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Psychological and Financial Harms

234 approved publications in the Library, including 1 dataset.

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

What romance scams take beyond money

People deceived by a supposed romantic partner can lose money, a valued relationship, and a sense of safety. Some experience serious distress without losing money. Research documents these harms, but it does not establish how often each occurs across all victims.

6 min read 8 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 234 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Journal Article194
Book Chapter17
Proceedings Article13
Book2
Conference Paper2
Not classified2
Preprint1
Article1
Dissertation1
Dataset1

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 234 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Interviews74
Thematic Analysis67
Literature Review65
Qualitative Research52
Qualitative Coding44
Sampling and Recruitment40
Surveys and Questionnaires33
Document and Case-File Analysis30
Statistical Analysis30
Case Studies29
Conceptual and Theoretical Analysis25
Content Analysis24
Legal Analysis21
Secondary Data Analysis19
Regression Analysis18
Computational and Text Analysis15
Quantitative Research14
Not classified12
Mixed Methods12
Systematic Review8
Discourse and Conversation Analysis7
Phenomenology7
Experiments7
Ethnography and Observation7
Comparative Analysis7
Scoping Review7
Crime Script Analysis6
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 234 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Romance Scam Victims and Survivors140
Fraud and Scam Victims114
Online Dating Users70
Offenders and Scammers61
Women46
Social Media and Online Platform Users39
Older Adults33
Law-Enforcement Personnel24
Men20
General Public13
Young People13
Family Members and Friends11
Not classified11
Pig-Butchering Scam Victims10
Potential Victims and Targets9
Students9
LGBTQ+ People7
General Online Users5
Service Providers and Clinicians5
Trafficked Scam Workers5
People with Acquired Brain Injury4
Legal and Judicial Professionals3

Recorded geographic focus

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

Recorded geographic focus among 234 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Global47
United Kingdom36
United States34
Australia33
Indonesia12
China12
Malaysia10
Nigeria7
India4
South Korea3
Poland3
Netherlands3
Japan2
Germany2
Canada2
Ghana2
Italy2
Czech Republic2
Iran2
Latvia1
Portugal1
Taiwan1
Bangladesh1
Hungary1
Costa Rica1
Turkey1
Brazil1
Ireland1
Ecuador1
Finland1
Spain1
Norway1
Philippines1
Malta1
Not classified1

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.