Prosecutors within the U.S. state of Ohio have issued a public warning urging People to observe for love scams tied to cryptocurrency as they have fun Valentine’s Day.
The alert drew consideration to an increase in emotionally pushed fraud instances the place victims are persuaded to ship digital belongings after forming on-line relationships.
Federal Warning Outlines Newest Ways
The U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Northern District of Ohio stated criminals typically strategy targets by way of courting apps, social platforms, or textual content messages, then construct belief for weeks or months earlier than requesting cash for fabricated emergencies or investments.
Based on U.S. Legal professional David M. Toepfer, scammers “prey on belief and emotion,” they usually “are usually not in search of love—they’re in search of cash.” He added that such criminals typically deal with older adults and emotionally weak people.
His workplace additionally cited latest prosecutions and investigations, together with a December 2025 case the place authorities charged Frederick Kumi, a Ghanaian nationwide accused of serving to run a romance fraud community that allegedly took greater than $8 million from aged victims since 2023. Per investigators, the group used AI instruments to create false identities and keep convincing conversations earlier than requesting cash. Kumi was arrested in Ghana and is dealing with prices together with wire fraud conspiracy and cash laundering conspiracy.
One other case concerned an Ohio girl who misplaced about $663,000 after a stranger contacted her by way of a “fallacious quantity” textual content. The fraudster later guided her by way of opening accounts on Crypto.com and Coinbase, then satisfied her to switch funds to a pretend funding platform.
Fortuitously, detectives from the FBI traced a part of the stolen cash to cryptocurrency wallets and seized greater than $8.2 million in USDT with assist from Tether.
Information Exhibits Wider Pattern in Crypto-Linked Fraud
Current trade analysis suggests these crimes match a broader sample, as proven in a January 2026 report from blockchain safety agency PeckShield, which estimated that crypto scams and hacks value customers greater than $4 billion in 2025, with about $1.37 billion tied to scams alone.
The corporate stated losses from scams rose about 64% from the earlier 12 months, typically involving customized impersonation ways aimed toward high-value targets.
The Ohio prosecutors have really helpful a number of ways in which folks can shield themselves from romance tricksters, together with reverse picture searches on profile images, skepticism towards anybody who refuses to fulfill in individual, and a tough rule towards sending cryptocurrency, present playing cards, or wire transfers to folks met on-line.
Additionally they suggested victims to protect all communications and monetary data, then file experiences with the FBI’s Web Crime Criticism Middle. Moreover, the Nationwide Elder Fraud Hotline operates each day to information older adults by way of the reporting course of.
Based on the officers, for individuals who might have despatched crypto, time issues, since regulation enforcement can freeze stolen belongings, however provided that wallets are recognized earlier than funds transfer by way of mixers or abroad exchanges.
The publish Valentine’s Day Romance Scams: US Prosecutors Warn on Crypto Dangers appeared first on CryptoPotato.