The anatomy of written scam communications: An empirical analysis
Abstract
This paper examines the interactional construction of written scam communications. It draws on an empirical corpus of 52 envelopes containing letters and leaflets designed to deceive recipients into parting with their money or personal details, and presents the analysis of eight extracts in illustrating the findings. This research draws on interactional methodologies to provide in-depth insights into the underlying techniques used in scams, and to identify a wider framework that accommodates and facilitates their effect. It explores and exposes what elements of the scammers’ communicative efforts are enlisted and directed towards the performance of particular acts such as inferring legitimacy and credibility, and inspiring urgency and secrecy. These elements combine to perform a range of highly effective communicative acts that, although the communication is mass-produced with no knowledge of the recipient other than a name and address, result in the exploitation of their individual vulnerability in a highly personalised manner.
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Introducing the possibility that the relationship won't work and wanting to 'take things slowly' shows an openness and a lack of threat, desperation, or hidden mission associated with trying to defraud someone.
“As shown in Extract 9, introducing the possibility that the relationship won't work and wanting to 'take things slowly' shows an openness and a lack of threat, desperation, or hidden mission associated with trying to defraud someone, much like the fraudster's explicit openness to doubt about their written communications (Carter 2015).”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
Vulnerability is legitimised through genre mapping, an interactional tactic in which the fraudster leverages the facade of the developing romance to perform displays of vulnerability as part of rapport building through the exchange of personal information.
“This is legitimised through genre mapping (Carter 2015), an interactional tactic in which the fraudster will leverage the facade of the developing romance to perform displays of vulnerability as part of rapport building through the exchange of personal information.”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
Romance fraud occurs within the guise of a relationship, rather than as a one-off communication as in postal frauds or a financially focused interaction known as 'pig butchering'.
“As romance fraud occurs within the guise of a relationship, rather than a one-off communication as in postal frauds (Carter 2015) or a financially focused interaction colloquially known as 'pig butchering', it is necessary for the fraudster to sustain the facade of genuine communication for an extended period of time, often over many hundreds or thousands of interactions with the victim.”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
In romance fraud, the process begins in a similar way to how 'addressing immediate concerns' is performed in postal frauds.
“In romance fraud, the process begins in a similar way to how 'addressing immediate concerns' (Carter 2015: 91) is performed in postal frauds.”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
This increases his facade of credibility and trustworthiness, positioning him as 'not one of the dangers', similar to the tactics used in postal frauds.
“This increases his facade of credibility and trustworthiness, positioning him as 'not one of the dangers', similar to the tactics used in postal frauds (Carter 2015).”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
This is used to house and disguise the true nature of the interaction, enabling the fraudster to explicitly present a facade of honesty and safety without it looking out of place or causing concern to the recipient, encouraging reciprocal trust.
“This is used to house and disguise the true nature of the interaction, enabling the fraudster to explicitly present a facade of honesty and safety without it looking out of place or causing concern to the recipient, encouraging reciprocal trust (Carter 2015).”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
These descriptions are flattering, and as such both increase the victim's feelings of solidarity with the fraudster and disguise the fraudster's scripting behaviour.
“These descriptions are flattering, and as such both increase the victim's feelings of solidarity with the fraudster (Freiermuth 2011) and disguise the fraudster's scripting behaviour (Carter 2015).”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
This distances the fraudster from responsibility and ownership of the request, lending it credibility as it comes from external sources.
“This distances the fraudster from the responsibility and ownership of the request, lending it credibility as it comes from external sources (Carter 2015).”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
Talk about money is often heavily disguised or mitigated by seating it within contextually credible discursive frameworks, termed 'genre mapping'.
“It is often heavily disguised or mitigated by seating it within contextually credible discursive frameworks, which I term 'genre mapping' (Carter 2015).”
From The Language of Romance Crimes (2024) · cites this paper as Carter 2015
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- Authors
- Carter, E.
- Affiliations
- Buckinghamshire New University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Carter, Elisabeth
- ORCID
- Carter, Elisabeth
- Venue
- Crime Media Culture An International Journal
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-02-19
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 89-103
- ISSN
- 1741-6590 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-6604
- OpenAlex
- W2112681899
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 6.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Crime Media Culture An International Journal (publishedVersion)
- Bucks New University Repository (Bucks New University) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Linguistics and Discourse Analysis
- Keywords
- scams, fraud, written communication, deception, legitimacy, credibility, urgency, secrecy, personalization, vulnerability
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