Man scammed out of $1.8 million in crypto romance scheme :: WRAL.com | #datingscams | #lovescams

THAT C >> AS DIGITAL CURRENCY LIKE BITCOIN EXPLODES. SO OUR CRIMES TIED TO IT. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE NOW EXPANDING THEIR EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH IT, INCLUDING ONE SCAM COSTING AMERICANS MILLIONS. PETE WILLIAMS HAS MORNING. >> STEVE BELCHER OF DENVER RECENTLY DIVORCED AND SINGLE AGAIN FOUND SOMEONE ON A DATING APP WHO SEEMED LIKE A GOOD MATCH AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF MESSAGING. SHE MENTION BIT COIN AND A WEBSITE HE COULD USE TO INVEST IN IT. HE DIDN’T WANT TO MISS OUT ON ANOTHER HOT PROSPECT AFTER FAILING TO CASH IN ON APPLE AND GOOGLE WAS LIKE, WOW, IF I WERE TO GET IN EARLIER ON THESE TECHNOLOGIES. >> AND THIS BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE DONE OKAY AT THIS POINT MY LIFE. SO HE STARTED SENDING THE WEBSITE MONEY AND GETTING PAYOUTS AS HE WATCHED THE VALUE OF BITCOIN SKYROCKET. >> HE POURED MORE AND MORE IN AND THE WEBSITE SHOWED HIS BUNDLE BALLOONING AS HIGH AS 8 MILLION DOLLARS. BUT WHEN HE DECIDED TO TAKE MORE OF HIS MONEY OUT, HE DISCOVERED HE COULD NOT. THAT’S THE RED FLAGS WENT OFF AND YOU MY HEART SANK IN. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS. IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN ELABORATE SCAM FROM THE PERSON ON THE DATING APP TO THE PHONY INVESTMENT WEBSITE. HIS TOTAL LOSS. AN ASTONISHING 1.8 MILLION DOLLARS. HIS LIFE SAVINGS. THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE NEW FBI UNIT DEDICATED TO CRYPTOCURRENCY CRIME SAYS IT’S A BOLD TWIST ON ROMANCE SCAMS. IT’S A PROSPECT ERS DREAM. I WANT TO BE PART OF THE IT THE ABILITY TO EARN THAT MUCH MONEY. >> AND TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY AND TAKE CARE OF ALL THOSE. I LOVE THROUGH AN INVESTMENT THAT JUST EXPLODES. THE FBI SAYS IT RECEIVED MORE THAN 4300 COMPLAINTS LAST YEAR ABOUT CRYPTOCURRENCY ROMANCE SCAMS WITH TOTAL LOSSES OF MORE THAN 429 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. COMPLAINTS OF CRYPTOCURRENCY FRAUD OF ALL KINDS REPORTED LOSSES OF MORE THAN 1.6 BILLION DOLLARS. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S NEW DIRECTOR OF CRYPTOCURRENCY ENFORCEMENT. SO IT’S NOW THE PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT FOR A RANGE OF SCAMS WITH THE APPEAL OF THE NEXT BIG THING THAT ISN’T WELL UNDERSTOOD. SORT OF A LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE TECHNOLOGY. EXACTLY HOW IT’S USED. >> COUPLED WITH A FEAR OF MISSING OUT ON SOME OF THESE WHAT THAT WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC PERCEIVES AS GOOD INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, THEY’RE SORT OF BLINDED BY THE LIGHT NOVELTY OF RIGHT. EXACTLY. BACK IN DENVER, STEVE BELCHER SAYS HE STILL CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT >> WE’RE LOOKING AT ME NOW SAID WHAT AN IDIOT. IT’S LIKE I WAS I WAS ON THE SAME TIME THAT I’VE NEVER FALL FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. NOW HE HOPES TO FIND SOME WAY TO GET HIS MONEY BACK.