Though Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office is reminding the public to be vigilant as criminals operate romance and confidence fraud schemes all year long.

In a confidence fraud or romance scam, an individual believing they are in a trusting relationship, whether family, friendly, or romantic, is tricked into sending money or personal information to the scammer.

These scams begin when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and steal from the victim.

The criminals who carry out these schemes are experts at what they do. They will seem genuine, caring, and believable. They’ll research their intended victims’ social media accounts to help develop a quick connection, so be careful what information you share online. The scammers’ intention is to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear themselves to their victims, and gain their trust.

"Romance scammers are working to be your 'perfect match’; what might begin as a seemingly innocent connection can quickly turn sinister as criminals cash in on those looking for companionship,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "As always, we encourage the public to be mindful when forging a relationship online, exercise caution navigating the cyber landscape, and report suspected scams to the FBI."

Cryptocurrency Investment Scams

As the popularity of cryptocurrencies rises, so does the risk of it being exploited by bad actors.

Once trust and rapport are built, scammers manipulate the victims, often with the promise of lucrative investment opportunities, into depositing money into financial “investments” using cryptocurrency.

To facilitate the investment and demonstrate the returns on investment, victims are directed to websites that appear authentic but are actually controlled by the scammer. After the victim has made several cryptocurrency investments through these scam sites, which purport significant returns, victims’ requests to withdraw or cash out their investments are denied for one reason or another. Scammers will often claim the victim needs to pay additional "taxes" or "withdrawal fees" to release their investment "gains", thereby obtaining additional victim funds.

Then the scammer cuts off contact with the victim, vanishing with the invested sums.

If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online:

• Think twice before you share personal information online. Scammers can use details shared on dating sites and social media platforms to better target victims.
• If you try online dating, only use dating sites with well-known reputations. Search people’s photos and profiles online to see if anyone has used the names, images, or information elsewhere.
• Take the relationship slow and ask lots of questions.
• Beware if the person quickly asks you to leave a dating app or social media platform to go “offline” — or tries to isolate you from friends and family.
• Never send money, cryptocurrency, or gift cards to anyone you’ve only communicated with online or by phone.
• Be particularly cautious if the person you're communicating with is overseas—often times scammers use overseas construction or military jobs as an excuse to not be able to meet in person.
• Scammers can fabricate things like medical emergencies that they need money to pay for, or if wanting to meet in person, request the victim pay for their airfare and travel up front.

If you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov).

Additional Resources:

Romance Scams — FBI

Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud — FBI