Investment Scams on Pinterest
Pinterest boards on financial independence, passive income, and wealth building are exploited by fraudulent investment promoters who pin attractive infographics linking to fraudulent platforms and crypto schemes.
Part of: Investment Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Pinterest's FIRE (financial independence, retire early) and passive income communities attract users who are actively seeking investment opportunities, making them a targeted audience for fraudulent financial content. Scammers create visually appealing investment infographics and pins that appear to provide genuine financial education while funnelling users toward fraudulent platforms.
Pinterest's SEO strength means these pins can rank in search engine results for investment-related queries, extending their reach beyond the platform itself.
How this scam works on Pinterest
A board titled something like 'Smart Money Moves' or 'Passive Income Ideas' accumulates pins mixing genuine financial advice infographics with promotional content for a specific investment platform or crypto scheme. The genuine content builds credibility for the fraudulent pins.
Pins link to blog posts or landing pages that use financial education framing to ultimately drive the reader toward registering on a specific trading platform, where the pig-butchering or fake-trading-platform scheme continues.
Some operators use Pinterest's affiliate or product-linking features to direct clicks through tracking links that tie commission-style revenue to the recruitment of new victims.
Common red flags
- Pinterest investment board mixing genuine financial advice with specific platform promotions
- Infographic claiming specific consistent annual returns without regulatory disclaimers
- Pin linking to a blog post that ends with an exclusive platform referral link
- Investment content that discourages traditional regulated financial advisers
- Board with no authored identity linked to a verifiable financial professional
- Platform recommended only through Pinterest with no regulatory registration
How to protect yourself
- Treat all investment platform recommendations found on Pinterest as requiring independent verification
- Check any platform against your national financial regulatory authority's register
- Do not invest in opportunities promoted exclusively through visual social media content
- Seek advice from regulated financial advisers when making significant investment decisions
- Be sceptical of passive income and FIRE content that promotes a specific product
How to report it
- Report fraudulent investment pins and boards via Pinterest's report function
- Report the promoted platform to your national financial regulator
- Share the board URL with your national consumer protection authority if the fraud is organised
Frequently asked questions
The Pinterest infographic cites specific annual return percentages — how do I know if that's realistic?
Be sceptical of any investment claiming a specific, guaranteed high return, since real markets fluctuate and no legitimate regulated investment can promise a fixed outcome. Compare any claimed returns to publicly available data for similar, regulated investment products.
I clicked through a Pinterest 'passive income' pin and landed on a platform sign-up page — is it safe to register just to look around?
Registering alone with minimal personal information carries lower risk than depositing funds, but avoid connecting a payment method or wallet, and check the platform against your national financial regulator's register before going further. If registration immediately pushes you toward depositing money, that urgency itself is a warning sign.
How do I find a real financial adviser instead of trusting a Pinterest board?
Look for advisers registered with your national financial regulatory body, which usually maintains a public searchable database of licensed professionals. A regulated adviser is accountable to that body in a way an anonymous Pinterest board never is.
Is all investment content on Pinterest untrustworthy?
No, but Pinterest is not a regulated financial advice channel. Any investment decision should be verified through official regulatory sources and qualified financial professionals, not based on pins alone.