Feds warn of crypto scam that uses fake dating websites

Crypto scammers are always evolving, and federal officials are warning of a new scheme that scammers are using to steal the currency in your crypto wallet, conning people through fake dating websites.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said scammers are using photos and videos of attractive women to hook the unsuspecting.

According to the U.S. attorney, six people are accused of being behind a scheme operating out of Madagascar targeting unsuspecting men who were looking for love, drawing them in with photos and videos of the women.

“The operations are now hiring real people, and they record themselves and message the victims. The clips are repeatedly used from one target to another,” Pirro said. “… The videos raise the level of trust. It feels very personal and it makes the fraud far more convincing to the victim.”

The FBI said it identified approximately 74 cryptocurrency wallets belonging to victims in Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota and Nevada.

So how do they do it?

In images seized by federal officials, the scammers are told how to draw their targets in, telling them exactly what to say.

“Once the victim is engaged, the scammer directs the victim to a website that appears to be a legitimate, maybe NFT marketplace or investment platform. The victim is told to connect or link their cryptocurrency wallet,” Pirro said.

Pirro said the scammer now has access to the funds and drains them.

“These scams often begin with a message from a stranger. Our advice is clear: pause before you respond,” said Tara McCleese with the Secret Service. “… Scammers don’t need to know you to target you; they only need you to respond.”

McCleese said agents are recovering stolen funds — so far, more than a billion in cryptocurrency. But getting that money back to the people who lost it is not a simple task.

“Most of our cases are in various stages of litigation,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock said. “We don’t have much of that $1 billion to the victims yet, but it’s in process. So, once we litigate our case and we obtain a final order granting the property to the government, then it is up to the attorney general which victims get what money.”

As for the six people accused, it’s unclear if they will face justice in the U.S. There is no extradition treaty with Madagascar.