Investment and crypto fraud

How long-con investment scams build trust before disappearing with the money, and what to check before investing.

By AlertaSpam Security Team. Published August 7, 2026

Many current investment scams — sometimes called 'pig-butchering' scams — start on a dating app or social media with weeks of ordinary, friendly conversation before the topic of a trading platform or cryptocurrency investment comes up. The relationship itself is the setup.

You're typically shown a trading app or website with a convincing dashboard showing steadily growing returns, and encouraged to start with a small deposit that appears to pay off. Larger deposits follow, often at the other person's encouragement, until a withdrawal request is blocked, delayed with new 'fees', or simply never processed.

A guaranteed or unusually high return is the clearest warning sign — no legitimate investment guarantees returns. Check whether the platform is registered with your country's financial regulator; an unregistered platform offering investment services is a serious red flag on its own.

Be especially cautious of any investment opportunity that started through unsolicited contact, and never invest money you cannot afford to lose based on pressure from someone you have only met online.