A crime script perspective on mapping the entry, continuation, and exit pathways of online romance fraud

Online romance fraud has received increasing scholarly and policy attention due to its socioeconomic and psychological consequences. While prior research has examined the technical, psychological, and structural conditions that enable these scams, far less is known about the temporal and behavioural processes that shape how individuals enter, sustain, and exit them. This study addresses that gap using qualitative data from publicly available court case files and interviews with active and former offenders. Drawing on Crime Script Analysis (CSA), it maps the sequence of offender behaviour, including pre-entry preparation, operational stages, and pathways out of fraudulent activity. Findings show that romance fraud is not opportunistic but a structured enterprise requiring planning, adaptation, and sustained deception. Exit is commonly triggered by lawenforcement pressure, reduced financial returns, and moments of moral conflict. The study advances cybercrime research by illuminating the dynamics of recruitment, socialisation, and disengagement, with particular attention to Global South contexts.