Advance fee fraud scammers’ criminal expertise and deceptive strategies: a qualitative case study

Purpose This study aims to examine how advance fee fraud (AFF) scammers build their criminal expertise over time and why the AFF scamming deception process succeeds. Design/methodology/approach This study is interpretive, based on case study interview data with two scammers operating in Africa. The interviews were done over a period of time, and the data collection and analysis processes were iterative, primarily driven by the interview data. Findings The authors identify four processes that explain how scammers build criminal expertise, namely, socializing with scammers, accepting scamming definitions, practicing scamming techniques and manipulating digital technologies. The fourth process (manipulating digital technologies) also explains why scammer’s tactics are successful. Originality/value AFF scamming is a major crime affecting individuals and organizations worldwide, yet it remains under researched as little is known about scammers, their expertise and why their deceptive techniques are successful. The first contribution identifies four processes by which individuals build scamming criminal expertise as they transition from scammers-in-the-making to full-blown active scammers. The second contribution identifies the rationalizations used by scammers-in-the-making and scammers to justify transitioning into scamming and engaging in scamming criminality. The third contribution explains how the digital environment contributes to the processes of building scamming criminal expertise and why scammer’s deceptive tactics are sometimes successful.