Hello Pretty, Hello Handsome!: Exploring the Menace of Online Dating and Romance Scam in Africa

Eseadi, Chiedu; Ogbonna, Chiamaobi Samuel; Otu, Mkpoikanke Sunday

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-71024-8_4

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 20 publications

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“…Many relationships are established through online means (Coluccia et al., 2020, p. 25), but once a connection has been established, offenders will use all possible forms of communication to develop and maintain their ruse (ACCC, 2021). Creating fake online dating profiles are a common method to attract potential victims, but offenders will also use other social media or email communications (Eseadi et al., 2021, p. 66).…”

Section: Romance Fraudmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I knew it was a scam”: Understanding the triggers for recognizing romance fraud

Cross

2023

Criminology & Public Policy

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Research SummaryThis article investigates the contributing factors (or triggers) to a realization of romance fraud victimization, based on 1015 reports lodged with Scamwatch (Australian online reporting portal for fraud) between July 2018 and July 2019 (inclusive). The article examines the free text narrative of each report to propose five discernible trigger categories: further requests for money; characteristics of communications; verification checks; an offender's action(s); and being told by a third party.Policy ImplicationsBased on a comprehensive understanding of these five categories, the article advocates for broader messaging approaches to encompass financial literacy and well‐being, cyberliteracy and critical thinking skills, cybersecurity practices, and respectful and healthy relationships. Leveraging the use of these wider education and awareness campaigns could improve recognition of romance fraud. Importantly, it is suggested that banks and other financial institutions are in a strong position to focus their efforts on some of these broader messages to effect positive change.

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Section: Romance Fraudmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I knew it was a scam”: Understanding the triggers for recognizing romance fraud

Cross

2023

Criminology & Public Policy

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“If U Don’t Pay they will Share the Pics”: Exploring Sextortion in the Context of Romance Fraud

Cross

Holt

O’Malley

2022

Victims & Offenders

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Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research

Bilz,

Shepherd,

Johnson

2023

Interacting With Computers

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Romance scams involve cybercriminals engineering a romantic relationship on online dating platforms for monetary gain. It is a cruel form of cybercrime whereby victims are left heartbroken, often facing financial ruin. We characterize the literary landscape on romance scams, advancing the understanding of researchers and practitioners by systematically reviewing and synthesizing contemporary qualitative and quantitative evidence. The systematic review establishes influencing factors of victimhood and explores countermeasures for mitigating romance scams. We searched 10 scholarly databases and websites using terms related to romance scams. The methodology followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines: a total of 279 papers were screened. One hundred seven papers were assessed for eligibility, and 53 were included in the final analysis. Three main contributions were identified: common profile features and techniques used by romance scammers, countermeasures for mitigating romance scams and factors predisposing an individual to become a scammer or a victim. Despite a growing corpus of literature, the total number of empirical or experimental examinations remained limited. The paper concludes with avenues for future research and victimhood intervention strategies for practitioners, law enforcement and the industry.

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Hello Pretty, Hello Handsome!: Exploring the Menace of Online Dating and Romance Scam in Africa

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

“I knew it was a scam”: Understanding the triggers for recognizing romance fraud

“I knew it was a scam”: Understanding the triggers for recognizing romance fraud

“If U Don’t Pay they will Share the Pics”: Exploring Sextortion in the Context of Romance Fraud

Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research

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