Scam Strategies

Three main dynamics

• Speaking about the relationship as being permanent

  • Proposing marriage shortly after meeting

• Tragic biographic narratives

  • Loss of a job

• Deadline

  • Scammer needs money by a certain time

Risk Factors for Romance Scam Victimization

• Women

• Middle Age

• High Education level

• A strong tendency to have romantic beleifs

• Idealize relationships

• Sensation seeking

• Impulsivity

• Trustworthiness

• Predisposition to dependency

• Weaker traits of agreeableness

White Collar Crime

• Fraud

• Embezzlement

• Money Laundering

• Tax Evasion

• Bribery

• Insider Trading

Strain Theory

• When people are cut off from licit avenues of achieving wealth, they may turn to illicit means

• Economic strain may look different for richer people

  • May involve power and status rather than just economic strain

Power and Ego Challenge

• Some people may be thrilled by carrying out a schema

Antisocial or Psychopathic Personality

• People who commit fraud need to be…

  • Clever

  • Confident

  • Manipulative

  • Charming

  • Little remorse

Rationalization/ Neutralization

• Denial of victim

  • Eg: Victim was greedy and got what they deserved

  • Eg: Company can afford to lose some money

• Condemnation of the condemners

  • eg: other people int he company get paid a lot for poor work

Faceless Victim

• When defrauding companies, empathy for another person is not triggered the same way

  • May make it easier to commit crime