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Grooming and Trust Development

250 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 scammers turn closeness into financial pressure

Scammers can make sending money feel like caring for a partner or building a future together. Grooming means developing closeness that can later be exploited for money. Studies describe this process, but limited direct investigation leaves uncertainty about which tactics lead people to agree to requests or send money.

6 min read 17 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 250 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Journal Article209
Book Chapter15
Proceedings Article12
Book3
Conference Paper3
Dataset3
Not classified2
Preprint1
Article1
Dissertation1

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 250 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Interviews74
Thematic Analysis67
Literature Review64
Qualitative Research57
Qualitative Coding44
Sampling and Recruitment42
Surveys and Questionnaires37
Statistical Analysis32
Case Studies29
Document and Case-File Analysis28
Content Analysis27
Conceptual and Theoretical Analysis24
Regression Analysis21
Legal Analysis20
Computational and Text Analysis19
Secondary Data Analysis17
Not classified16
Quantitative Research15
Mixed Methods11
Experiments10
Comparative Analysis9
Systematic Review8
Ethnography and Observation8
Crime Script Analysis7
Discourse and Conversation Analysis7
Phenomenology7
Scoping Review7
Focus Groups3

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 250 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Romance Scam Victims and Survivors139
Fraud and Scam Victims115
Offenders and Scammers75
Online Dating Users70
Women51
Social Media and Online Platform Users35
Older Adults31
Law-Enforcement Personnel26
Men21
Not classified16
General Public14
Pig-Butchering Scam Victims13
Young People13
Potential Victims and Targets11
Family Members and Friends9
Students8
General Online Users7
LGBTQ+ People6
Trafficked Scam Workers5
Service Providers and Clinicians4
Legal and Judicial Professionals3
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 250 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Global48
United Kingdom35
United States34
Australia30
China16
Malaysia14
Indonesia13
Ghana7
Nigeria6
Poland4
Netherlands4
Not classified4
South Korea3
Italy3
Japan2
Germany2
Spain2
India2
Canada2
Czech Republic2
Hong Kong2
Latvia1
Portugal1
Taiwan1
Bangladesh1
Hungary1
Costa Rica1
Switzerland1
Turkey1
Brazil1
Ireland1
Finland1
Norway1
Philippines1
Malta1
Iran1

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.