Estafas románticas: El inversor en criptodivisas

(3 Minute Read) – There’s a new twist on an old romance scam that’s ripping off thousands of people to the tune of $133 million dollars this year alone. We’ve previously warned you about Romance Scams, but now the FBI has a new warning about a variation of these scams.

The latest version of the Romance Scam involves cryptocurrency. It typically starts the same way as the traditional scam: the victim is approached by the fraudster through a dating app or social media site. The scammer gains the victim’s confidence and trust, convincing them that their virtual love connection is real—and to hand over money.

In this new scam, the fraudster claims to be an expert cryptocurrency investor. Of course, they want their new true love to make money through this platform as well. They convince the victim to invest in the crypto, they allow them to withdraw a little bit of the profit from the so-called “account.” This is another tactic to gain the victim’s trust and convince them the investment is real.

This is where the scam evolves, according to the FBI. After that successful withdrawal, the scammer tells the victim to invest larger amounts of money. When the victim is ready to withdraw more “profits,” the scammer makes up reasons why the withdrawal can’t happen: there are additional taxes or fees that have to be paid first, or the minimum account balance hasn’t been met yet. Often, victims put in additional funds so they can access their “profits.” The scammers are so convincing, they sometimes send the victim to a “customer service group” which is also part of the scam.

As you can imagine, the scammer is just keeping all of the money. Once the victim catches on and stops sending money, the “relationship” usually ends. The scammer just ghosts the victim. All that money the victim handed over is long gone and cannot be recovered.

The FBI offers these tips to protect yourself:

• Never send money, trade, or invest based on the advice of someone you have only met online.
• Don’t talk about your current financial status to unknown and untrusted people.
• Don’t provide your banking information, Social Security Number, copies of your identification or passport, or any other sensitive information to anyone online or to a site you do not know is legitimate.
• If an online investment or trading site is promoting unbelievable profits, it is most likely that—unbelievable.
• Be cautious of individuals who claim to have exclusive investment opportunities and urge you to act fast.

¿Y si soy víctima de una estafa romántica?

Si ha sido víctima de una estafa romántica, aquí tiene algunas medidas que debe tomar inmediatamente:

Si pagó al estafador con un giro postal o una transferencia, póngase en contacto con el servicio financiero o la entidad que utilizó para enviar el dinero y pida que cancelen la transacción si es posible. No olvide informarles del fraude.

• Si pagaste al estafador con una tarjeta regalo, ponte en contacto con la empresa que emitió la tarjeta e infórmales de que acabas de pagar a un estafador con una tarjeta regalo y pregúntales si pueden devolverte el dinero. Asegúrese también de denunciarles el fraude.
• Llama a la policía y dales toda la información que puedas.
• La FTC recomienda presentar una denuncia en línea en ftc.gov. You can also report your experience to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
• Si lo prefiere, también puede llamar a la línea directa de protección del consumidor del Fiscal General de su Estado y pedir que le envíen por correo un formulario de reclamación:
  • Residentes en Oregón: 1-877-877-9392
  • Residentes en Washington: 1-800-551-4636

We’re here for you

If you think you’re a fraud victim, Contacto right away. The sooner we learn about potential fraud, the more we can do to help. You can learn more about common online holiday scams and how to avoid them on our Página de seguridad.