Mexican legislator proposes classifying romance scams as gender violence

Elizabeth Mateos, a Morena deputy in the Mexico City Congress, has proposed a legal initiative to classify "romance scams" as a form of violence against women. The proposal aims to amend Article 343 Bis of the Federal Penal Code and the General Law on Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence.

The initiative seeks to redefine these scams from simple economic fraud to "patrimonial and economic violence." This distinction is intended to address how perpetrators use emotional manipulation and established sentimental bonds to gain trust and exploit victims for financial gain.

According to the proposal, these tactics often lead women to take on bank loans, incur unpayable debts, or surrender property and assets. Mateos argues that the reform is necessary to close legal loopholes where such transactions are often mischaracterized as "voluntary decisions" rather than the result of psychological manipulation and emotional abuse.