The Cybersecurity Case Study is a capstone-style analysis designed to bridge the gap between technical security and human behavior. For this assignment, I conducted an in-depth investigation into Romance Fraud Scams. This specific form of cybercrime was selected because it represents one of the most successful exploitations of the “human element” in the digital age. Unlike traditional hacking that targets software vulnerabilities, romance fraud targets the psychological and social vulnerabilities of the human user.

The goal of this research was to move beyond the financial statistics of fraud and instead analyze the behavioral mechanisms that allow these scams to persist. This required a multi-disciplinary approach, pulling from psychology, sociology, and anthropology to understand how digital relationships are weaponized by bad actors.

Connection to the Social Sciences

This case study serves as a direct application of the core principles taught in CYSE 201S, specifically focusing on how human interaction dictates security outcomes:

• The Psychology of Trust: The study analyzes how scammers use emotional manipulation techniques such as love bombing and manufactured urgency to override a victim’s logical decision-making processes.
• Sociological Vulnerability: I examined how social isolation and modern digital dating norms create a “perfect storm” for fraud, particularly among populations seeking companionship.
• Anthropological Shift: The research explores how our cultural transition to digital-first relationships has fundamentally changed how we establish trust, often leaving users without the traditional social cues needed to detect deception.
• Institutional Barriers: Finally, the case study addresses the societal stigma and embarrassment that act as barriers to reporting, which ultimately hinders the collection of empirical data and the prosecution of these crimes.