Securities Regulation Daily Wrap Up, INVESTOR EDUCATION—CFTC launches Valentine’s week campaign to expose romance-based investment fraud, (Feb 10, 2026)
The initiative combines coordinated government outreach and global cooperation to curb emotionally driven financial scams that increasingly leverage crypto and digital platforms.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the CFTC is spearheading a national and international awareness effort to combat relationship investment scams, a form of fraud that costs Americans an estimated $10 billion annually. Led by the CFTC’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach (OCEO), the campaign focuses on educating the public about how scammers exploit emotional connections formed online to lure victims into fraudulent investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency and fake trading platforms.
Domestic effort. A central component of the effort is the interagency “DatingOrDefrauding?” social media campaign, which urges consumers to be wary of investment solicitations from new online friends or romantic interests. The campaign highlights common red flags, such as reluctance to meet in person, pressure to move conversations to encrypted messaging apps, and claims of crypto trading expertise. The initiative brings together a broad coalition of federal and state agencies, along with self-regulatory and industry organizations, reflecting a coordinated domestic response to a rapidly evolving fraud threat.
Global effort. In parallel, the CFTC is collaborating with the International Organization of Securities Commissions to raise global awareness of these scams, building on a successful multinational effort conducted in October 2025. Timed deliberately around Valentine’s Day, when emotional vulnerability may be heightened, the campaign aims to reduce victimization and financial losses during a high-risk period. By equipping the public with practical knowledge and warning signs, the CFTC and its partners seek to disrupt organized criminal networks that use romance and trust as tools for large-scale financial exploitation.
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