#reporting-scams
4 questions tagged with #reporting-scams
Met someone on a travel app, lost my pension to a fake crypto platform. What can I do from France?
I really need some advice. I met someone on kind of a travel networking app, we chatted for months, talked about visiting each other eventually, really built up a connection. They were sweet, attentive, always asking about my day. After a while, they started talking about this 'amazing opportunity' in crypto, saying they'd made so much money and wanted to share the secret with me. Said their uncle was a big shot at some exchange, it sounded legit, you know? They even sent me screenshots of their 'profits'. I was hesitant at first, but they were so persuasive, and I trusted them. Ended up putting a significant portion of my pension into this platform they linked me to. It had a slick interface, everything looked real. For a few weeks, it even 'grew'. Then, when I tried to withdraw, they suddenly said I needed to pay a 'tax' or 'withdrawal fee'. That's when I knew, deep down, it was a scam. The person disappeared, blocked me everywhere. I'm in France, lost over 50,000 euros. I feel so stupid and ashamed. Is there anything at all I can do? I've reported to the local police, but they seemed overwhelmed.
My 'new partner' from a language exchange app got me into a fake gold trading platform. Any hope from SA?
I'm gutted, seriously. Met this incredible woman on a language exchange app, we talked for months, video calls, everything felt so real. She convinced me to invest in what she called a 'gold trading platform' – looked legit, charts moving, profits showing up. Started small, then she kept pushing for more, saying we needed to 'act fast' for bigger returns. Ended up putting in nearly my entire retirement fund, close to six figures in Rand. Now, the platform's gone, her number's dead, and I feel like an absolute idiot. I'm in Durban, South Africa. I've reported it to the local police, but they just seemed overwhelmed and didn't really 'get' the crypto side of things. Did contact my bank too, but they said the funds were sent to a crypto exchange and then untraceable. Is there *any* hope for me? Or am I just completely out of luck with this kind of scam here?
My 'new partner' from a global dating app vanished after I invested in 'SafeCryptoTrade' – what now?
I'm feeling so stupid right now. I met someone really lovely on an international dating app a few months ago, and we really clicked. We talked on WhatsApp constantly, they seemed so genuine and supportive. Eventually, they started talking about 'SafeCryptoTrade' – an investment platform they said was giving amazing returns. I was hesitant at first, but they were so convincing, showing me screenshots, talking about their own profits, even guiding me through setting up an account and making my first deposit. I put in about 50,000 ZAR which isn't a lot for some, but it was my emergency fund, everything I had saved. Everything looked great on the platform interface for a while, the balance was growing. Then, when I tried to withdraw a small amount to test it, they said there were 'tax' issues, then 'liquidity problems.' And now, a week ago, they just disappeared off WhatsApp, and the website's gone. I feel truly broken. Is there anything I can even DO from South Africa? I've heard about reporting to the FBI for crypto scams, but I'm not in the US. Please, any advice helps.
My 'mentor' from a professional network scammed me with a fake crypto platform, now what?
I'm gutted. Met this guy on LinkedIn, seemed super legit, like a real professional. He talked about diversifying investments, how traditional banks were slow, blah blah. We chatted for weeks, he even gave me some 'market insights' that actually seemed to pan out – small stuff, you know, building trust. Then he introduced me to what he called a 'private, high-yield crypto platform' for 'insiders.' Said he'd even match my initial deposit. I put in about $7,000, then another $5,000 the following week when the dashboard showed insane profits. Now, the platform's gone, his LinkedIn profile is gone, and I can't even access the 'funds.' i feel so stupid and embarrassed. I'm in Pretoria; where do I even start reporting this mess to get my money back?