Romance and Crypto Scam: Signs and What To Do

Conceptual illustration: A fractured glass heart beside a phone with abstract chat bubbles and unbranded crypto-token coins disappearing along a data trail. Headline: LOVE, TRUST & A SCAM.

AI-generated illustration by CyberShitty. Not a photograph or a document from the organisations named.

How it works

A match or a 'wrong number' message turns into daily friendly or romantic chats, often with someone claiming to live abroad.
The contact mentions success with crypto or trading and guides you to a particular app or website.
The platform shows fast gains, encouraging larger deposits, often converted to USDT or sent to accounts they suggest.
Withdrawals are blocked by 'taxes' or 'fees'; in another version, a 'gift' parcel is held and you must pay customs charges.
The contact disappears once you stop paying.

Composite example, not a real case

The match who knew about crypto

Rahul, 34, a software tester in Bengaluru, gets a 'wrong number' message from a friendly woman who says she works abroad. They start chatting every day.
After a few weeks she mentions her crypto profits and sends a link to the trading website she uses. She offers to guide him.
His first small deposit, converted to USDT, shows quick gains on the site. He puts in more, sometimes to bank accounts she suggests.
When he tries to withdraw, the site says he must first pay a 'tax' and a 'release fee'. She urges him to pay, but always has an excuse not to video call.
Rahul stops paying and she goes quiet. He calls 1930 and files on cybercrime.gov.in with the wallet addresses, bank details and chat screenshots.

Who gets targeted

People using dating, matrimonial and social apps, and anyone who replies to a friendly 'wrong number' message. The contact often claims to live abroad.

Red flags

Someone you have never met in person steers conversations toward money or investing.
They avoid video calls or meeting, with ready excuses.
A crypto or trading platform you can only reach through their link.
Requests to pay customs, taxes or fees to release a gift or your profits.

What to do

Do not send more money to release profits or a parcel.
Call 1930 and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with wallet addresses, UPI IDs, bank details and chat screenshots.
Tell your bank and, for crypto, the exchange you used, so they can flag the transfers.
Report the profile to the dating or social platform and the number through Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi.
Ignore anyone who contacts you offering to recover the money for a fee.

How to protect yourself

Keep money out of any relationship with someone you have never met in person, however long you have been talking.
Never use a trading or crypto platform that you can only reach through a link someone sent you.
Treat a refusal to video call or meet, with ready excuses each time, as a warning sign.
Check an unfamiliar website, UPI ID or bank account on I4C's suspect search before you pay. A clean result does not prove it is safe.
Never pay 'taxes', 'fees' or 'customs charges' to release profits or a gift. That money goes to the scammer.
Talk it over with a friend or family member before sending money to anyone you know only online.

Official tools, explained

Step-by-step guideLost money in a UPI fraud? What to do in the first hour, and how to complain on 1930

The numbers

There is no India-specific official figure for romance scams; most cases are counted as investment fraud. 2026 reporting links crypto losses to fake trading apps and deepfake lures (The Crypto Times).

The government told Parliament that 6,998 Indians were rescued from scam compounds in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar between 2022 and 2025. — Scroll — Nearly 7,000 Indians rescued from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos cybercrime compounds since 2022: Centre (6 Feb 2026)
The UN human rights office estimated in February 2026 that at least 300,000 people work in scam operations across Southeast Asia. — UN News — UN report exposes torture, rape in Southeast Asia's multi-billion-dollar scam centres (20 Feb 2026)

Questions people ask

The platform says I must pay tax before I can withdraw. Should I pay?

No. Blocked withdrawals with new 'taxes' or 'fees' are how this scam takes more money. Stop paying, call 1930 and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.

Can I get my crypto back?

There is no certainty, but reporting fast gives the best chance. Call 1930, file on cybercrime.gov.in with wallet addresses, UPI IDs, bank details and screenshots, and tell your bank and the exchange you used so they can flag the transfers.

Someone says they can recover my money for a fee. Are they genuine?

Ignore them. People who contact you offering to recover scammed money for a fee are a common second scam. Deal only with the police through 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in.

My online partner sent me a gift, but customs wants a fee. Is that real?

This is a known version of the romance scam. Do not pay to release the parcel. Stop contact, keep the chats, and report the profile and number.

How do I report a scam profile?

Report it on the dating or social app where you met, and report the phone number through Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi. If you have lost money, call 1930 and file on cybercrime.gov.in instead.

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Sources

Other scamsDigital arrest scam Investment and trading scam Task and part-time job scam UPI, QR code and collect-request fraud Sextortion video call scam Fake customer care number scam