- Impulsivity
Impulsivity ranks first because scammers often exploit urgency fabricating crises that push
victims to act without reflection. Victims’ tendency to respond quickly and seek stimulating
experiences makes this explanation both practical and strongly supported by the study’s findings. - Addictive Disposition
This motive makes strong sense because romance scams resemble gambling cycles, with victims
experiencing “near win” effects. The addictive pull of ongoing emotional investment explains
why victims struggle to disengage, even after red flags appear. - Trust in Others
Trust is central to romance scams. Victims must believe in the scammer’s sincerity for
manipulation to work. While the study shows trust is a factor, it is less predictive than
impulsivity or addiction, so it ranks third. - Education Level
Surprisingly, higher education was linked with greater vulnerability. This could be due to
overconfidence in one’s ability to detect fraud or greater use of online dating platforms among
educated individuals. This unexpected but evidence-backed finding makes education rank in the
middle. - Gender
Women were shown to be more likely than men to fall victim, which aligns with broader fraud
victimization reports. However, gender is more of a demographic correlation than a
psychological motive, so it ranks lower than traits like impulsivity. - Kindness
Interestingly, victims were found to be less kind, which contradicts initial hypotheses. While
kindness could play a role in some cases wanting to “help” the scammer, the data shows it’s not
strongly predictive. That makes this motive less convincing. - Locus of Control
The study found little significant evidence that an external focus of control believing in fate or
luck predicted victimization. While plausible in theory, it didn’t hold up empirically, so it ranks
near the bottom. - Greed
This is the least convincing motive for romance scams. While greed might explain financial
scams like lotteries, romance scams are more about emotional manipulation than promises of
wealth. Victims often lose money for love, not profit, so greed ranks last