How to Protect Yourself

• Be wary of people you meet on dating websites or social media who offer you unsolicited financial, investment, or cryptocurrency advice.
• Be cautious of unsolicited investment opportunities offered via phone, message, email, social media, or in person.
• Always question the legitimacy of projects that sound too good to be true, are advertised as having high rates of returns with little or no risk to your original financial investment deposit, or are advertised as “the next big thing.”
• Shield yourself from scenarios in which you are encouraged to open an account on a cryptocurrency trading platform and transfer funds from your bank account to invest in cryptocurrency projects. 
• Never share personal financial information with individuals you have not met in person. If the promoter of an alleged investment is asking you for sensitive information, such as your social security number or bank account details, is using high pressure tactics to attempt to force you to invest, or claims you need to pay a fee or provide identifying documents to unlock access to an investment opportunity or liquidate existing profits, immediately remove yourself from the situation by ceasing all communications.
• Avoid projects that involve you earning money in exchange for recruiting others to invest in a project, as this is likely a pyramid scheme.
• Consult the websites of federal and state regulatory authorities and online corporate records concerning any proposed investment, investment firm, or anyone representing themselves to be a broker or similar.
• Conduct searches via Internet search engines to attempt to identify any online reports flagging particular investment or cryptocurrency projects of interest as scams.
• Request to review financial statements, annual reports, or audit results for any proposed investment.
• Warning signs that you are a victim of a scam include notifications, messages, or websites indicating that you have made large amounts of money in a short time period.
• Red flags include perceived “friends” or romantic partners who you have met online but who can seemingly never meet in person and avoid showing themselves on video calls. Do not be embarrassed about being a victim. Immediately report this fraud to your local law enforcement agency.