ROMANCE SCAM AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: A SURVEY OF STUDENTS' PARTICIPATION IN ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA-AKOKO (AAUA).

The findings of this study make it clear that romance scams among AAUA students are not isolated acts but a reflection of broader socio-economic challenges, peer influence, and technological innovation. The narratives demonstrate that participation in scams is often driven by financial desperation and the normalization of such practices within certain peer groups, while victims suffer deep emotional, psychological, and financial harm. These outcomes disrupt academic life and weaken trust within the university community, underscoring the severity of the problem. The study also shows that technology, particularly the adoption of AI tools, has expanded the reach and sophistication of romance scams, making them harder to detect and more damaging. This highlights the urgent need for both institutional and societal responses that go beyond punitive measures to include education, awareness, and digital literacy. A descriptive research design was used, and a purposive sampling technique was employed to collect primary data from the study area. A semi-structured interview schedule was administered to 60 respondents, using thematic and narrative analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step approach: familiarization with data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing up. The findings suggests combining awareness campaigns, counseling, AI literacy programs, peer advocacy, and stronger regulatory enforcement as recommendations for AAUA inorder to reduce both participation in and vulnerability to romance scams. Such interventions will not only safeguard students but also foster a culture of responsibility, integrity, and resilience within the university community.