Swindlers use dating apps and websites to lure in victims, tricking them into fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. Here's how Mike, retired and single, lost $277,000 to a cryptocurrency romance scam.
When Mike downloaded the dating app Tinder, he was looking for companionship with someone nearby. But, in July, he matched with a woman named “Jenny” from Malaysia and began exchanging messages on the dating platform and then on WhatsApp, a messaging app. While the pair discussed their lives and traveling together, after a month or so Jenny turned the conversation to Bitcoin.
When his cryptocurrency portfolio hit $1 million in value, he was assigned his own “teacher analyst” named Devon. “You’ll see earnings; you’ll even be able to withdraw some money at some point.
In a statement to NBC News, WhatsApp said someone can receive a “suspicious message on any service, including email and SMS, and anytime that happens, we strongly encourage everyone to use caution before responding or engaging.” Cryptocurrency is rapidly becoming the preferred payment method for traditional scams like phishing, where someone sends a text message, e-mail, or makes a phone call demanding payment for anything from taxes to insurance, according to Ricky Patel, acting special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations in New York.
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