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All research topics

Victim Vulnerabilities

215 approved publications in the Library, including 2 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

Why people get drawn into romance scams

Scammers can exploit a person’s need for connection, tailor their attention, and make a fraudulent relationship difficult to leave. Research links several emotional and personality characteristics with victimization, but it does not establish a reliable checklist for identifying who will be deceived.

6 min read 12 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 215 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Journal Article185
Proceedings Article12
Book Chapter9
Book3
Dataset2
Article1
Conference Paper1
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 215 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Interviews69
Thematic Analysis62
Literature Review59
Qualitative Research47
Sampling and Recruitment39
Surveys and Questionnaires38
Qualitative Coding36
Statistical Analysis26
Document and Case-File Analysis24
Case Studies24
Conceptual and Theoretical Analysis22
Content Analysis22
Regression Analysis19
Legal Analysis18
Secondary Data Analysis16
Computational and Text Analysis15
Quantitative Research14
Mixed Methods11
Not classified10
Experiments10
Systematic Review8
Ethnography and Observation8
Crime Script Analysis7
Phenomenology7
Scoping Review7
Comparative Analysis6
Discourse and Conversation Analysis4
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 215 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Romance Scam Victims and Survivors127
Fraud and Scam Victims98
Online Dating Users68
Offenders and Scammers56
Women50
Social Media and Online Platform Users37
Older Adults36
Law-Enforcement Personnel21
Men21
General Public13
Young People13
Not classified10
General Online Users10
Pig-Butchering Scam Victims9
Potential Victims and Targets8
Students7
LGBTQ+ People7
Family Members and Friends6
Trafficked Scam Workers5
Service Providers and Clinicians4
People with Acquired Brain Injury4
Legal and Judicial Professionals1

Recorded geographic focus

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

Recorded geographic focus among 215 approved publications
ClassificationPublications
Global39
United States33
United Kingdom28
Australia25
Malaysia14
China13
Indonesia11
Nigeria4
India4
Netherlands4
South Korea3
Italy3
Poland3
Ghana3
Not classified3
Germany2
Spain2
Canada2
Iran2
Latvia1
Japan1
Portugal1
Taiwan1
Bangladesh1
Hungary1
Costa Rica1
Turkey1
Czech Republic1
Brazil1
Ecuador1
Finland1
Norway1
Philippines1
Malta1
Hong Kong1
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.