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Romance scam research | Cyber defense | Victim support
Researching the human side of cyber-enabled fraud.
LD Herrera, PhD studies romance scams, AI-enhanced fraud, help-seeking behavior, and support models that reduce harm for older adults and vulnerable populations.
PhD Cyber Defense
MBA
CISSP
CISM
CIPP/US
About LD Herrera
A scholar-practitioner focused on scams, trust, disclosure, and recovery.
LD Herrera brings more than 35 years of IT leadership and cybersecurity experience to research on online fraud, cyberpsychology, and victim-centered response.
His current work examines how romance scams stay hidden, why victims delay disclosure, how trust shapes help-seeking, and what support systems should do differently when cybercrime is also a deeply personal violation.
He is currently pursuing a PhD in Forensic Cyberpsychology at Capitol Technology University and a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Mental Health at the University of South Dakota.
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Cybersecurity Management and Policy, University of Maryland Global Campus.
- Founder and Lead Researcher, Social Technology and Safety Foundation, whose principal program is the Romance Scam Research Center.
- President and CEO, Expert Approach, Inc.
Featured initiative
Building a living evidence base for romance scam research.
LD Herrera founded the Romance Scam Research Center, the principal program of the Social Technology and Safety Foundation, to make romance scam research easier to find, inspect, and use.
RSRC combines a curated research library, source-linked publication records, plain-language synopses, and living evidence syntheses that connect findings across studies. Its public methodology explains how AI-assisted workflows, automated quality checks, administrative approval, and recorded review states are used, along with the system's limitations.
Connect findings across studies
Read versioned syntheses that identify what the evidence shows, where uncertainty remains, and which questions still need answers.
Inspect how the work is produced
Review source links, AI disclosures, review states, limitations, revision histories, and public correction pathways.
Dakota State University
Cyber defense, business, and artificial intelligence
After completing a PhD in Cyber Defense and an MBA at Dakota State University, LD Herrera will begin the university's Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program in Spring 2027.
What I do
Research areas and public work
Victim support and reporting
Survey-based research on when people seek help, what prevents formal reporting, and how better support systems can lower victim burden.
AI-enhanced scam defense
Analysis of how generative AI strengthens persuasion, impersonation, and credibility, especially in scams targeting older adults.
Human-centered cyber defense
Applied work connecting technical response, education, evidence capture, reporting workflows, and practical intervention.
Featured publications
Published research on romance scams and AI-enhanced fraud
Four IEEE-published papers are available through Dakota State University's repository.
Romance Scam Reporting and Support
What happens after suspicion becomes crisis, and how a "report once, route many" model could help victims move faster with less burden.
Romance Scam Victimization
A victim-centered look at money, shame, silence, help-seeking, and the emotional cost hidden behind official reporting numbers.
Contact
For research, speaking, consulting, or media inquiries, contact LD Herrera at ld.herrera@romancescamresearch.org.