FBI warns fraud crews use couriers in crypto investment scams

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned Monday that fraud crews now send couriers to collect cash from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams after banks block suspicious transfers.

The warning covers scams that begin on social media, dating sites and messaging apps. Criminals build trust through romance, friendship or a wrong-number message, then steer the target toward a fake crypto investment platform. The FBI and other agencies call many of these cases pig butchering or romance baiting.

The courier tactic changes the risk for victims. A scammer can move the scheme from a chat app into a home, parking lot or public meeting place. That step adds pressure, exposes the victim’s address and gives criminals a way around bank controls that flag wire transfers, payment apps or crypto purchases.

The FBI said scammers use a code to make the pickup look planned and safe. “Scammers provide victims with a U.S. dollar bill serial number or another form of code/password,” the FBI said.

After the courier takes the cash, the scammer updates the victim’s fake wallet or trading dashboard to show a higher balance. The victim then tries to withdraw supposed gains. The scammer demands more cash for taxes, fees or penalties and sends another courier.

The affected platforms include social networks, dating apps, encrypted messaging services, fake crypto exchanges and fake wallet dashboards. The scam also touches banks and money services when criminals push victims to withdraw cash after compliance systems block digital transfers.

The scam path

Fraud crews start with a message that feels personal enough to continue. They may claim they texted the wrong number, found the victim on a dating app or share an interest through a social platform. The first goal is trust.

Once the target answers, the scammer keeps the conversation going. Romance baiting often includes fast affection, constant contact and claims about shared plans. Investment baiting uses screenshots, charts and fake profits to make the victim feel behind others who appear to make money.

The scammer then introduces a crypto platform. The site or app may mimic a real exchange, show a trading balance and accept small deposits. Some victims receive small withdrawals early in the scam because the criminals want them to invest larger amounts later.

Banks often block suspicious transfers when a customer sends money to new accounts, buys crypto in unusual amounts or drains savings. The FBI said fraud crews respond by asking victims to withdraw cash. A courier then arrives at the victim’s home or a public place and uses the agreed code.

The handoff gives the criminal group speed. Cash pickup can bypass bank review, crypto exchange checks and payment app limits. The fake dashboard then convinces the victim that the money entered the investment account.

Why couriers raise the risk

Courier pickups create a direct safety concern. A victim who gives a home address to a scammer loses control over who receives that information. A victim who meets a courier in public may face intimidation or theft.

The tactic also weakens the usual recovery path. Banks can trace wires, flag accounts and sometimes recall recent transfers. Cash leaves fewer records after a courier carries it away. Investigators can still use phone numbers, chat logs, vehicle details, bank accounts and video footage, but victims need to report the case fast and preserve records.

Crypto scam crews rely on shame and secrecy. They tell victims that relatives will misunderstand, that bank staff will block a profitable trade or that law enforcement cannot help. Those claims serve one purpose: criminals want the victim isolated long enough to send more money.

Practical steps

Research any crypto platform before you send money. Use the company’s official website, state registration records and independent reviews. Search the domain name, app name and wallet addresses with words such as scam, complaint and withdrawal.

End contact after a wrong-number message turns into an investment pitch. Fraud crews often use that opening because it feels harmless.

Keep your home address out of chats with strangers. A real investment platform does not need a courier to pick up cash from your living room.

Refuse cash pickups, code words and serial-number checks. Those steps signal a criminal process, not a brokerage process.

Call your bank before you withdraw a large amount of cash for an online contact. Ask the bank’s fraud team to review the situation.

Save chat logs, phone numbers, profile links, wallet addresses, bank details, courier descriptions and meeting locations. File a report through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and use the official IC3 complaint form.

Security teams can help users spot the pattern

Companies that run dating apps, messaging tools, crypto services and social platforms should treat courier language as a warning signal. Phrases about cash pickup, serial numbers, passwords for couriers, tax penalties and blocked accounts can help trust and safety teams find active scams.

Crypto exchanges can add friction when a new user receives coaching language from a contact on another app. Banks can train branch staff to ask calm, direct questions when customers withdraw large amounts for an online investment.

The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report said U.S. victims lost almost $21 billion to cyber-enabled crime in 2025. Investment scams accounted for 49% of scam-related incidents and caused $8.6 billion in losses, according to the report.

Those figures show why criminals keep refining the handoff. They do not need malware when they can convince a target to withdraw cash, meet a stranger and believe a fake wallet balance.

The best defense starts before the first deposit. Treat unsolicited investment advice from a romantic contact, new friend or wrong-number sender as a fraud attempt. Verify the platform outside the chat. Talk to your bank before you move money. Report the scam the same day you suspect it.