CINCINNATI (FOX19) – The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about a cryptocurrency scam carried out on dating apps.
After ‘swiping right’ and getting connected with a potential love match, they may ask you to take the conversation off the dating app.
BBB says the scammer will insist on moving to texting platforms like WhatsApp and WeChat.
Once on the texting app, they say your new love will start talking about how they have a family member who is a successful cryptocurrency investor.
They may tell you they have inside trading information that could make you rich.
To get in on this ‘exclusive opportunity,’ you just need to deposit money in a cryptocurrency trading platform.
Once you deposit the money, it will be gone forever, and unsurprisingly, you will be blocked by your ‘love match.’
The BBB says there are some ways to protect yourself from this scam:
- Never send money or personal information to someone you’ve never met in person. If they continue to pressure you to invest on a crypto trading platform, research the investment platform first.
- Communicate on the dating app. If a love interest appears to be in a hurry to get off the dating app to an unsecured chat app, that is a red flag.
- Ask specific questions about details given in a profile. A scammer may stumble over remembering details or making a story fit.
- Research the dating profile. Many scammers steal photos from the web to use in their profiles. Conduct a reverse image lookup using a website like tineye.com or images.google.com to see if the photos on a profile are stolen elsewhere. Search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t. Report what you find to the dating app.
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