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    Romance and Investment Scams: Stop the Next Payment

    Stop sending money when an online relationship steers you into an investment you cannot independently verify. Displayed profits and small withdrawals do not prove a platform is legitimate.

    By ZoraSafe · Content reviewed

    Recognize the financial turn

    A new contact may build trust before recommending a trading app or claiming special investment knowledge. A demand for additional tax, verification or release payments to access your money is a warning sign.

    Sources: FTC: What to know about romance scams; FTC: Cryptocurrency and scams

    Preserve a useful record

    Save profile names, messages, website addresses and transaction details. Do not confront the person or send another payment to prove that the withdrawal system works.

    1. Contact the payment provider or exchange through its official support route.
    2. Describe the transfer and suspected fraud, including any account access you shared.
    3. Report the profile to its platform and the incident to the appropriate reporting service.
    4. Talk to someone you trust; pressure and isolation make decisions harder.

    Sources: FTC: What to do if you were scammed; FTC: What to know about romance scams

    Be cautious about recovery offers

    A new contact may claim they can recover cryptocurrency or release a frozen balance for a fee. No report, tracing service or article can guarantee recovery. Secure accounts if credentials or identity documents were shared.

    Sources: FTC: Refund and recovery scams; FTC: What to know about identity theft

    Sources and product references

    Reviewed 2026-10-08. Source dates and scope matter; a linked source supports the associated guidance, not every claim about every product.

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