Hello everyone, I am Seagull. After so many years in the crypto world, I've seen many scams—there are at least eighty of them. But the case of using ChatGPT to uncover a nearly one million dollar crypto scam is still refreshing and satisfying! Here's a golden quote: Scammers can use AI to change their voices and appearances to steal money, and we can also use AI to expose their tricks. Technology is a tool; it all depends on who wields it!
Recently, a piece of news broke out in the Bay Area, USA, about a woman who got caught up in a crypto "romantic scam", losing nearly 1 million dollars over time. The scammer first approached her on a social platform, spending a considerable amount of time building trust, presenting himself as a "crypto investment expert". Once the relationship was established, he began making grand promises about an internal crypto investment platform that guaranteed profits, even sending her numerous fabricated profit screenshots. The woman believed him, not only investing her retirement savings but also taking out a second mortgage, transferring an initial capital of $15,000, $490,000 from her IRA, and an additional $300,000 from the mortgage, all of which ended up in an account in Malaysia, a classic case of cross-border fraud.
Later, when the lady wanted to withdraw funds, the platform kept finding excuses to evade responsibility, either saying there were fees to pay or that there were account issues. At that moment, she started to panic but still had not fully realized the situation. In desperation, she sent her chat records with her 'boyfriend' and relevant platform information to ChatGPT for AI analysis. Unexpectedly, ChatGPT quickly spotted the flaws and pointed out that this was a typical 'romance + cryptocurrency investment' scam, listing multiple loopholes in the other party's scripts, such as promises of 'zero risk high returns', inducing leverage investment, and setting obstacles for withdrawals; all classic features of such scams. At this point, the lady finally woke up and quickly reported it to the police.
In fact, such scams are becoming more and more frequent now. In 2024, the losses from cryptocurrency scams encountered by elderly individuals in the United States alone reached $9.3 billion, and the recovery rate for cross-border funds is particularly low. Once scammed, the chances are high that you will lose everything. Scammers' tactics are also upgrading; in the past, they relied solely on verbal persuasion, but now they can also use AI for voice and facial changes, forge official cooperation documents, and package fake platforms to look genuine, making it hard to guard against. Many victims fell into traps because they trusted 'acquaintances' or 'lovers' recommendations and let their guard down.
Here I must remind everyone, whether it's friends met online or so-called 'investment gurus', whenever cryptocurrency investment is involved, if they say 'guaranteed profit', 'insider channels', or 'limited time offer', put a big question mark. When faced with uncertainty, besides consulting knowledgeable people around you, you can also use AI tools like this lady did to help analyze and identify. Hand over suspicious information, links, and scripts to AI for scrutiny; an extra layer of protection reduces risk. Also, never invest your essential funds like retirement savings or mortgage payments into crypto assets, and do not casually disclose your wallet's private keys or mnemonic phrases. Avoid trading on unfamiliar non-compliant platforms; these are basic lines of defense for protecting yourself.
Scammers can upgrade their schemes with technology, and we must also learn to arm ourselves with technology. There are many opportunities to make money in the cryptocurrency space, but protecting your principal is the top priority. Remember, there are no free lunches; those 'opportunities' that ask you to risk everything are likely traps. If you encounter a suspicious cryptocurrency investment invitation, take a calm 24 hours, verify through multiple channels, and if you're still unsure, decisively abandon it. It's better than being scammed and losing everything.
Have you ever encountered similar suspicious investment invitations? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments; let's expose these tricks and help more people avoid pitfalls!
