Romance fraud

Abstract

Romance fraud devastates the lives of millions of victims globally. Under the guise of a legitimate relationship, offenders seek to exploit an emotional connection with victims to fund their financial gain. Romance fraud is particularly insidious, with victims having to grieve not only any financial harm but also the loss of the relationship. Despite the magnitude of victims globally and the severity of the impact of these crimes, there is little research targeted at better understanding romance fraud. While there is an emerging body of work seeking to rectify this, there are still large gaps left to explore. The following chapter provides an overview of the current state of scholarship on romance fraud. This includes what is currently known about romance fraud, how it is perpetrated, the impact on victims, and how to prevent and support victimization. In doing this, the chapter highlights the need for further work in this area.