When Suspicion Becomes Detection. Folk Deception Cues and Detection Strategies in Online Dating Romance Scams
2026-06-22 • Human-Computer Interaction
Human-Computer Interaction
AI summaryⓘ
The authors studied people in Iran who were tricked by fake profiles on mobile dating apps, a type of scam called romance scams. They interviewed 24 victims to understand how they noticed something was wrong and tried to check if the person was real. The study found that victims actively look for clues and investigate, even though it is emotionally hard. The authors suggest ways to improve mobile apps to help people spot and avoid these scams better.
romance scamsmobile dating platformsdeception detectionidentity verificationonline frauduser behaviorinvestigative strategiesmobile technology designemotional impactIran social context
Authors
Sima Amirkhani, Jana Krüger, Dave Randall, Gunnar Stevens, Douglas Zytko
Abstract
The growth of mobile dating platforms has coincided with a rise in romance scams, in which offenders construct convincing personas to defraud users. While research on romance scams is expanding, victims lived experiences of recognizing and responding to deception in mobile-mediated interactions remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, we conducted indepth interviews with 24 victims of online dating romance scams in Iran, where legal, social, and cultural constraints limit formal support. Our analysis identifies suspicion cues and the investigative strategies victims use to verify identities across platforms. We show that victims are not passive recipients of deception but engage in active, iterative detection practices under significant emotional, social, and relational pressure. Based on these findings, we contribute empirically grounded insights into deception cues and user driven detection work, and we discuss implications for the design of mobile technologies that better support users in identifying, resisting, and recovering from romance scams. Content Warning, This paper discusses sexual violence