Overview

• An anonymous Colorado man said he met a woman on a dating site and, after WhatsApp chats and video calls, was groomed into four cryptocurrency transfers over roughly six weeks.
• He was later blocked from withdrawing and received an email demanding an additional $400,000 to access what he believed were his profits.
• CBI Special Agent Zeb Smeester says the case ranks among the largest crypto losses he has seen and that the on‑chain trail leads to cold storage wallets with no identifiable owner.
• Investigators note perpetrators often operate overseas and say recovery hinges on the funds touching an exchange that can work with law enforcement.
• Consumer experts and investigators urge victims to contact local police and file with the FBI’s IC3, citing red flags such as secrecy, refusal to meet, high‑return promises, and pushes to move conversations to encrypted apps.