More Online Romance Scams Linked to Cryptocurrency Theft

Romance scams — the term for online scams that involve feigning romantic interest to gain a victim’s trust — have increased in the pandemic. So have crypto prices. That has made crypto a useful entry point for criminals looking to part victims from their savings. About 56,000 romance scams, totaling $139 million in losses, were reported to the Federal Trade Commission last year, according to agency data.