Therapeutic but toxic spaces: Romance fraud victimization from a psychosocial perspective

Existing studies on romance fraud have been criticized for neglecting the social contexts where these crimes occur. This study takes a psychosocial approach to understanding victims/survivors’ experiences with romance fraud to demonstrate how recognizing the interplay between social norms and the individual psyche can deepen our phenomenological understanding of why messages from fraudsters appear attractive in the eyes of the targeted individuals. Using the case of victims/survivors in globalizing, neoliberalist Japan, the study highlights how the convergence of individuals’ negative emotions and social norms surrounding intimacy can lead to what is experienced as therapeutic but (also) toxic communication with fraudsters, exerting an irresistibly seductive pull on victims/survivors. The life stories of women victimized in romance fraud disclose a poignant situation where fraudsters manipulate their wish and aspiration, as neoliberal entrepreneurial subjects, to seize happiness through their own efforts against the uncertainty of the transiting gender norms in Japan especially with regard to the production and reproduction. The study discusses the findings’ implication for perceived responsibility of victims/survivors, challenging victim-blaming discourses.