🚨SCAM ALERT💔🌹 LOVE OR LEDGER? Is Valentine’s Day Peak Season for Crypto Romance Scams? 🌹💔
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about flowers anymore. U.S. prosecutors warn it’s now a peak season for romance scams linked to crypto fraud and organized crime. 🚨
These schemes, known as “pig butchering,” are long-term psychological operations — not quick cons.
🐷🔪 Modus Operandi
❤️ Emotional grooming – Contact begins on dating apps, then quickly moves to WhatsApp or Telegram.
💬 Rapid intimacy – Early love declarations, daily messaging, excuses to avoid meeting in person.
💰 Investment introduction – The scammer casually shares “crypto success” and offers to help you invest.
📈 Fake platform – Victims deposit funds into professional-looking crypto sites showing fake profits.
🎯 Trust building – Small withdrawals may be allowed to build confidence.
💸 The trap – Larger deposits are blocked with fake taxes, fees, or technical issues. Then the scammer disappears.
🚩 Red Flags
⚠️ Refusal to meet
⚠️ Urgency and secrecy
⚠️ Crypto, gift card, or wire transfer requests
⚠️ Investment advice from a stranger
Remember: No random online romantic interest genuinely wants to make you rich.
🌍 Bigger Than Romance
Many operations are linked to organized crime hubs in Southeast Asia. Stolen crypto is rapidly laundered through exchanges and shell entities, making recovery difficult.
🛡 Protect Yourself
🔎 Verify regulation and licensing
🚫 Never send crypto to someone you haven’t met
💡 Ask a trusted professional before investing
Protect your heart — and your wallet. #CYBER
