Examining fifty cases of convicted online romance fraud offenders

Soares, Adebayo Benedict and Lazarus, Suleman ORCID: 0000-0003-1721-8519 (2024) Examining fifty cases of convicted online romance fraud offenders. Criminal Justice Studies. ISSN 1478-601X

Text (Examining fifty cases of convicted online romance fraud offenders) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (2MB)

• Scopus publication

Abstract

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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Mannheim Centre for Criminology
Subjects:	H Social Sciences H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Date Deposited:	06 Dec 2024 10:27
Last Modified:	20 Dec 2024 00:59
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/126265

Actions (login required)

View Item