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Cited by 40Cybercrime and Law Enforcement StudiesStalking, Cyberstalking, and HarassmentCriminal Justice and Penology

Emotional and financial costs of online dating scam: A phenomenological narrative of the experiences of victims of Nigerian romance fraudsters

Open access
Aborisade, Richard Abayomi, Ocheja, Akoji, Okuneye, Babatunde Adekunle·2024·Journal of Economic Criminology
DOI 10.1016/j.jeconc.2023.100044
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Abstract

Qualitative research on the experiences of victims of online dating romance scams is limited. Following a phenomenological framework, this study explores victims’ accounts of interactions with offenders from first contact, development of romance, patterns of exploitation, eventual revelation, and financial and emotional costs of dating fraud. Ten participants from six countries who were victims of Nigerian romance fraudsters took part in one-to-one, semi-structured video interviews and an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was carried out. Four superordinate themes were identified from participants’ experiences: i) online romance, ii) exploitations, iii) revelations, and iv) reactions. These themes highlighted the uniqueness of the experiences of victims of online dating scams and the depth of emotional loss suffered after their victimization. Findings suggested that offenders target middle-aged women with troubled marriages or widows with inherited wealth, engage in lengthy pre-dating friendships with their targets, and deploy different forms of emotional blackmail to exploit their victims. These were found to have severe financial and long-term emotional consequences on victims. Participants reported they sought legal redress as a recovery strategy from their emotional sufferings. These findings have important practical and policy implications if online romance dating scams, and their financial and non-financial consequences are to be addressed.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jeconc.2023.100044

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  • Once a target is identified, the scammer initiates contact, although in some cases the target makes the first move.

    “Once a target is identified, the scammer initiates contact (e.g., Aborisade et al., 2024; Rege, 2009)—although in some cases, the target makes the first move (Wang & Dickinson, 2024).”

    From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Aborisade et al., 2024

  • Initial contact occurs via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

    “social media platforms (3b) such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn (Aborisade et al, 2024; Anesa, 2020; Cross & Holt, 2021);”

    From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Aborisade et al, 2024

  • Grooming includes planning physical meetings.

    “planning physical meetings (5h; Aborisade et al, 2024; Gillespie, 2017);”

    From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Aborisade et al, 2024

  • Scammers may display controlling or possessive behavior to further dominate the victim, demanding constant availability or asking the victim to justify how they spend their time when not communicating with the scammer.

    “They may also display controlling or possessive behavior (5l) to further dominate the victim, demanding constant availability or asking the victim to justify how they spend their time when not communicating with the scammer (Aborisade et al., 2024).”

    From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Aborisade et al., 2024

  • Grooming includes establishing regular communication routines to maintain frequent contact with the victim.

    “establishing regular communication routines (5f) to maintain frequent contact with the victim (e.g., Aborisade et al., 2024; Cross et al., 2018; Whitty, 2013);”

    From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Aborisade et al., 2024

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Authors
Aborisade, R. A., Ocheja, A., & Okuneye, B. A.
Affiliations
  • Olabisi Onabanjo University (NG)
  • National Open University of Nigeria (NG)
Corresponding author
  • Aborisade, Richard Abayomi
  • Ocheja, Akoji
  • Okuneye, Babatunde Adekunle
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Economic Criminology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-03
Volume
3
Pages
100044
ISSN
2949-7914 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jeconc.2023.100044
OpenAlex
W4389505026
Cited by
40
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 9
FWCI
9.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Economic Criminology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment
  • Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
Keywords
online dating scams, romance fraud, victim experiences, emotional costs, financial losses, emotional blackmail, exploitation, legal redress, fraud prevention policy

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