Just the Tip:
A friendly text meant for someone else is a common opening for crypto investment scams, and a polite reply is exactly what the scammer wants. Don’t answer, even to say it’s the wrong number. If someone you met by text ever brings up investing, stop replying and never invest where they tell you to.
Picture a text from an unknown number that reads, “Hi Jessica, I confirmed our dinner reservation for Friday at 7!” Pointing out the mistake feels like simple courtesy, but to a scammer, your reply proves a friendly person is on the other end.
The FBI and the Federal Trade Commission describe what comes next. The stranger apologizes and keeps the chat going until it becomes a friendship or a romance. Then they mention how well they’re doing trading crypto and offer to show you how. Early on, the trading site they steer you to shows fast gains and often lets you withdraw some, which makes it look real. When you try to cash out everything, the account freezes and the site says you owe “taxes” or fees to unlock it.
Crypto investment fraud was the biggest source of losses reported to the FBI in 2025, at $7.2 billion. When the FBI contacted 3,780 victims that year to warn them, 78% didn’t know they were being scammed.
Instead of replying, forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), which helps your carrier block similar messages, then delete it.
If you’ve already replied, these signs give the scam away:
- A request to move the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram
- Investing tips from someone you’ve never met in person
- A link to a trading site or app they want you to use
How long you’ve been talking doesn’t matter. Never put money into an investment that someone you met online introduced.
If you’ve already sent money, stop. Don’t pay a tax or release fee to free your balance, since paying never unlocks it. Report the scam at ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, with every transaction detail you have.
Then expect a second scam. The FBI says almost every victim later hears from a fake lawyer, recovery firm, or law enforcement officer who offers to get the money back for a fee. The FBI never asks victims for money, so treat any recovery offer that comes with a fee as the next scam.
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