How To Protect a Partner or Spouse From Investment Scams
Supportive guidance for protecting a partner or spouse from investment scams — including crypto, forex, and high-return scheme fraud — without damaging trust.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Investment scams are among the most financially devastating and emotionally complex to address within a relationship. Partners who are being targeted often feel they have found a genuine opportunity, and raising concerns can feel like a lack of trust or financial control. The goal is to be supportive and curious, not to take over financial decisions — while making sure the right checks happen before any money moves.
Why partners and spouses are at risk
Scammers often approach one partner, build a relationship of trust or excitement, and encourage secrecy — precisely to keep the other partner out of the decision.
- Crypto and forex investment scams frequently target people via social media
- Scammers encourage secrecy: 'don't tell your partner, they won't understand'
- Early small gains may be fabricated to build confidence before larger sums are requested
- Pig butchering scams combine romance and investment grooming over months
Raising the subject without accusation
How you raise the subject matters as much as what you say. Accusatory language shuts down communication.
- Ask open questions about the opportunity — show curiosity, not suspicion
- Suggest looking at it together as a joint financial decision, not an investigation
- Ask if you can speak to the adviser or platform together
- Propose a cooling-off period before any large sum is moved
Red flags to look for
Certain features of an investment are consistent with known scam patterns.
- Guaranteed or very high returns with little risk
- Investment platform cannot be verified through official regulatory registers
- Withdrawal of profits is blocked, delayed, or requires further deposits
- Partner has been asked to keep the investment private
- Initial contact came through social media, a dating app, or an unsolicited message
If significant money has already been sent
If large sums have already been invested, professional help is often the most effective next step.
- Contact your bank's fraud line immediately — some transfers can be recalled
- Report to Action Fraud or your national fraud reporting service
- Do not pay any 'release fee' or 'tax' to recover funds — these are further scams
- Consider speaking to a financial fraud specialist or citizens advice service
Conversation script
“I'm not saying it's not real — I just want to understand it with you. Can we look at it together?”
“Any investment worth making will still be there after we have done a few checks. Let's look up the company together on the financial regulator's website.”
“If they're asking you to keep this private from me, that's the part I find concerning. Legitimate investments don't need secrecy.”
Frequently asked questions
My partner has been asked to keep the investment secret from me — what does that mean?
Secrecy is one of the clearest signs of a scam. Legitimate financial advisers and platforms welcome scrutiny. If a partner is being told to keep an investment private from their spouse, that is designed to remove the most likely person to raise a concern. It is a significant warning sign, not a minor detail.
They have lost a lot of money and are now being offered a 'recovery service' — is that also a scam?
Almost always yes. Recovery scams specifically target people who have already lost money to investment fraud. They claim to be able to recover funds for a fee — and then disappear with that fee too. Report any recovery approach to your national fraud service immediately.