The romance that ends in a crypto "tip"

If someone you met online has started talking about crypto, trading apps or "a little investment that's done really well for me," here's the answer to the question you're probably asking. Yes, this is what the scam looks like. The Federal Trade Commission puts it in seven words: "Never mix online dating and investment advice" (FTC). A person who cares about you has no reason to coach you on where to put your savings.

You'd be far from the first person to be asked. People reported $929 million in romance and confidence scam losses to the FBI in 2025, and $584 million of that came from people 60 and over (FBI IC3 2025 report). Crypto investment fraud was the single biggest source of reported losses that year, at $7.2 billion (FBI IC3 2025 report).

Here's the part that should take some of the sting out. When the FBI reached out to 8,103 people caught up in crypto investment fraud, 77% of them didn't yet know they were being scammed (FBI). These schemes are built to feel normal right up until the end. Below is how they usually unfold, the lines to listen for, and what to do if you're already in.

How it usually goes, step by step

What follows is a typical pattern pieced together from FBI and FTC warnings, not one person's story. The details change. The shape rarely does.

1. A friendly hello

It might be a match on a dating app. It might be a text from a number you don't know: "Hi, how are you?" When you say they've got the wrong person, they apologize warmly and keep chatting anyway. The FTC warns that chats like this can end in crypto investing "advice," and that it isn't rude to ignore texts like that from strangers (FTC).

2. Weeks of good mornings

Then comes the slow part. A good-morning message every day. Photos of their lunch, their dog, a sunset from a balcony. They remember your grandson's name and ask how the knee is doing. Early on, they suggest moving the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram because the app "keeps glitching."

The FBI calls the heavy flattery "love bombing" and lists rapid, intense affection early in a relationship as a red flag (FBI IC3). It works because it feels lovely, and after a quiet few years, being thought of first thing every morning is a lot to walk away from.

3. The casual mention

A few weeks in, money comes up sideways. There's no pitch. They mention a good day on the markets, or a relative in finance who showed them a crypto trading platform. Maybe they send a screenshot of their balance. If you ask about it, they're modest: "I don't usually talk about it. I just like having a bit of freedom."

4. The small start, and the win you're allowed to keep

When you're curious, they offer to help. Download this app, open an account, try a few hundred dollars. They walk you through every step, patiently, sometimes on a call.

Your balance grows fast. And when you ask to take some out, it works. The FBI says victims "may even be allowed to withdraw a small amount to build confidence" (FBI San Francisco). That small withdrawal is the hook. It makes everything feel real, and it's often the moment the last doubts go quiet.

5. The big ask

Now a window is closing. There's a special event on the platform, a bonus for bigger deposits, a chance to "build our future together." The FBI describes scammers pressing for a much larger sum at this stage (FBI San Francisco). The warmth is still there, but now it comes with a deadline.

6. The locked door

When you try to withdraw the bigger amount, something is suddenly wrong. You owe taxes first. There's a fee, or a minimum balance, and a friendly "customer service" team appears to help you sort it out (FBI San Francisco). In a newer twist, the FBI warns that some people are told their account has been "flagged" and are asked to hand cash to a courier who comes to their home (FBI IC3).

Paying doesn't open anything. The FBI is plain about it: victims are unable to get their money back, even if they pay the fees or taxes (FBI IC3). Eventually the platform freezes, and the person who texted you every morning for months goes silent.

The lines to listen for

These are sample lines, written to match the tactics in FBI and FTC warnings. If you hear something close to any of them from someone you haven't met in person, stop and step back.

• "My uncle is a financial analyst. He taught me this strategy."
• "There's no risk, I've never lost a cent." The FTC warns that scammers promise big profits and say there's no risk (FTC).
• "Just start small and see for yourself."
• "Let's talk on WhatsApp instead, this app keeps logging me out."
• "Don't tell your kids yet. They won't understand, and I want to surprise them." The FBI lists pressure to cut off advisers and family as a warning sign (FBI).
• "The offer ends tonight."
• "Your account has been flagged. You have to pay the tax before you can withdraw."
• "Customer service says it's a standard verification fee."
• "I'd fly out to see you, but I need to close this one last trade first."

Why clever people get caught

Nobody in this pattern is foolish. According to the FBI, these scams are largely run by organized criminal groups based in Southeast Asia, often staffed by victims of human trafficking forced to do the work (FBI IC3 2025 report). They work in teams, from scripts, and they've practiced an answer to every doubt you might raise.

Their tools have improved too. The FBI warns that scammers now use AI to make realistic photos, videos and voice messages (FBI San Francisco). Our guide to how scammers use AI faces and voices shows you how to test for that.

So if you've had a small bad feeling and pushed it down, that's normal. Professionals designed this to get past exactly that feeling.

A five-question check you can do today

If you're unsure about someone right now, answer these for yourself, on paper if it helps.

1. Have you met this person face to face, and not only on video?
2. Did money or investing come up before you'd met?
3. Did you find the trading platform yourself, or did they send you to it?
4. Have they asked you to keep any of this from family or friends?
5. Has anyone asked you to pay something before you can take money out?

A "no" to the first question plus a "yes" to any of the others is reason enough to stop sending money and talk to someone you trust. Before you invest anywhere, the FTC suggests searching the company or person's name with words like "review," "scam" or "complaint" (FTC).

If you'd like a line to use, here's one. You could say: "I have one rule. I don't mix romance and money with anyone I haven't met in person. If you're who you say you are, that won't bother you." Then watch what happens. A real person shrugs and asks about your weekend. A scammer pushes, sulks or suddenly has an emergency.

If you've already put money in

First, don't pay another fee, tax or "release" charge. The FBI's advice is not to pay any additional fees or taxes to withdraw, and not to pay services that claim they can recover lost funds (FBI IC3).

Then, today:

• Call your bank and the crypto exchange you used. Tell them it's fraud and ask what can be stopped.
• Report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Include the names and profiles they used, how you talked, bank account numbers or crypto wallet addresses, and screenshots (FBI IC3).
• Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC).
• If you're 60 or over and would like help filing, the Justice Department's Elder Justice Hotline is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) (FBI IC3).

Our guide "I think I'm being scammed" walks through the rest in order, including how to save evidence and how to look after yourself afterward. This is general information, so for decisions about your savings, retirement accounts or taxes after a loss, talk to a financial adviser you chose yourself, and to a lawyer if large sums are involved.

Love first, money much later

Love and money can mix one day, with someone you've met, whose friends you've had dinner with and whose name you can look up. Until then, you're allowed to keep the two completely apart. Anyone worth your mornings will understand why.