Policing advance fee fraud (AFF): Experiences of fraud detectives using a victim-focused approach
Open accessAbstract
Advance fee fraud (AFF) involves an offender using deceit to obtain a financial gain from the victim. The victim believes that by forwarding a sum of money, there will be a future ‘pay-off’. The most commonly witnessed forms of AFF perpetrated via the Internet include classic ‘Nigerian’ or ‘419’ scams, investment fraud and romance fraud. Because of the largely transnational nature of AFF offending, where the victim and offender typically reside in different parts of the world, police are adapting their traditional and reactive approaches to more innovative strategies to combat this crime more effectively. This article utilises a qualitative, semi-structured interview design to explore the experiences of police detectives involved in the implementation of an early intervention model with victims of AFF. The study highlights the challenges involved in developing effective police strategies to proactively reduce the duration and severity of this type of financial victimisation.
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Webster and Drew explored the experiences of law enforcement officers involved in an early intervention model by the Queensland Police Service.
“Webster and Drew (2017) explored the experiences of law enforcement officers involved in an early intervention model by the Queensland Police Service.”
From Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research (2023) · cites this paper as Webster and Drew (2017)
Webster and Drew identified that proactive policing yielded the first promising results through qualitative interviews, particularly when victims were already questioning their relationship.
“They identified that proactive policing yielded the first promising results through qualitative interviews, particularly when victims were already questioning their relationship.”
From Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research (2023) · cites this paper as Webster and Drew (2017)
A better understanding of the influencing factors is needed because it could help to tailor law enforcement efforts and improve intervention success.
“A better understanding of the inf luencing factors is needed because it could help to tailor law enforcement efforts and improve intervention success (Webster and Drew, 2017).”
From Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research (2023) · cites this paper as Webster and Drew, 2017
Research concerned with externally stimulated intervention approaches, such as peer support groups and active policing, has displayed some success.
“Although the research concerned with externally stimulated intervention approaches, such as peer support groups and active policing, has displayed some success, more work is needed to support victims (Webster and Drew, 2017;Cross, 2019).”
From Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research (2023) · cites this paper as Webster and Drew, 2017
Law enforcement plays a key role because they are typically the first point of contact after a victim realizes that they have been defrauded or even while victims are still caught in the scam in the case of active policing.
“Law enforcement plays a key role because they are typically the first point of contact after a victim realizes that they have been defrauded or even while victims are still caught in the scam in the case of active policing (Whitty and Buchanan, 2016;Webster and Drew, 2017).”
From Tainted Love: a Systematic Literature Review of Online Romance Scam Research (2023) · cites this paper as Webster and Drew, 2017
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References 33 · Cited by 22
- Authors
- Webster, J., & Drew, J. M.
- Affiliations
- Griffith University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Webster, Julianne
- ORCID
- Drew, Jacqueline M
- Venue
- International Journal of Police Science & Management
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2017-01-01
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 39-53
- ISSN
- 1461-3557 (ISSN-L)
- 1478-1603
- OpenAlex
- W2621064578
- Cited by
- 22
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 3.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- International Journal of Police Science & Management (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policing Practices and Perceptions
- Keywords
- advance fee fraud, police detectives, early intervention, transnational crime, investment fraud, romance fraud, online fraud, proactive policing
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