The DOI matches its Crossref record; 7 of the 7 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Espouse of Women in the Online Romance Fraud World: Role of Sociocultural Experiences and Digital Technologies
Abstract
Online romance fraud is a form of cybercrime that has pervasive consequence on both individuals and organizations. As against previous studies that predominantly focus on male scammers, this study examines the influence of sociocultural experiences and technological modalities on women’s involvement in online romance fraud in Tamale, Ghana. The study employs a blend of feminist criminology and Cressey’s Fraud Triangle Theory to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the engagement of women in the scamming phenomenon in this region. Employing the experiences of fifteen (15) female scammers, the results show that sociocultural backgrounds of female scammers, combined with the internet’s inherent opportunities, play a pivotal role in determining the engagement. The sociocultural background of women, coupled with the technological nature of the act, plays a significant role in driving their engagement in these illicit activities: motivation to offend and opportunity through social relationships. This study emphasizes how technological pathways enhance the opportunities available to women, highlighting the ways in which the digital landscape of such frauds potentially allows women to evade legal and societal repercussions. In conclusion, this study highlights the need for a comprehensive approach that considers both the technological aspects and the underlying societal constructs that facilitate them.
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“Scammers may also introduce (video)calling (5d) as a means of communication (e.g., Abubakari, 2024; Cassiman, 2019; Newell, 2021), sometimes employing deceptive techniques such as “ID spoofing” or voice modulation software to conceal their identity (Smeitink, 2021; Cassiman, 2019).”
From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Abubakari, 2024
In the citing paper
“or exchanging intimate photos and messages (i.e., sexting, 5i; Abubakari, 2024; Amirkhani et al., 2024).”
From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Abubakari, 2024
In the citing paper
“money transfers (7.1b) through money transfer operators (MTO) such as Western Union or MoneyGram (Abubakari, 2024; Cross & Lee, 2022; Smeitink, 2021; Whitty, 2023);”
From Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams (2026) · cites this paper as Abubakari, 2024
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The online dating romance scam: causes and consequences of victimhood
Buchanan, T., & Whitty, M. T. (2014) · Psychology, Crime & Law · doi:10.1080/1068316x.2013.772180 · Cited by 229 · cited 2×
“…on victims of online romance fraud is not typically directed toward gender, but rather psychological characteristics such as impulsivity, gullibility, greed, kindness, along with demographic factors like education, age, and socioeconomic status (Buchanan and Whitty 2014; Whitty 2015; 2018).”
BackgroundWhitty, M. T., & Buchanan, T. (2016) · Criminology & Criminal Justice · doi:10.1177/1748895815603773 · Cited by 200 · cited 1×
“…2012; Shaari et al. 2019), causes of cybercrime (Armstrong 2018; Burrell 2011; Dukku 2019), characteristics and impacts on victims (Olukolu 2019; Whitty and Buchanan 2016), and the mitigative strategies (Alsariera, Elijah, and Balogun 2020; Atta-Asamoah 2009b; Zingerle and Kronman 2011), with…”
BackgroundThe Online Romance Scam: A Serious Cybercrime
Whitty, M. T., & Buchanan, T. (2012) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0352 · Cited by 198 · cited 2×
“Nevertheless, as Whitty and Buchanan (2012) emphasize, not all victims of online romance scams undergo this phase.”
BackgroundDo You Love Me? Psychological Characteristics of Romance Scam Victims
Whitty, M. T. (2018) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0729 · Cited by 177 · cited 4×
“While empirical evidence regarding which gender is more susceptible to becoming victims of online romance fraud is lagging, the limited studies available suggest that women are more prone to such victimization (Whitty 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialAnatomy of the online dating romance scam
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Cassiman, A. (2019) · Social Anthropology · doi:10.1111/1469-8676.12678 · Cited by 29
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Love as Bait: A Scoping Review and Crime Script Analysis of Online Romance Scams
Schokkenbroek, J. M., & Snaphaan, T. (2026) · Trauma, Violence, & Abuse · doi:10.1177/15248380251361046 · Cited by 7
“…be made via bank transfers ( 7.1a ; Huhn, 2023); money transfers ( 7.1b ) through money transfer operators (MTO) such as Western Union or MoneyGram (Abubakari, 2024; Cross & Lee, 2022; Smeitink, 2021; Whitty, 2023); gift cards ( 7.1c ) for platforms such as Amazon or iTunes (Cross & Lee, 2022;…”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Abubakari, Y.
- Affiliations
- University of Wrocław (PL)
- Corresponding author
- Abubakari, Yushawu
- ORCID
- Abubakari, Yushawu
- Venue
- Deviant Behavior
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2023-09-25
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 708-735
- ISSN
- 0163-9625 (ISSN-L)
- 1521-0456
- OpenAlex
- W4387025399
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7
- FWCI
- 6.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Deviant Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Law › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Keywords
- sociocultural experience, digital technologies, feminist criminology, fraud triangle, Tamale, Ghana
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