RT Article
T1 Examining fifty cases of convicted online romance fraud offenders
JF Criminal justice studies
VO 37
IS 4
SP 328
OP 351
A1 Soares, Adebayo Benedict
A2 Lazarus, Suleman
LA English
YR 2024
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1915444853
AB This article examines fifty case files of cybercriminals that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) convicted for online romance fraud. It profiles offenders and explores the value of the Space Transition Theory in understanding digital crimes. Through documentary analysis, the study identifies key patterns in victim demographics, fraudsters’ operational strategies, and offenders’ socioeconomic backgrounds. Findings reveal a high concentration of U.S. victims (56%) and a preference among offenders for Apple’s iPhone (58%). Most offenders presented themselves as Caucasian American males (46%) or military personnel (12%), with some adopting Caucasian European male identities (10%). Victim demographics show a pronounced gender disparity: 70% of offenders primarily targeted female victims, 14% targeted male victims, 10% reached both genders, and 6% did not specify the victims’ gender. The analysis also indicates that most offenders were university students (74%), with Facebook (46%) identified as the primary platform for these fraudulent activities. The study emphasizes the need for prevention strategies that genuinely consider the socioeconomic and political conditions that may make online fraud an appealing career option.
K1 West African scammers
K1 Yahoo Boys
K1 Facebook scams
K1 Scammers prefer Apple
K1 Caucasian victims
K1 Impersonation of military personnel
K1 convicted cases
K1 online romance fraud
K1 Space Transition Theory
DO 10.1080/1478601X.2024.2429088