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Victim Characteristics

161 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

Who experiences romance scams?

Women and middle-aged adults appear frequently in studied romance-scam reports, but other samples contain many men and younger adults. The evidence does not establish a single victim profile: which scam researchers count, who reports it, and whether they measure contact or financial loss all change the picture.

6 min read 10 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 161 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Journal Article137
Proceedings Article10
Book Chapter8
Not classified2
Article1
Conference Paper1
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 161 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Interviews52
Thematic Analysis50
Literature Review44
Qualitative Research37
Sampling and Recruitment34
Surveys and Questionnaires32
Qualitative Coding28
Statistical Analysis21
Regression Analysis18
Document and Case-File Analysis17
Conceptual and Theoretical Analysis17
Content Analysis17
Quantitative Research15
Secondary Data Analysis15
Case Studies14
Legal Analysis11
Mixed Methods11
Systematic Review9
Computational and Text Analysis9
Not classified8
Phenomenology7
Scoping Review7
Crime Script Analysis6
Experiments6
Ethnography and Observation6
Comparative Analysis5
Focus Groups3
Discourse and Conversation Analysis1

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 161 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Romance Scam Victims and Survivors107
Fraud and Scam Victims82
Online Dating Users54
Women45
Offenders and Scammers41
Older Adults33
Social Media and Online Platform Users30
Law-Enforcement Personnel18
Men18
General Public10
Young People9
Pig-Butchering Scam Victims6
Students6
LGBTQ+ People6
Potential Victims and Targets5
Family Members and Friends4
Service Providers and Clinicians4
People with Acquired Brain Injury4
Trafficked Scam Workers4
General Online Users3
Not classified2
Legal and Judicial Professionals1

Recorded geographic focus

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

Recorded geographic focus among 161 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
United States28
United Kingdom23
Global23
Australia21
Malaysia11
Indonesia10
China9
Nigeria3
India3
Netherlands3
South Korea2
Germany2
Italy2
Ghana2
Iran2
Latvia1
Portugal1
Taiwan1
Hungary1
Singapore1
Poland1
Costa Rica1
Turkey1
Czech Republic1
Finland1
Spain1
Norway1
Philippines1
Malta1
Canada1
Pakistan1
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.