Susceptibility to Phishing and Victims’ Views of Love, Romance and Red Flags: Economic and Psychological Coercion in Virtual Space
Abstract
Romance scams have increased 50% since 2019 and have cost victims about $304 million dollars in the last year (Federal Trade Commission, 2/10/2021). Romance scams also cause emotional distress (Buchanan & Whitty, 2014; Cross, Dragiewicz & Richards, 2018), with distress increasing for lonely victims and those who also were deceived into giving money. There is very little research on how an individual’s definitions of love and knowledge about potential ‘red flags’ in relationships contribute to becoming a victim of romance scams and monetary loss due to these scams. This study addresses this gap.
Susceptibility to Phishing and Victims’ Views of Love, Romance and Red Flags: Economic and Psychological Coercion in Virtual Space
Romance scams have increased 50% since 2019 and have cost victims about $304 million dollars in the last year (Federal Trade Commission, 2/10/2021). Romance scams also cause emotional distress (Buchanan & Whitty, 2014; Cross, Dragiewicz & Richards, 2018), with distress increasing for lonely victims and those who also were deceived into giving money. There is very little research on how an individual’s definitions of love and knowledge about potential ‘red flags’ in relationships contribute to becoming a victim of romance scams and monetary loss due to these scams. This study addresses this gap.