Is someone I met on a dating app asking me to invest in cryptocurrency with them a scam?
Yes. This is the classic setup for a pig-butchering scam, one of the most lucrative fraud types in operation today. The romantic relationship is entirely manufactured to set up the investment theft.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
The person you met may have a polished profile, engaging conversation, and apparent genuine interest in you. After building rapport over days or weeks, they casually mention that they have been making excellent returns on a cryptocurrency platform — often framed as a tip from a relative who works in finance. They offer to guide you through getting started, just to help you.
The platform they direct you to looks professional and shows impressive returns. You are encouraged to invest more. As with all pig-butchering operations, the platform is controlled by the fraudsters and your balance is fiction. When you try to withdraw, obstacles appear until you eventually stop depositing and both the contact and the platform disappear.
The romantic connection is not incidental — it is the core mechanism. By the time the investment pitch arrives, you have developed trust, affection, and a psychological investment in the relationship. This makes you much more willing to take financial risks and much more reluctant to acknowledge warning signs.
The rule is simple: any romantic or social connection that leads to a crypto investment recommendation should be treated as a scam by default, regardless of how genuine the relationship feels.
Common red flags
- Met on a dating app or social platform and moved to private messaging quickly
- Conversation naturally leads to the topic of their investment success
- They offer to help you use a specific platform or app
- The platform is not a major known exchange
- Your returns look impressive very quickly
- Withdrawals are blocked by fees, taxes, or deposit requirements
- They become evasive or unavailable when you ask for the withdrawal
What to do now
- Stop all interaction with the person and the platform
- Do not deposit additional funds under any circumstances
- Search the platform name plus 'scam' to find other victims' accounts
- Report to the dating platform that the profile is being used for fraud
- Report to your national cybercrime authority with all communication records
- If fiat money was involved, contact your bank immediately
Frequently asked questions
Why did the person seem so genuinely interested in me if it was all fake?
Pig-butchering scammers follow detailed scripts and spend significant time building authentic-feeling connections. This is their profession, and they are skilled at it. Your emotional response was real — theirs was a performance.
Can I recover anything I invested?
Cryptocurrency sent to fraudulent platforms is rarely recoverable through the blockchain. Report to law enforcement and your bank for any payment methods where recall might be possible. Contact a regulated financial solicitor for larger losses.