Crypto “Romance Scam” Seeing Rise in Lake County
(Waukegan, IL) The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a new scam making it’s way through the area involving cryptocurrency. The so-called “romance scam” usually starts with a person meeting another through a dating site or app. After the victim is lured into believing they are in a relationship and they can trust the other person, the scammer then convinces the victim to purchase popular cryptocurrencies. At first that crypto is held in the victim’s account…but then the scammer reportedly gains further trust and tells them they will make more money on other crypto exchanges…and those tend to be fraudulent and result in a loss of money. Sheriff’s officials are reminding residents to be careful of people you meet online, and to research cryptocurrencies carefully
Tim Vander Tuuk, WXLC News (4-7-22)