Short answer

If someone you trusted online introduced you to crypto investing, showed profits, guided your deposits, and now your funds are gone—

there is a strong chance you were targeted through social-engineering investment fraud, sometimes called relationship-based investment scams.

In these cases:

Trust is the delivery system—not the investment.

What’s actually happening

These scams usually don’t start with money.

They start with connection.

The person may have:

• started with casual conversation

• messaged you consistently

• shown interest in your life

• acted supportive or experienced

• shared “their own” trading success

• made investing look normal and easy

Nothing feels like a scam at first.

That’s what makes it effective.

Then the investment phase begins

Eventually they introduce:

• crypto investing

• copy trading

• private trading groups

• insider opportunities

• “safe platforms”

• account managers or mentors

They may ask you to send:

• Tether

• Bitcoin

•…