Valentine’s Day Romance Scams: US Prosecutors Warn on Crypto Risks
Prosecutors within the U.S. state of Ohio have issued a public warning urging Americans to look at for love scams tied to cryptocurrency as they have fun Valentine’s Day.
The alert drew consideration to an increase in emotionally pushed fraud instances the place victims are persuaded to ship digital belongings after forming on-line relationships.
Federal Warning Outlines Latest Tactics
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said criminals usually strategy targets via relationship apps, social platforms, or textual content messages, then construct belief for weeks or months earlier than requesting cash for fabricated emergencies or investments.
According to U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer, scammers “prey on belief and emotion,” and so they “aren’t on the lookout for love—they’re on the lookout for cash.” He added that such criminals usually focus on older adults and emotionally susceptible people.
His workplace additionally cited current prosecutions and investigations, together with a December 2025 case the place authorities charged Frederick Kumi, a Ghanaian nationwide accused of serving to run a romance fraud community that allegedly took greater than $8 million from aged victims since 2023. Per investigators, the group used AI instruments to create false identities and preserve convincing conversations earlier than requesting cash. Kumi was arrested in Ghana and is dealing with expenses together with wire fraud conspiracy and cash laundering conspiracy.
Another case concerned an Ohio girl who lost about $663,000 after a stranger contacted her via a “fallacious quantity” textual content. The fraudster later guided her via opening accounts on Crypto.com and Coinbase, then satisfied her to switch funds to a pretend funding platform.
Fortunately, detectives from the FBI traced a part of the stolen cash to cryptocurrency wallets and seized greater than $8.2 million in USDT with assist from Tether.
Data Shows Wider Trend in Crypto-Linked Fraud
Recent business analysis suggests these crimes match a broader sample, as proven in a January 2026 report from blockchain safety agency PeckShield, which estimated that crypto scams and hacks price customers greater than $4 billion in 2025, with about $1.37 billion tied to scams alone.
The firm mentioned losses from scams rose about 64% from the earlier 12 months, usually involving customized impersonation ways aimed toward high-value targets.
The Ohio prosecutors have advisable a number of ways in which individuals can shield themselves from romance tricksters, together with reverse picture searches on profile photographs, skepticism towards anybody who refuses to fulfill in individual, and a tough rule towards sending cryptocurrency, present playing cards, or wire transfers to individuals met on-line.
They additionally suggested victims to protect all communications and monetary data, then file reviews with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Additionally, the National Elder Fraud Hotline operates every day to information older adults via the reporting course of.
According to the officers, for individuals who could have despatched crypto, time issues, since legislation enforcement can freeze stolen belongings, however provided that wallets are recognized earlier than funds transfer via mixers or abroad exchanges.
The publish Valentine’s Day Romance Scams: US Prosecutors Warn on Crypto Risks appeared first on CryptoPotato.