Investment and romance scams
Someone you've only met online builds a friendship or romance, then gets you to "invest" through an investment site they control. The profits are fake and the deposits are lost. Often called "pig butchering".
How it works
- 1First contact: a friendly message arrives, such as a "wrong number" text, a social follow, or a dating match.
- 2Trust building: they chat daily over weeks and seem warm and interested in you.
- 3The introduction: they mention good results with crypto and point you to a website or app.
- 4The "profits": a small deposit appears to grow quickly, and you may even withdraw a little.
- 5The squeeze: you're encouraged to deposit more, then told you owe "taxes" or "fees" before you can withdraw. After you pay, the site stops working.
A realistic example (fictional)
Sam gets a text: "Hi Alex, are we still on for Thursday?" Sam says it's a wrong number. The sender is friendly, and they keep chatting for weeks. One day they mention a Bitcoin investment platform that's been great for them. Sam deposits a little, sees fast gains, deposits more, and then can't withdraw without paying a "tax".
Warning signs
- Someone you've never met in person is giving you investment advice
- A platform you can't verify, often sent as a link or app download
- Guaranteed or unusually high returns
- Requests to keep it private
- Withdrawals that suddenly need a fee, tax, or "unlock" payment
- Avoiding video calls, or a story that doesn't add up
- Pressure to act before an "opportunity" closes
What to do
Haven't sent anything?
Stop contact and block them. You can also report the account on the platform where they found you.
Already sent something?
- Stop sending anything. Don't pay fees or taxes to "release" a balance.
- Don't confront them. Save the chats, the website address, wallet addresses, and transaction IDs.
- Contact Support so we can help secure your account and review the activity.
- Watch for recovery scams: people who've been targeted are often contacted again.
Protect yourself
- Be careful with anyone you've only met online who brings up crypto.
- Check whether a platform is registered with your financial regulator before depositing.
- Talk to someone you trust before sending anything. No one can guarantee returns.
- Only use RockWallet to Buy, Sell, or Swap. We'll never ask you to send crypto to a person or site.
Report it
Tell us first, then the authorities. See all the ways to report.
Authorities: FBI IC3 (ic3.gov) · your local police · your bank or card issuer if you paid that way.