Scammers use different techniques, including dating apps. During the press conference, the DA's office showed recorded testimony of several victims, including an anonymous woman who said she fell prey to a crypto scam through the dating app Bumble, and ultimately lost about $118,000.Scammers also use group chat apps such as we chat, WhatsApp or Telegram to add victims to what appear to be legitimate chats about crypto investments. One man said this happened to him on Facebook.
Law enforcement officials said it is also hard to recover stolen funds.
Last year, the NYPD reported 50 cases, but officials believe that's an undercount, as shame usually deters most victims of crypto scams from reporting the crimes to law enforcement officials.
The FBI estimates that last year over $3 billion have been stolen from U.S. residents due to crypto scams.
