When someone you meet online claims to be a crypto expert, wins your trust, and then asks you to invest in a "guaranteed" opportunity, you’re not falling for love—you’re falling for a crypto romance scam, a type of fraud where scammers build fake emotional relationships to steal cryptocurrency. Also known as pig butchering scams, these schemes prey on loneliness, trust, and the excitement of getting rich quick. These aren’t just phishing emails or sketchy websites—they’re carefully crafted stories, often over weeks or months, where the scammer acts like a perfect partner: supportive, attentive, and suddenly in need of your help to access a secret crypto wallet or investment platform.
Their targets? People who are new to crypto, emotionally vulnerable, or desperate for connection. The scammer might claim to be a trader, engineer, or even a soldier stationed overseas. They’ll send fake screenshots of profits, share fake links to platforms like "EXNCE" or "Catalyx"—both real scams we’ve seen documented—and push you to send crypto to a wallet they control. Once you send it, you’re blocked. No refunds. No trace. And the person you thought you loved? Never existed. This isn’t just financial theft—it’s emotional abuse wrapped in blockchain jargon.
These scams thrive because they exploit what makes crypto feel mysterious: the idea that you need insider access to make money. But the truth is simple—no real crypto project or trader will ever ask you to send funds to a private wallet because they "can’t access their own account." Real exchanges like COINZIX, a regulated exchange focused on Eastern Europe or MerlinSwap, a Bitcoin layer-2 DEX don’t ask users to send crypto to strangers. And no legitimate airdrop, like the MND airdrop, a crypto music campaign that distributed 30 trillion tokens, requires you to pay to claim free tokens. If someone asks you to pay to get rich, they’re not your lover—they’re a thief.
What’s worse? These scams often leave victims too ashamed to speak up. That silence lets them keep running. But you’re not alone. Thousands have lost millions. The patterns are always the same: too-good-to-be-true stories, pressure to act fast, and a refusal to video call. If you’re ever unsure, stop. Walk away. Check the project on DexSale. Look up the token. Search the name. You’ll find the truth: no real opportunity hides behind a love letter and a wallet address.
Over $10 billion was stolen from Americans in 2024 through crypto scams run from Myanmar’s Shwe Kokko region. These operations use romance fraud and forced labor, protected by armed militias. U.S. sanctions have targeted key players, but the threat is growing.
Tycho Bramwell | Nov, 26 2025 Read More