A collection of data or examples for others to inspect or reuse. It can appear in Library search and topic mapping, but RSRC does not use dataset records as evidence in Research Insights.
Dissertation or thesis
Research submitted for an academic degree. This describes its format, not its reliability.
Journal article
An article published in a journal. This label alone does not establish peer review, study quality, or how well the findings apply elsewhere.

Definitions draw on DataCite resource types; Cochrane review methods; NLM: association and causation. RSRC’s dataset and classification rules are explained in our methodology.

Publication types among 273 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Journal Article226
Book Chapter19
Proceedings Article15
Book3
Conference Paper3
Dataset3
Preprint1
Article1
Dissertation1
Not classified1

Research methods

A publication may appear in more than one row.

What do these research terms mean?
Qualitative research
Examines experiences, meanings, or processes, often through interviews or observations. It can explain how something happens without estimating how common it is.
Quantitative research
Uses numerical measurements to describe patterns or test relationships. A relationship between two measurements does not by itself show that one causes the other.
Systematic review
Uses a planned, documented method to find and assess research addressing a question. Its conclusions still depend on the included studies and what the search covered.
Meta-analysis
Statistically combines results from multiple studies. Combining studies does not remove weaknesses in their design or make unlike populations interchangeable.
Not classified
This record has no recognized label in this filter. It does not mean the publication used no method, or that no research exists.

Definitions draw on DataCite resource types; Cochrane review methods; NLM: association and causation. RSRC’s dataset and classification rules are explained in our methodology.

Research methods among 273 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Interviews77
Literature Review70
Thematic Analysis67
Qualitative Research60
Sampling and Recruitment47
Qualitative Coding43
Surveys and Questionnaires41
Statistical Analysis35
Document and Case-File Analysis34
Case Studies32
Content Analysis29
Conceptual and Theoretical Analysis25
Regression Analysis24
Legal Analysis24
Computational and Text Analysis20
Secondary Data Analysis20
Quantitative Research18
Not classified18
Experiments12
Mixed Methods12
Comparative Analysis9
Discourse and Conversation Analysis8
Phenomenology8
Ethnography and Observation8
Crime Script Analysis7
Systematic Review7
Scoping Review7
Focus Groups4

Groups studied

A publication may appear in more than one row.

What do these research terms mean?
Groups studied
People or groups described in the research, where recorded. One publication can have several labels. Missing labels are a catalog limitation, not evidence that a group has never been studied.

Definitions draw on DataCite resource types; Cochrane review methods; NLM: association and causation. RSRC’s dataset and classification rules are explained in our methodology.

Groups studied among 273 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Romance Scam Victims and Survivors142
Fraud and Scam Victims118
Offenders and Scammers82
Online Dating Users77
Women53
Social Media and Online Platform Users41
Older Adults34
Law-Enforcement Personnel28
Men23
Not classified17
General Public15
Young People15
Pig-Butchering Scam Victims13
Potential Victims and Targets12
Students12
Family Members and Friends9
General Online Users7
LGBTQ+ People7
Legal and Judicial Professionals5
Trafficked Scam Workers5
Service Providers and Clinicians4
People with Acquired Brain Injury3

Recorded geographic focus

Recorded study focus, not authors’ addresses. Unrecorded geography does not mean worldwide coverage.

Recorded geographic focus among 273 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Global51
United States45
United Kingdom39
Australia26
China17
Indonesia15
Malaysia14
Nigeria9
Ghana8
South Korea4
Poland4
Not classified4
Italy3
Netherlands3
Japan2
Germany2
Spain2
India2
Canada2
Czech Republic2
Hong Kong2
Latvia1
Portugal1
Taiwan1
Bangladesh1
Hungary1
Costa Rica1
Switzerland1
Turkey1
Brazil1
Ireland1
Ecuador1
Finland1
Norway1
Philippines1
Malta1
Iran1
Pakistan1

Coverage reflects RSRC’s approved records and current classifications. Several publications may use the same underlying data. Source notices remain visible on publication records. Read the methodology before using these counts to plan research.