Romance scams are a form of Internet fraud in which criminals create fake online profiles and attempt to establish a phony emotional connection with their victims.
These criminals target a variety of vulnerable people, including men and women, as well as affluent and educated individuals. They prey on a sense of loneliness and the need for connection.
Healing & Justice:
One strategy for healing is through social justice work. This movement combats burnout, ableism and a lack of access to quality healing services and health care in marginalized communities. It also seeks to lift up the resiliency, healing and perseverance that historically Black, Indigenous, people of color have maintained as a part of their resistance to systemic violence and oppression.
Southern Healing Justice Movement:
Originally launched in 2007 by the Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective, this movement centers and reclaims spiritual practices to foster community healing. The movement draws upon ancestral and indigenous wisdom as a way to respond to generational trauma, facilitate collective healing and transform systemic oppression.
Path to Collective Wellbeing:
While this framework was first developed in the Southeast US, it is being embraced by global healers and change makers who are creating an accessible path to our collective wellbeing, both within communities of color and across cultures. The movement is centered on identifying and responding to generational trauma by reviving ancestral healing practices, promoting collective healing and shifting the prevailing paradigm of ableist notions of wellness.
Support & Encouragement:
Scams involving romance are a popular and profitable type of crime. They demand a lot of patience and skill.
These criminals create fake profiles and photographs on dating websites. They feign personal connections and use their knowledge of psychology to trick victims into sending them money.
Romance Scam: An Elaborate Scheme to Trick Victims into Financial Fraud:
They make it seem like they’re in love and live far away — perhaps due to their military service or to avoid meeting in person — before asking for a large amount of cash for medical emergencies or legal fees.
They then try to control the methods of sending the money, often directing it through wire transfers, preloaded gift cards, and cryptocurrency exchanges. They also discourage their victim from sharing details about the relationship and their finances with anyone else – even family members.
Education & Awareness:
These frauds rely on the emotional gullibility of their victims. They target widowed or divorced individuals who are lonely.
Scammers comb through dating sites and social media accounts searching for victims. Using intense flattery and constant compliments to build trust, they prey on the kindness of these unsuspecting individuals, using fake bad luck stories and emotional manipulation to con them into sending money.
Psychological Characteristics of Romance Scam Victims:
Researchers at Georgia State University have released new research on the psychological characteristics of romance scam victims that could help identify risk and protect them from future attacks.
These research findings are important for prevention and awareness-raising programs aimed at preventing romance scams. They also have important implications for identifying specific groups of people who may be more vulnerable to becoming financial victims of romance scams.
Criminal Justice:
Regardless of their age, gender or socioeconomic status, victims can be vulnerable to romance scams. Scammers create fake online profiles and build phony emotional attachments until the victim is comfortable sending them money.
In a recent study, researchers from Georgia State University explored the psychological implications of romance scams. They found that victims often undergo a traumatic psychological aftermath similar to domestic violence victims.
Impact of Romance Scams on Psychological Well-Being and Online Behavior:
The research demonstrates that those targeted by romance fraud experience acute and ongoing feelings of fear toward their physical safety as well as further victimization in the digital sphere through identity crime.
As a result, they are more likely to be depressed and anxious, as well as to avoid their online activities. This may be because they are worried about becoming a victim themselves, or that they fear being stalked by others. Additionally, they are concerned about how they will be judged by their social groups. These emotions lead to a variety of behaviors such as avoiding online purchases, banking and accessing sensitive information.
