A dating-app match or wrong-number text turns into a crypto investment pitch
A stranger contacts you on Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, WhatsApp, or by "wrong number" text. Over weeks they build a romantic relationship, then introduce a "guaranteed" cryptocurrency or forex trading platform. The platform shows fake profits; when you try to withdraw, you're told to pay tax, unlock fees, or larger amounts. All deposits are stolen.
Also known as: pig butchering scam, sha zhu pan, crypto romance scam, wrong number investment scam, Tinder trading platform scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Stop contact immediately and do not send any more money — the earlier deposits are almost certainly unrecoverable
- 2 Contact your bank's fraud team as soon as possible — under the CRM Code most UK banks now reimburse APP fraud victims for eligible losses
- 3 If you sent money by faster payment or wire transfer, ask the bank whether the transaction can be recalled — recovery is more likely within hours than days
- 4 Do NOT pay any 'recovery' firm that later contacts you — that is a second scam. See [our recovery-room entry](/uk/en/uk-recovery-room-scam/)
- 5 Seek support — this scam involves emotional manipulation and is not your fault. Victim Support offers free help at https://www.victimsupport.org.uk
- 6 Report to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
Red flags
- ⚠ Contact began with an unexpected wrong-number text, WhatsApp, or social-media message from someone attractive who quickly moves the chat off the dating app
- ⚠ They mention their 'uncle in finance', 'family friend at Goldman', or a 'proprietary AI trading platform' that always makes money
- ⚠ The trading platform is not authorised by the FCA — check the FCA Register at https://register.fca.org.uk — and often uses a lookalike name of a real broker
- ⚠ Small early withdrawals succeed to build trust, then the platform demands 'personal income tax' or 'unlock fee' before larger withdrawals can be released
- ⚠ They refuse video calls or the video call is short, poor quality, or seems dubbed — real-time AI face-swap is now used by scam-centre workers
Known variants
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'Wrong number' opening variant: unsolicited text arrives on WhatsApp addressed to a name that isn't yours. When you reply to say they have the wrong number, the sender responds friendly, keeps chatting, and after weeks introduces the trading platform. Same script as dating-app pig butchering with a different entry point.
Last seen: 6/30/2026