Full Story Below- Plus Red Flags and Safety Tips for this situation.
This is a fictional story based on real scam tactics used everyday. After the story, you'll find key warning signs to watch for and helpful tips to protect yourself and others.
If you know someone who could be at risk for this type of fraud, please share this page - a quick warning could make all the difference.
David is in his early 40's, recently divorced and trying to rebuild his life. One night while he was watching TV alone, he receives a text message:
"Hi Kevin, I made it to the hotel, it is most beautiful here. Thank you for suggestion!🤩"
David replies:
"Sorry, I think you have the wrong number."
But instead of ending the conversation to find "Kevin" the sender keeps texting.
"Oh my mistake, but maybe fate? You seem most kind."
Her English is slightly off, but charming. She says her name is Mei, and she is originally from Hong Kong but now living in New York City "for business." When David asks where in the city she lives. Her reply is a vague.
"I live in a very big and busy part of New York, It is very pretty. If you come to New York, I will show you the city."
She continues to give vague answers about what she does, her hobbies and past. Very few specific answers, just generic lines, Lines that never supplied too many details.
Over the next few days, the exchanged light messages about food, music and dreams. She insisted on moving the conversation to WhatsApp, Where her profile picture shows a beautiful woman on a beach in a swimsuit, posing with a bright smile. It's the kind of image designed to grab attention- and it works.
At first, David is skeptical, but as the days and the messages go on, he starts to look forward to her messages. They become flirty. She shares more photos of the beautiful woman wearing very fashionable clothing at places that looked very luxurious. She asked for photos of him, which he would share, she would always insits that he is very handsome and kind looking. She says that she is very comfortable talking to him. He opens up about the stress of his divorce and feeling lonely. She replies:
"I believe a good man like you deserves happiness. Maybe we meet someday?"
He was excited, he asked about making plans to meet over the summer, but Mei insisted they wait until they know each other better. After a few more days of talking, getting to know each other, she mentions a lucrative investment opportunity with cryptocurrency. She told him:
"I invest small and now very happy, I have much money to buy nice things and go on luxurious trips all over the world. Do you about investing in Bitcoin, I can teach if you want. Very safe."
David was unsure. He was very unfamiliar with crypto other than a few articles that he had read. But she gently keeps bring it up, reminding him of the trips that they will be able to take together when they meet one day.
He was still hesitant at first, so she offers to "walk him through it." she sends screenshots of her "profits," flashy charts, even a link to what looks like a real investment site. It's clean, well designed, and completely fake.
She was very patient with his reluctance, but now she is bringing up the investment opportunity every day. At this point they had been talking for several weeks and he felt a level of trust with her. Eventually she convinces him to start small. He sends a few hundred dollars, and the dashboard shows his money growing fast. Encouraged, he invests more. Then more.
As he watches his Bitcoin wallet grow, he asks Mei about taking out some of the money so they can finally meet. She tells him that the wallet must reach a certain level before he can withdraw any funds. If he wants to meet her soon, he should invest more.
By the time David realizes this was a scam, it's too late. The account is locked. the "support agent" he had been in contact with stops replying, and Mei vanishes. She deletes her WhatsApp account and trying to call or text her number just brings up a message that this number is "no longer in service.'
He didn't just lose most of his money- he lost hope, trust, and the brief illusion of companionship he'd begun to believe in. What he invested was nearly everything he had set aside to start over after his divorce.
Red Flags to Watch out for:
Unexpected text from a stranger: A random "oops, wrong number" text that turns into a friendly conversation is a common tactic used by scammers.
Too Good to Be True Profile Picture: Scammers often use a very attractive, model-like photo- often stolen from social media, stock image websites our Artificial Intelligence generated images.
Vague Personal Details: Claims to live in a major city like "New York" but avoids naming a specific borough or neighborhood, often using descriptions like "it is a beautiful city with many cultural opportunities and a rich history" descriptions that sound like it was copied and pasted from a travel website.
Generic Hobbies: Answers about interests like yoga or cooking that seem pulled from basic web searches rather than real experiences.
Broken or Unnatural English: Small grammar errors or strange phrasing can indicate a non-native speaker or a scam script.