In recent years, the term "love scam" has jumped from newspaper headlines to courtrooms with alarming frequency. Behind these stories of broken hearts lies a sophisticated criminal network that seeks to financially deprive its victims.
In a documentary about the subject of love scams, soon to be published in the digital newspaper ' Crónica Global ', Daniel Salvador, head of the Criminal Law area at Vosseler Abogados , analyzes the complexity of these cases and the legal challenges they pose to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished.
Types of emotional fraud
Based on Daniel Salvador's professional experience, two clearly differentiated types of scams are identified, each requiring distinct legal strategies:
- The fictitious profile (total impersonation)The victim interacts with a completely false identity. These are international networks that use stolen images and create epic or tragic life stories to justify the physical distance. Here, deception is the driving force from the very first second.
- Emotional coercion in real relationshipsThis is perhaps the most complex. There is a real physical or sexual-affective interaction. The perpetrator uses an abuse of power to create emotional dependence. The money is not requested through blatant deception, but through manipulation: "If you don't help me, our relationship can't work" or "If you love me, you'll get me out of this mess."
Analogy with cults: recruitment and maintenance
To understand why an intelligent and fully capable person can squander their wealth, Daniel Salvador proposes a comparison with cults:
- Seduction phaseJust as a cult shows its best face to attract a follower (the "siren song"), the con artist showers the victim with attention and promises.
- Coercion phaseOnce the victim is emotionally "involved," the paradigm shifts. Veiled threats, blackmail, and fear of abandonment emerge. It is at this point that the displacement of assets occurs.
Why is it difficult to report?
The main obstacle in court is not proving the money transfer (which is usually straightforward through bank tracing), but proving the deception. "Many judges still operate under the assumption that 'she gave the money willingly, no one physically forced her.' Our job as lawyers is to demonstrate that her willingness was tainted by extreme psychological manipulation ," explains Salvador.
To overcome the judicial filters, Daniel Salvador points out that at Vosseler Abogados, they opt for a multidisciplinary strategy:
- Psychological expert reportsWe collaborate with forensic psychology experts to certify the victim's state of vulnerability and emotional dependence.
- digital forensics: We analyzed the trail of communications on social networks and instant messaging to reconstruct the manipulation process.
- Criminological approachWe provide a technical perspective that explains to the judge how the social engineering behind these crimes works.
Towards a reform of the Penal Code
“Although the crime of fraud is already defined, from doctrinal and criminological sectors we are calling for the legislator to take into account emotional vulnerability as an aggravating factor or a specific modality,” explains the lawyer. “Current jurisprudence is scarce but forceful, with penalties that can range between 2 and 4 years in prison , depending on the financial damage caused.”
The importance of reporting
“ Stigma and shame in a love scam are the scammer’s best allies,” acknowledges Daniel Salvador. “Many victims don’t report it for fear of social judgment or because they don’t want to admit that they’ve been deceived in their most intimate aspirations.”
“At Vosseler Abogados, we want to send a clear message,” Salvador concludes. “The only way to stop these networks is through reporting . Only by making these cases visible will we ensure that the judicial system acquires the necessary sensitivity to protect those whose lives and savings have been ruined by a false love.”
Do you believe you are being targeted by a relationship scam, or do you know someone in this situation? At Vosseler Abogados, we have a team of experts in Criminal Law and victimology to advise you with the utmost discretion and professional rigor.
