Description

On October 17, 2025, I was contacted on a dating site called FilipinaCupid by a woman using the name “Lisa,” age 71. She quickly moved the conversation to WhatsApp, using a phone number with a New York area code. Her first WhatsApp message was written in Chinese characters before switching to English. She then claimed her real name was Shuyao Li, age 38, and sent photographs of herself. On October 18, 2025, she sent images of what she claimed was her U.S. Green Card and a photo of her completing a finance course. She steered the conversation toward financial independence. I disclosed that I was out of work but semi-retired. That same day, she introduced cryptocurrency investing. Although initially hesitant, I agreed to start with a small amount. After delays registering with Crypto.com, I deposited funds and followed her instructions to purchase Ethereum at specific times she described as “buy up” moments. Small early gains were shown. Approximately one week later, she directed me to transfer funds from Crypto.com to Onchain and then to Coindfm.com, stating her “analysis team” provided precise buy timing. The platform displayed increased balances. At my request, I successfully withdrew $500 to my Navy Federal Credit Union account, which increased my trust in the process. By early November 2025, the relationship became romantic. Shuyao Li discussed a future together and stated she would visit me for Christmas. At the same time, she pressured me to increase my investment to $10,000 to participate in “analysis mode.” On November 13, 2025, I wired $2,700 from Navy Federal Credit Union to Crypto.com, bringing my total funds to approximately $6,000, which were then transferred to Coindfm.com with her assistance. On November 14, 2025, Shuyao Li claimed she added $4,000 to my Coindfm.com account, bringing the displayed total to $10,000. I could not independently verify this deposit. Later that day, Coindfm.com displayed a balance of approximately $19,792 USDT. When I attempted to withdraw $4,000, Coindfm.com blocked the withdrawal and claimed there was suspected money laundering. They demanded I deposit an additional $4,000 USDT as “verification,” promising it would be refunded. Coindfm.com sent messages citing alleged blockchain security laws and international anti-money laundering regulations, threatening that if I did not deposit the additional funds by November 30, 2025, my entire balance would be seized, donated to the International Red Cross, and reported to the FBI. I believe these threats were fraudulent and intended to extort additional funds. I refused to send any further money. After researching, I discovered Coindfm.com had been reported as a fraudulent trading platform. When I confronted Shuyao Li, she continued to pressure me to send the additional $4,000, leading me to believe she was part of the scam. As of now, Coindfm.com still displays approximately $19,792 USDT, but withdrawals are blocked, and the funds are inaccessible. I believe I was the victim of a coordinated romance-crypto fraud scheme involving emotional manipulation, a fake investment platform, and extortion tactics.