#proxchange

My 'new friend' from a fitness app scammed me with a fake crypto platform, what now?

I'm just... completely heartbroken and embarrassed. I met this guy, Alex, on a fitness app, you know, just talking about health stuff. We moved to WhatsApp, and he was so charming, so supportive. After a few weeks, he mentioned how he'd made a lot of money trading crypto on some platform called 'ProXchange'. He said he could 'guide' me. I was hesitant at first, but things were tight, and he seemed so genuine. He sent me screenshots, even a video of his 'dashboard'. I started with a small amount, R10,000, then put in more, R50,000, then another R30,000. He was always there, pushing me, telling me we could buy a house together. I saw the numbers growing on the platform – from R90,000 to over R400,000 in a few weeks! But when I tried to withdraw, they said I needed to pay a 'tax clearance fee' of R80,000. I paid it, still no money. Then they asked for another 'regulatory fee'. That's when I finally realized. He blocked me everywhere. I've lost everything. I don't know what to do. I feel so stupid. Where do I even start reporting this in South Africa?