"One of the UK's leading specialists in financial mis-selling…"
The Times
A crypto romance scam starts with a fraudster contacting a victim via a dating app, social media or messaging platforms using a fake, attractive profile. Through repeated contact, they build a relationship and gain the victim’s trust by pretending to be romantically interested.
Once trust is established, the scammer will ask for a money transfer, often claiming it’s for an emergency such as urgent medical fees, legal fees, to repay debts or even travel expenses. Cryptocurrency romance scams are more sophisticated because the fraudster convinces the victim to invest in cryptocurrency or transfer their existing crypto. These so-called investments are fake, and the funds go directly to the scammer.
Because victims believe they are investing in a legitimate cryptocurrency opportunity rather than sending money directly to the fraudster, they are often less suspicious and more willing to proceed.
Historically, many romance scams began on dating apps. However, as users have become more aware of fake profiles, fraudsters have increasingly moved onto social media, online forums and messaging apps where they can build trust more gradually.
They may reach out through:
A tell-tale sign of a scam developing is when the fraudster becomes unusually interested in your finances, including your savings, pensions, other assets or who you bank with. This helps them assess how much they may be able to persuade you to invest or transfer. If they discover you own crypto, they may suggest a “great investment opportunity”.
Crypto is attractive to scammers because it’s hard to trace and has a reputation for high returns. They often claim they’ve made money with crypto and want to share the opportunity “because of the relationship”.
If the victim already owns cryptocurrency, the fraudster may persuade them to transfer it to another wallet by claiming it offers better security, lower fees or improved investment opportunities. In reality, the wallet is controlled by the scammer.
In our experience, these scams usually end in one of two ways:
Contact us for a free crypto romance scam recovery consultation.
Answer a few quick questions and request a free callback. Our team will contact you for a no-obligation chat and explain the next steps.
There are several red flags that an online romance might be a crypto scam.
Common warning signs include:
Other tell-tale signs to watch for:
Important: Never transfer money or crypto on the advice of someone you have met online, whether directly to them or to what looks like a genuine investment. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is a scam.
Our solicitors have extensive experience helping individuals who have suffered significant financial losses.
We have represented clients across a wide range of fraud, investment and financial recovery matters.
You will never pay any upfront legal fees. Our success is linked directly to yours.
As a regulated law firm, we provide professional legal advice and representation throughout your claim.
We understand modern scams that involve multiple stages of manipulation, including fake investments, cryptocurrency transactions, and sophisticated online tactics.
We provide honest assessments of potential claims and explain the options available before you decide whether to proceed.
Scammers often use stolen photos and fake details to build trust and lure victims into fraudulent online relationships.
The scammer encourages the victim to invest in fake crypto opportunities, promising high, unrealistic returns that never materialise.
After a scam, new fraudsters pose as recovery agents, demanding more money to “retrieve” stolen funds.
Victims are directed to professional-looking websites or apps that appear legitimate but are controlled by the scammer.
Some scammers threaten to leak personal information or images unless more money or crypto is sent.
A long-term manipulation scam where fraudsters ‘fatten up’ trust over weeks or months before executing a large-scale crypto theft.
If you think you’ve been targeted by a crypto romance scam, you should act quickly. Here are four things to do:
1. Cut off all contact with the scammer immediately.
2. Report the scammer’s profile to the platform where you met. This helps prevent others from becoming victims.
3. Contact your bank right away. If your payment was recent, they may be able to freeze or recover the funds—especially for UK-to-UK transfers. Crypto transfers are harder to trace, but still report it.
4. Report the fraud to the police via Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for financial crime. While recovery isn’t always possible—especially with overseas scammers—the sooner you report the scam, the better the chances of tracing funds or preventing others from being defrauded.
“A romance scammer may try to find out if you already own crypto—making you a prime target. With 28% of American adults now holding crypto and UK numbers rising fast thanks to digital banks like Revolut and Monzo, more people than ever are vulnerable to these scams. If you suspect someone is targeting your crypto, act quickly—before it’s too late to recover your funds.”
Crypto romance scams often involve a combination of emotional manipulation and fraudulent investment opportunities. We take the time to understand the full circumstances of your case before assessing potential recovery options.
Many victims of crypto romance scams have already experienced significant emotional and financial harm. Our No Win, No Fee agreement allows you to pursue recovery without taking on additional financial risk.
What This Means for You
Crypto romance scams often overlap with other types of fraud. If your case involves any of the following, we can help:
Once a scammer knows their victim has romantic feelings for them, they will then exploit that trust.
They introduce financial talk – often boasting about how much money they’ve made in a particular investment, often crypto. They’ll show fake accounts or profits from fake trading platforms or crypto exchanges, then encourage you to do the same “for your own benefit.”
They often help set up a fake account or crypto wallet, but any funds transferred go directly to the scammer.
Report the scam to your bank as soon as you suspect fraud — especially if money was recently transferred. In some cases, the Bank can stop and reverse the transfer, particularly if it is to another UK Bank.
Under the Authorised Push Payment (APP) refund rules, your bank may refund you if the funds can’t be recovered.
You should also report the scam to the police via Action Fraud (online or by phone at actionfraud.police.uk).
Scammers use various emotional manipulation tactics to gain trust and control:
Act fast – if you report the suspect transfer to your bank quickly, your bank may be able to stop or trace the transfer, particularly if it was to another UK bank.
You can also seek a refund from the bank that made the transfer. The UK banking regulators have set out rules and requirements to be eligible for this. For full details, see our section: “How we help you recover your funds from a crypto romance scam”.
There are three things you can do to find out if an online romance is genuine;
Tim qualified as a solicitor in 1997 and has more than 25 years of experience advising clients on professional negligence, financial mis-selling and complex civil litigation matters. He oversees the firm’s professional negligence cases and advises on case strategy.
Tim has reviewed this page to help ensure the legal information is accurate, up to date and relevant to individuals considering a potential claim.
We offer a free, confidential consultation to help you understand your legal options. Our specialist solicitors handle professional negligence, pension and investment mis-selling, and fraud recovery claims across England and Wales. From day one, we’ll give you clear, practical advice tailored to your situation.
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You do not need legal representation to make a financial services claim. You can complain yourself at no cost and under FCA rules, the financial services provider must provide a response. If you feel this is unsatisfactory, you can complain to the statutory redress bodies, the FOS and FSCS who can award you compensation. This is a free service.
The information appearing within this website does not constitute legal advice and is provided for general information purposes only. No warranty, whether express or implied, is given in relation to such material, and we do not accept any liability for reliance on it.
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