DateableWhat to say when a match brings up an investment
Tell them you do not mix money advice with dating, and stop replying if they push. Someone who talks investments fits a known scam pattern.
Tell them you do not mix money advice with dating, and stop replying if they push. A match who suddenly talks investments, especially crypto, fits a known scam pattern that targets people on dating sites.
How it works
Investment scammers build a fake dating profile and move your chat to WhatsApp or WeChat to stay off the dating site. They are patient. They spend weeks building trust, asking about your day, your life, seeming to care about you. They ask you questions and give you space to answer. They send you good-morning messages and remember details you mentioned. Once trust is built, they introduce an investment opportunity: a crypto platform, a trading app, a business they are in, something that is supposedly printing money. They talk about returns, show you screenshots, encourage you to invest a little to start. 1 It all feels like a natural conversation between two people who are getting to know each other.
This is where the pattern becomes deliberate. When you request your money back, the scammer does not refuse: they let you withdraw a small amount. The money arrives in your account within days. You feel relieved and reassured. A real person was there, you think, and they came through. When they push for a larger investment the second time, you are far more likely to say yes. This tactic is called pig butchering: the scammer feeds you a little profit before the kill. 1 The second investment is larger. And the third. Eventually, when you try to withdraw the full amount or ask questions, the platform locks you out and the scammer disappears. Any money still in the account is gone.
This is not just a dating site issue
Investment scams have become the biggest money-loss category on social media. Nearly 60 per cent of people who reported losing money to a romance scam in 2025 said it started on social media. 2 Investment scams on social media alone cost people 1.1 billion dollars in 2025. 2 They happen on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and dating sites across the world. The scammers are professional, their methods are refined, and they are moving between platforms where people are trying to connect. Dating sites are easy territory for them because the whole point of dating is trust. If you are meeting someone, trust is what makes it feel real.
The warning signs
- They moved you off the dating site to WhatsApp, WeChat or email within the first few days or weeks. Staying on the dating site means their messages are accountable and can be reported.
- They tell urgent stories about why they cannot meet: a military posting, an offshore oil rig, a business emergency, a sick parent. They always have a reason, and it is always something that keeps them away.
- They profess feelings before you have met or video called. They say things like 'I feel like I know you already' or 'I think I am falling for you' after two weeks of messages.
- Someone you have met only online starts talking about investment opportunities, especially crypto. 3 This is the critical sign.
- They have an app to recommend, a platform to show you, or a mentor in the business. They want to walk you through it, set it up together, or help you log in.
- They talk about how much money they make from this investment and how you could do the same. They offer to teach you or bring you into their circle.
What to say
I do not mix money advice with dating, and I do not invest based on suggestions from someone I have not met in person. I hope you understand. I am going to step back from this conversation.
You do not need to explain further or soften it. You do not need to keep replying if they try to convince you. A real person will accept the boundary and let the conversation end. A scammer will try to negotiate. They will send you analysis, screenshots, reasons why this opportunity is different, links to testimonials from people who have supposedly made money. They will say you are missing out, that this window will close, that you are being overly cautious. They will pivot to a different platform or a different angle. None of this changes the rule: never take investment direction from someone you met on social media or a dating site. 2
If they push after you say no, do not keep explaining. Block them. Stop replying. Do not feel rude: they have already decided to deceive you. If they keep messaging from different accounts, that confirms it. Scammers do not accept rejection because their goal is not a relationship with you, it is your money.
What never to do
- Never open a crypto account because a match told you to. 1 That account belongs to them or their associates, and money you send disappears.
- Never send money first to prove your commitment or investment ability.
- Never accept a link to download a trading app from a match. Use only official apps from established companies, downloaded from the official app store.
- Never allow them to guide you through the account creation or login process.
- Never ignore a withdrawal request that does not go through. If your money is locked, it is gone.
Recovering losses is almost impossible
Recovering crypto losses is unlikely. 3 The money moves through offshore accounts, exchanges and wallets designed to be untraceable. Your bank can freeze a wire if you report it within hours, but crypto is permanent. If you have sent money, contact your bank straight away, report the profile to the dating site, and report the scam to Scamwatch (Australia), IDCARE (1800 595 160) or your country's equivalent fraud reporting body. 3
Report and block
Report the profile from any message or listing: Dateable surfaces it to a person, not a bot. Report and block takes a sentence to do and protects other members. The pattern is systematic enough that one report against a profile can surface it to moderators across multiple sites. If you want to learn more about how to spot other scams, read the guide on spotting scams. If you have encountered behaviour like this or if you want general safety information about dating, read the sugar dating safety guide.
Sources
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (2026). Relationship and romance.
- Federal Trade Commission (2026). New FTC Data Show People Have Lost Billions to Social Media Scams.
- Scamwatch (ACCC) (2026). Investment scams.
