Is this online relationship or crypto investment a scam?
Reviewed answer
If someone you've never met in person steers you toward investing, it's a scam. Stop sending money.
- Watch the pattern: a friendly stranger (often a "wrong number" text or dating match), weeks of chat, then an investing tip on an app or site they recommend.
- Fake trading sites show big gains to keep you depositing. If you're asked to pay a "tax" or "fee" to withdraw, the money is gone.
- Never send money, gift cards, or crypto to someone you haven't met in person.
- Talk to a family member or your bank before any transfer. Scammers push secrecy for a reason.
Get help if
If you've sent money, stop now, report at ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov, and ignore anyone who offers to recover it for a fee. That's a second scam.