Digital romance fraud targeting unmarried women

Abstract

Abstract Online romance scams have emerged as a pervasive and damaging form of cybercrime that exploits the vulnerabilities of single women seeking online romantic connections. These scams represent a disturbing manifestation of entrenched patriarchal structures and misogynistic behaviors in the digital realm, reinforcing harmful gender dynamics and stereotypes. This paper presents a comparative analysis of a social impact study examining the victimization of single women in India and South Africa through online romance scams. Drawing from feminist perspectives, this study explores how scammers manipulate emotions and trust to gain financial and sometimes sexual advantages, exacerbating the challenges faced by independent, educated women in finding suitable partners. This qualitative study employed case studies to delve into the experiences of victims and investigate how social media platforms facilitate exploitation and deception. This emphasizes the importance of addressing single women's holistic needs, fostering solidarity groups, and promoting cybersecurity education. This research calls for collective action and collaboration among social media platforms, law enforcement, and policymakers to develop robust strategies to combat these scams. By analyzing the mutating nature of patriarchy and misogyny globally, this study underscores the urgency of addressing the systemic issues that enable the victimization of single women and disempower them economically and emotionally.

Keywords

• Victimization
• Single women
• Social media platforms
• Online romance scams