Phase 1: The Hook (Days 1–7)
An attractive stranger messages you on a dating app, Instagram, LinkedIn, or WhatsApp — “wrong number!” is a common opener. They are warm, available, and reflect your interests. They want to move the chat off the platform fast.
Nothing financial is mentioned yet. This phase is pure relationship building.
Phase 2: The Confidant (Days 7–21)
Daily messages. Lots of listening. They slowly share “their story” — successful, well-traveled, often with a loss (divorce, bereavement) that mirrors something in your life. They’re building emotional capital you’ll later be reluctant to walk away from.
Phase 3: The Mention (Days 14–30)
Casually, almost reluctantly, they mention they’ve been doing well with “an uncle’s platform” or “a trading method” or “a crypto fund”. They are not pushing it. They just want to share something that has changed their life.
They may show screenshots of their own account showing gains. These screenshots are fake.
Phase 4: The First Small Deposit (Days 21–45)
You’re invited to try the platform. The initial amount is small — a few hundred dollars. The platform is slick and looks real. Within a day, your balance “doubles”. You are encouraged to withdraw a small amount to see it works.
The withdrawal does work. This is the trust-building step. The entire platform is a fake front controlled by the scammers.
Phase 5: The Big Deposit (Days 30–60)
Emboldened and emotionally invested, you put in a much larger amount — often tens of thousands of dollars. The fake balance soars. You’re treated like a VIP. Everything feels real.
Phase 6: The Trap (Days 45–90)
You try to withdraw a large sum. Suddenly, there’s a “tax”, a “regulatory fee”, an “insurance deposit” required to release the funds. Each fee costs more money. There is always another fee. The money is already gone.
If you stop paying, the “partner” disappears. The platform closes. The chat goes silent.
How To Protect Yourself
- Never mix romance and money with someone you have not met in person;
- Any platform that requires a tax or fee to withdraw is a scam, 100% of the time;
- If someone shows you “proof of profits”, that doesn’t prove anything — it’s a screenshot;
- If an online romance moves to investment within weeks, it’s not love;
- Share the situation with a trusted friend or family member before you deposit a cent.
If You’ve Been Caught
Call your bank today. Report to the FTC and FBI IC3. Do not pay anyone offering recovery for a fee. See our Important Information page for the full list of what to do.