Introduction to The RSEI Standard™
The RSEI Standard™ is the world's first and only structured behavioural threat detection and response system developed specifically for the identification, classification and intervention of romance fraud. It was developed by OSB and is maintained as a living standard under active field research.
Romance fraud operates through identifiable, repeatable behavioural patterns. Prior to the RSEI Standard™, no structured framework existed to score, classify and document these patterns in a consistent, evidence-based manner.
Romance fraud has a name. It has a score. The RSEI Standard™ is the instrument through which both are formally established and applied.
Scope & Application
Individual Assessment: Any individual may apply the RSEI scoring methodology to their situation. The OSB Score Tool implements this directly and is available free of charge.
Platform Certification: Dating and social platforms may apply for formal RSEI Certification — confirming that the platform has been assessed and has demonstrated adequate structural safeguards against romance fraud behaviour.
Research & Documentation: The RSEI Standard™ provides the framework against which OSB documents field intelligence notes (IFN series). These notes form the evidence base from which the standard is developed and updated.
The Four Pillars
Every documented romance fraud case exhibits behaviour traceable to one or more of these pillars. They are derived from field case analysis and updated as new intelligence is documented.
| Code | Pillar | Definition | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | Relationship Acceleration | Artificial acceleration of emotional intimacy, dependency and commitment. Includes premature declarations of love, manufactured urgency and engineered exclusivity. | 1–5 |
| S | Script Consistency | Rehearsed, constructed persona — fabricated occupation, location, backstory and financial credibility props designed to appear independently verifiable. | 1–5 |
| E | Emotional Manipulation | Exploitation of trust, guilt, love and fear. E ≥ 4 triggers mandatory victim support referral regardless of financial loss status. | 1–5 |
| I | Incremental Extraction | Escalating financial requests — beginning small, establishing precedent, scaling to significant transfer. Methods include gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency and mule recruitment. | 1–5 |
Scoring Methodology
Each pillar is scored 1–5. The four scores are summed to produce the RSEI Core Score, ranging from 4 (minimum) to 20 (maximum).
RSEI Core Score = R + S + E + I · Range: 4–20
ESI (Escalation & Severity Indicator): 1–5 supplementary velocity measure
Risk Classification
| Score | Classification | Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| 4–11 | Low Behavioural Risk | Monitor. Document. Stay alert to escalation. |
| 12–16 | High Probability Romance Scam | Do not send money. Screenshot all evidence. Contact OSB immediately. |
| 17–20 | Critical Exploitation | Immediate action. Stop all transactions. Contact bank and OSB without delay. |
Independent Triggers
When E ≥ 4, mandatory victim support referral is activated — regardless of Core Score and regardless of whether any financial loss has occurred. Emotional harm is real harm. Established through field case IFN-002. Unique to the RSEI Standard™.
Platform Certification
RSEI Certification is awarded exclusively by OSB following a completed assessment against the RSEI Standard™ v2.0. Certification confirms platform safeguards are commensurate with the four RSEI pillars. See certification.html for full details.
The Public Registry
Absence from the registry is itself a matter of public record. No platform can claim RSEI Certification without appearing on the registry. Any claim not supported by a listing should be treated as unverified and reported to OSB. See registry.html.
Issuing Authority
The RSEI Standard™ is developed and maintained by OSB (OSB). Created by John Dee, Founder and Director. OSB is the sole issuing authority for RSEI Certification.
Citation & Use
Suggested citation: OSB (2026). The RSEI Standard™: Behavioural Intelligence Framework for Romance Fraud, Version 2.0. Document Reference: OSB/STD/RSEI/2.0. OSB.
RSEI™, RSEI Certified™ and RSEI Model™ are trademarks of OSB. Reproduction in commercial products requires written authorisation from OSB.
OSB · OSB · Est. 2021