Hyperpersonal feedback and online romance fraud: an empirical examination
Abstract
Online romance fraud occurs when an offender uses deception to present a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust and then defrauds the victim in some way. Despite the crime’s serious impact, there is a lack of empirical knowledge regarding the processes by which it is carried out. Specifically, little is known about how the reciprocal interaction – or feedback – between online romance fraudsters and victims facilitates the crime. This study addresses this gap by using a randomized experimental design to explore how variations in potential reward presented by a fictional victim influence the strategies of fraudsters. To guide our examination, we draw from the hyperpersonal model of communication. Our analysis of sequential email exchanges with 94 online romance fraudsters reveals that their self-selective strategies are shaped by a feedback process between their messages and the victim’s impressions. We discuss implications for online romance fraud and the hyperpersonal model of communication.
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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 Wang & Dickinson, 2024
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- Authors
- Wang, F., & Dickinson, T.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Arlington (US)
- University of Alabama (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Fangzhou
- Venue
- Journal of Crime and Justice
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-07-12
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 371-389
- ISSN
- 0735-648X (ISSN-L)
- 2158-9119
- OpenAlex
- W4400583105
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4
- FWCI
- 3.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Crime and Justice (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Spam and Phishing Detection
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Misinformation and Its Impacts
- Keywords
- fraudsters, deception, online identity, feedback, self-selection, email exchange
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