Narcissism in Online Scam Creators

Abstract

Online scams depend not only on technical execution but on psychological dynamics between scammers and targets. Personality traits—including narcissism, entitlement, lack of empathy, and grandiosity—are frequently observed among perpetrators of social manipulation and fraud. This paper analyzes how narcissistic traits may contribute to scam creation, focusing on cognitive distortions, self-image maintenance, and emotional detachment. A new model, the Narcissistic Exploitation Pathway Framework (NEPF), is proposed to explain how narcissistic tendencies, combined with opportunities in digital ecosystems, may lead to fraudulent behavior. The emphasis is placed on criminological profiling, psychological theory, and prevention—not procedural methods of committing scams.