A Guide to Understanding Romance Fraud

Romance fraud uses the mechanism of a relationship to obtain financial rewards. It devastates the lives of millions globally and results in significant financial and non-financial losses for victims. Proliferation in the use of technology to establish relationships and communicate with others has seen the number of potential romance fraud victims increase exponentially. This briefing paper provides an overview of romance fraud, including definitions, how it is perpetrated, its effects, challenges regarding prevention and the need to remove social stigmas associated with victimisation. Overall, this paper highlights how romance fraud occurs and the need to improve prevention for those targeted.