State of Romance Fraud
2026

Romance fraud is not slowing. The $74 billion annual figure represents only confirmed and reported cases. The true figure — accounting for shame-driven non-reporting — is significantly higher. OSB field intelligence confirms that the operational sophistication of romance fraud networks is increasing year on year.

In 2026, OSB documented two new globally-significant S-Pillar techniques. The first (IFN-001) defeated the standard advice to "verify independently." The second (IFN-005) defeated "I saw the money with my own eyes." Together they represent a new class of financial credibility engineering that existing fraud prevention guidance does not address.

Of all cases scored through the RSEI framework in the period, the average Core Score was 14.2 — falling within the High Probability Romance Scam tier. The S pillar showed the highest average at 4.1/5, confirming that script sophistication remains the primary operational tool of romance fraud networks.

The E Pillar Independent Trigger was activated in 68% of all scored cases — meaning emotional exploitation was operating at a clinically significant level regardless of whether any financial extraction had occurred. This confirms the fundamental OSB position: emotional harm is real harm.

The Automated Bank Verification Exploit (IFN-001) — The scammer provides real stolen account credentials. The victim independently calls the real bank and receives confirmation of a large balance from the automated system. The victim's own verification step was the trap. This defeats the primary fraud prevention advice in circulation globally. First documented by OSB.

The Facade Bank Page (IFN-005) — A fake bank portal interface showing fabricated wealth, displayed to the victim before any financial request is made. Distinct from IFN-001 — this uses visual fabrication rather than automated phone confirmation. The victim sees the "money" before being asked for anything. First documented by OSB.

Romance fraud operations have been documented on every continent. The victim base is global and crosses all income levels, ages and education backgrounds. Africa — particularly West Africa — remains the primary operational hub. North America, Europe and Oceania are primary victim markets. Asia is both a victim market and an emerging operational hub.

Seniors — people over 60 — represent the most financially impacted demographic globally. This is not because seniors are less intelligent. It is because they carry greater accumulated wealth, are more likely to be living alone, and were formed in an era when trusting strangers was safer than it is now.

OSB's 2026 Platform Safety Index assessed the six most commonly cited platforms in documented romance fraud cases. Four out of six received an F grade. No platform received an A.

Facebook (18/100) and WhatsApp (15/100) received the lowest ratings. Together they account for the majority of initial scammer contact points documented in OSB cases globally.

This report is published by OSB e-Consultancy and is free to access, reproduce and distribute with attribution. All field data is drawn from documented OSB case intelligence. The RSEI Model™ is a proprietary framework of OSB e-Consultancy.

For research partnerships, data requests, media interviews or institutional briefings — contact OSB directly. OSB operates anonymously by design. All media contact is handled through John Dee, Founder.