Mexican lawmaker proposes classifying 'romance scams' as violence against women

A legislator from Mexico's Morena party is pushing to classify 'romance scams' as a distinct form of violence against women. Deputy Elizabeth Mateos has introduced a proposal to amend the General Law for Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence and the Federal Penal Code.

“

This type of violence will be considered when the aggressor, through affective manipulation, deception, or emotional abuse, induces the victim to incur debts, request loans, cede assets, or hand over economic resources, either for their benefit or for that of a third party, thereby causing a detriment to their financial and patrimonial stability.

The proposed reforms would specifically define this type of scam as patrimonial and economic violence. According to the initiative, this violence occurs when an aggressor uses emotional manipulation or deception to trick a victim into incurring debt, taking out loans, transferring assets, or providing financial resources. The ultimate goal is to benefit the scammer or a third party, causing significant harm to the victim's financial stability.

Mateos argues that these scams are not merely economic fraud because they exploit an established emotional bond. She highlighted that existing legal frameworks often fail to adequately address these cases, as victims' financial transfers might appear voluntary. However, these actions often follow a pattern of emotional manipulation, leaving victims with unmanageable debts and economic dependency.

“

Given that this phenomenon represents a specific modality of economic and patrimonial violence, its express recognition in the legal framework is necessary, with the purpose of providing greater protection to women, preventing these types of deceptions, and establishing sanctions proportional to the damage caused.

The initiative aims to close these legal gaps, offering greater protection to women, preventing such deceptions, and ensuring proportional sanctions for perpetrators. By explicitly recognizing romance scams as a specific modality of economic and patrimonial violence, the proposal seeks to empower victims and hold offenders accountable.

“

With this reform, we seek to close legal loopholes that allow aggressors to take advantage of the trust, affection, and emotional vulnerability of women to strip them of their financial stability, leaving them with unpayable debts and in a situation of economic dependence.