A long-con romance-meets-investment scam where fraudsters spend weeks building trust before luring victims into fake crypto trading platforms. It's the fastest-growing scam category in the world — and the average loss is devastating.
Every case follows roughly the same playbook. Recognize the pattern, stop it early.
A stranger messages you on a dating app, LinkedIn, or via a 'wrong number' text. They're polished, attractive, and curiously eager to chat.
Within days they push the conversation off the platform. This removes moderation and keeps your chat history out of reach if the original account gets banned.
Weeks of good-morning texts, life updates, shared photos. No money talk — yet. They become a fixture in your day.
Casually they mention an uncle/mentor/platform that's making them rich. They show screenshots of profits. Eventually they offer to 'teach' you on a platform they trust.
Small initial deposits succeed. The dashboard shows fast gains. You deposit more. When you try to withdraw, you're told about a 'tax,' 'unlock fee,' or 'compliance deposit.' The money is already gone.
If you're seeing two or more of these, assume it's a scam until proven otherwise.
'Hi Amy, is this still your number?' followed by a friendly chat.
Pushes off the original platform within a few messages.
Model-tier photos, travels constantly, lives a Vogue-ready life.
Or does one brief call with an AI-generated face.
An uncle, aunt, or former finance boss taught them how to trade.
Asks you to use a specific site/app you've never heard of.
Your small test deposits triple overnight.
You need to pay tax/unlock/compliance to release your funds.
All anonymized. Submitted through our report form.
We matched on Hinge. He said he was a property developer in Singapore, traveling constantly. After four weeks of daily messages he invited me to 'try a small test' on his trading app. I put in $500. It became $1,800 in two days. I put in $18,000 more. When I tried to take out $10,000 they said I owed 20% tax first. That was the moment I finally searched his name.
I joined a free Telegram 'signals' group to learn about crypto. After a week the admin messaged me privately and offered one-on-one coaching. He walked me through a platform that looked identical to Coinbase. Every trade was a winner. I invested my retirement account. The money doubled on paper. Then the site went offline for 'maintenance' and never came back.
Reverse-image search any profile pics. Insist on a live, unscripted video call before any financial talk. Talk to a friend before sending money to anyone you haven't met in person.
Never invest via an app recommended by someone you met online. Never pay 'fees' to withdraw your own money. If the site isn't listed on major exchanges, walk away.
Search the platform URL on Stop A Scammer, PhishTank, and ScamAdviser before depositing anything. New domains (<6 months old) are a huge red flag.
Don't download remote-access tools like AnyDesk or TeamViewer on request — scammers use them to drain wallets while you watch.
Your story could stop the next person from losing their savings. Submit anonymously in about two minutes.