Philadelphia Tech Professional Falls Victim to $450,000 Cryptocurrency Romance Scam
Shreya Datta, a 37-year-old tech professional from Philadelphia, has fallen victim to a cryptocurrency romance scam that left her financially ruined.
The scam, commonly known as “pig butchering ,” involves fraudsters using deceitful tactics to gain victims’ trust and trick them into investing in fake cryptocurrencies.
The scam targeting Datta began on the dating app Hinge, where she encountered “Ancel,” a charming French wine trader supposedly based in Philadelphia, she told France24 .
The conversation quickly moved to WhatsApp, where the pair exchanged selfies, flirtatious messages sprinkled with emojis, and even engaged in brief video calls.
Datta felt captivated by Ancel’s charisma and believed she had found a genuine connection in the vast sea of online relationships.
As their virtual relationship grew deeper, Ancel started sharing his dreams of early retirement and financial success through cryptocurrency investments.
He introduced Datta to a seemingly legitimate crypto trading app and showed her annotated screenshots of profitable trades, which fueled her confidence and desire to invest.
Ancel’s smooth-talking and persuasive tactics convinced Datta to convert her savings into cryptocurrency, take out loans, and even liquidate her retirement fund.
By March, Datta had invested nearly $450,000, and on paper, her investment appeared to have more than doubled.
However, when she attempted to withdraw her funds, the app demanded a personal “tax” payment, raising suspicions.
Datta’s brother decided to investigate and discovered that the pictures Ancel had sent were actually of a German fitness influencer.
The devastating truth hit Datta like a tidal wave — she had been manipulated and deceived.
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