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Federal authorities in Ohio are warning today in time for Valentine’s Day about an increase in romance scams related to digital currencies.
Scammers exploit online connections to get victims to transfer funds or cryptocurrency under the pretext of an “emergency” or “investment opportunity.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, this often starts via a dating app, social media platform, or even messaging or using a wrong number as an excuse, and then the perpetrator builds trust for weeks or months before requesting a transfer of money — often in cryptocurrency because they are fast and difficult to retrieve.
The warning also builds on recent cases, most notably “Frederick Kumi” (a Ghanaian citizen) who has been accused of participating in a romance scam network targeting the elderly, defrauding more than $8 million since 2023, with charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The prosecutor’s office also mentioned the case of a woman from Ohio who was guided to open accounts on platforms such as “Crypto.com” and Coinbase, and then transferred funds to fake investment platforms. Authorities later traced some of the funds with the help of Tether and confiscated more than $8.2 million in USDT. The woman lost approximately $663,000.
Official authorities recommend practical preventive measures such as:
Verify photos with reverse searches, be wary of anyone who refuses to meet in person or evades verification, and consider sending digital currency, gift cards, or transfers to people you meet online (red line).
She also emphasizes saving receipts of all conversations and transfers and filing quick reports, as the time factor is important before funds pass through hidden tools or external platforms.
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