Date

9-17-2026

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

Evaristus O. Obinyan

Keywords

Fraud, security, romance, online, Ghana, cybercrime, scammers

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Abstract

One of the most prevalent cybercrimes is online romance fraud, where the perpetrators prey on individuals looking for love on various platforms. The crime, widespread on dating apps and social media, is typified by scammers starting a relationship and then defrauding the gullible victims of their money. Ghana is one of the countries whose citizens have been victims of these swindlers, and the national security apparatus is increasingly receiving reports of online financial victimization. This qualitative study aims to explore the issue in the country from a national security perspective. This study investigates what motivates the perpetrators of this crime and its national security impacts, with the strain theory acting as the conceptual framework. Data will be collected using interviews and analyzed qualitatively to extract themes. The study expects to find that socioeconomic factors motivate people to engage in online romance fraud, and this form of crime poses a national security threat due to the financial and potential physical harm subjected to the victims. This research contributes to current knowledge on crime by exploring the rarely pursued national security dimensions of this form of swindling. Importantly, it creates a foundational framework that policymakers in the national security sphere can use to prevent or mitigate the threats posed by crime.

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