Study on Concealment during Romance Scams

07/03/2026

We want to thank all who participated in our study on concealment during romance scams. We collected 431 responses, at a cost of approximately $5,000 in Facebook advertising fees. The first presentation of this data will be provided at the National Guardianship Association Convention in Washington, DC, in October. At least one research paper will be written on the data, with publication expected in 2027. For additional research on romance scams from researchers across the globe, please visit romancescamresearch.org, a U.S. non-profit organization.

05/29/2026

Launching Our 3rd Romance Scam Study

We are pleased to announce the launch of our third romance scam study: Study on Concealment during Romance Scams.

Our first two romance scam studies have already resulted in two published academic papers, with two additional papers currently under review at respected academic journals. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to this research and helped advance understanding of romance scams and their impact.

This new study focuses on concealment during romance scams and will run from May 29 through June 20, 2026.

The survey is currently available here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KS5RL63

Please consider participating or sharing this study with others who may be interested. Your support helps strengthen research on this important and often misunderstood issue.

04/20/2026

84.46% of victims told no one.
The latest paper is now live on IEEE and posted in Dakota State University’s repository. It explains why help-seeking and reporting for romance scams often fail and what a better, victim-centered response should require. This is the first of several papers to be derived from the study.

Thanks to all who participated.

Built on social engineering and identity deception, romance scams often create financial loss and distress. For victims, it can be difficult to know where to go, what information is needed, and what outcomes are realistic. This paper reports results from an anonymous survey of people who were target...

12/23/2025

12/23/2025 Update - What surprised us most so far:

We’re starting to analyze responses from the recent romance scam survey, and one finding stands out:

Many scams are still ongoing, or people are not sure whether they’ve truly ended — even when the experience began months ago.

Another unexpected result: a large number of participants told no one at all about what they were going through.

This matters. Most research treats scams as past events. Responses show they are often long, uncertain, and isolating experiences, not single incidents.

Thank you to everyone who shared their story. Your participation is already helping change how these scams are understood — and how support systems should respond.

10/23/2025

We are closing in on the end of our survey. So far, we have had 424 participants in the survey, with 199 of them completing it entirely. With 10 days left, we are still trying to attract as many participants as possible. If you know anyone who might be willing to contribute to this study, please direct them our way.

10/10/2025

After our first week, we have had 251 participants in the survey, with 114 of them completing it entirely. This is excellent news. With 3 weeks left, we are still trying to get as many participants as possible. In our past study, 61% had never told anyone about their experiences with romance scams. It is wonderful to see that people are still willing to share.

We have had some questions about why we are performing this study on Facebook, because doing it here "causes us to instantly lose credibility." The answer is that this is where people are often scammed. If you are interested in learning more about us, please visit our website, romancescamresearch.org.

10/06/2025

In our first weekend, we accumulated 67 survey responses. Our aim is to get to 500.

10/03/2025

Romance scams are costing victims more than $50 billion every year and leaving behind devastating emotional harm.

The Romance Scam Research Center (RSRC) was created to change that. RSRC collects, curates, and explains peer-reviewed research in plain language so that families, researchers, and policymakers have a single trusted library of knowledge.

Until now, research has been scattered across journals and disciplines, making it difficult to access or apply. RSRC brings it together in one place, making insights more discoverable and useful.

Visit romancescamresearch.org
to explore the library. Feedback and ideas are welcome as RSRC grows into a resource that supports both scholarship and families affected by scams.

10/03/2025

Have you experienced a romance scam? Dakota State University researchers invite U.S. adults age 18+ to take part in an anonymous survey about help-seeking and support. The survey takes 10–15 minutes and collects no personal information. Ads are shown broadly to U.S. adults and are not based on scam history. (Approval: DSUIRB-20251003-02EX)

Help researchers understand recovery and support needs after romance scams.