Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Anatomy of the online dating romance scam

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Whitty, Monica T. (2015) Anatomy of the online dating romance scam. Security Journal, 28 (4). pp. 443-455. doi:10.1057/sj.2012.57 ISSN 0955-1662.

[img] PDF
WRAP_anatomy_of_the_romance_scam_whitty_security_journal.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer.

Download (802Kb)
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/sj.2012.57

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

The Online Dating Romance Scam is a relatively new form of online fraud. This article draws from three qualitative studies: an analysis of posts from a public online support group, in-depth interviews with victims of this crime and an interview with a Serious Organised Crime Agency officer to outline the anatomy of this scam. It is argued here that there are five distinct stages of this crime. In Stage 1, the criminal creates an attractive profile to draw in the victim; in Stage 2, the criminal grooms the victim, priming them to send money; in Stage 3, the criminal begins to request funds from the victim (there a four potential trajectories at this stage); in Stage 4, which only a few went through, the victim is sexually abused via cybersex; and finally Stage 5 is the revelation. Understanding the anatomy of this scam is important for prevention as well as psychological treatment.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > WMG (Formerly the Warwick Manufacturing Group)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Internet fraud, Online dating, Single women -- crimes against -- Interviews, Single men -- crimes against -- Interviews, Single people -- crimes against -- Interviews
Journal or Publication Title: Security Journal
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
ISSN: 0955-1662
Official Date: October 2015
Dates:
DateEvent
October 2015Published
11 February 2013Available
Volume: 28
Number: 4
Page Range: pp. 443-455
DOI: 10.1057/sj.2012.57
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit: 6 December 2016
Date of first compliant Open Access: 6 December 2016
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Grant number: RES-000-22–4022

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us