The crypto romance scam
Someone you met online, posing as a successful crypto trader, coaches you onto a fake platform that shows fake gains.1 Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.2
Text Message
Week 3 9:41 AM
My trading has been going really well this month.1 I can show you how to get started if you want.2
Maybe, how does it work?
Use this app, it is the one I use:3 trade-platform.example.net
- They are doing well from trading. The FBI says these scammers pose as highly successful crypto traders.1
- They offer to help you start investing in cryptocurrency.2
- One specific app or website. The FBI warns about unverified investing apps and web addresses a letter or two off from real ones.1
What to do Stop talking to them and don't send anything. Talk it over with someone you trust.2
Rebuilt from FBI and FTC descriptions; the name and address are made up. Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.
The stages, and where to get out
Individual losses ranged from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, the FBI says.1
- First contact.A message on social media or a dating app, from a would-be friend or partner, or someone posing as a long-lost contact.1 It can start as a "wrong number" text.
- Off the platform.They soon ask to move to messages or calls, and have reasons they can't meet: living abroad, an oil rig, the military.2
- The investment.They coach you through investing and keep you depositing. The app shows your money growing fast.1
- The exit fee.When you try to cash out, you're told to pay taxes or fees first. Victims can't get their money back and often lose contact with the scammer.1
Checks you can do today
Search the photos
Run a reverse image search on their profile pictures. The FTC suggests checking whether they appear under other names.2
The same photos under another name mean a fake profile.
Search the story
Look up their job plus the word "scammer" to see whether others have reported the same story.2
If others tell the same story, stop.
If money already left your account
How you paid decides who to call first. Call today.3
| You paid by | Contact right away |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Your card issuer or bank, on the number on the card, and ask for a refund. |
| Bank transfer or Zelle | Your bank or credit union. Ask them to reverse the payment. |
| Payment app | The app. Report the payment and ask for a reversal. |
| Gift card | The card's issuer, on the number on the card. Keep the card and the receipt. |
| Wire transfer | The wire transfer company. Say it was a scam and ask for a refund. |
| Cryptocurrency | The exchange or crypto ATM operator, then the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. |
More scam examples
- Unpaid toll textA small toll, a late fee and a link.
- USPS package textA delivery problem and a redelivery fee.
- How to report a scamWhere each kind of scam goes, in the US and the UK.
- "Wrong number" textA friendly stranger who turns to investing.
- Job offer text and task scamEasy pay, then a deposit to get paid.
- Fake Geek Squad renewal emailHundreds of dollars, call within 24 hours.
- PayPal invoice scamAn invoice you never ordered, sent through PayPal.
- Fake bank fraud alert"Reply YES or NO", then a call.
- IRS scam texts and emailsA refund you weren't expecting, or a threat.
- Amazon scam texts and emailsA purchase or account problem that isn't real.
- All nine examplesThe home page, with every scam side by side.
Sources 3
- Cryptocurrency Investment Schemes (I-100322-PSA, 3 October 2022), FBI IC3. Read 28 October 2026.
- What To Know About Romance Scams (August 2022), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
- What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 28 October 2026.
Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check