SEC’s Anti-Fraud Public Service Campaign Warns Investors About Relationship Investment Scams

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) today unveiled its anti-fraud public service campaign, which warns investors about the devastating impact relationship investment scams can have on their financial future. Relationship investment scams typically involve a “long con” in which scammers reach out online or through text messages, attempting to build trust through friendship or a romantic connection to convince someone to put money into phony investments. They are referred to by various names including romance scams, financial grooming scams, and “pig butchering” scams. The SEC’s public service campaign features two animated videos ‒ ”Don’t Open the Door to Scammers” and “Let’s Talk About Relationship Investment Scams” ‒ and a resource page about how relationship investment scams work, what investors should look out for, and how investors can protect themselves and others.