Examining fifty cases of convicted online romance fraud offenders

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 i...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Soares, Adebayo Benedict (Autor)
Otros Autores: Lazarus, Suleman
Tipo de documento: Electrónico Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2024
En: Criminal justice studies
Año: 2024, Volumen: 37, Número: 4, Páginas: 328-351
Acceso en línea: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Palabras clave:
West African scammers
Yahoo Boys
Facebook scams
Scammers prefer Apple
Caucasian victims
Impersonation of military personnel
convicted cases
online romance fraud
Space Transition Theory
Descripción
Sumario: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.
ISSN:1478-6028
DOI:10.1080/1478601X.2024.2429088