Investment scam
Plain definition. According to the Federal Trade Commission, investment scams claim you’ll make a lot of money quickly or easily with little or no risk, using lies to get your money.
Technical definition. The Federal Trade Commission’s consumer advice says investment scams claim you’ll likely make a lot of money quickly or easily with little to no risk, usually through financial markets, cryptocurrency, real estate, or precious metals and coins. Cryptocurrency versions often begin with a direct message on social media or dating apps and steer you to a site or app run by a company that isn’t real and isn’t investing the money; fake reports show your balance growing until the scammers shut down the accounts and disappear without a trace. All investments carry the risk of losing money, the agency notes, so anyone promising little or no risk with little time and effort is a scammer.
On this site
On this site, Investment scam comes up in What’s the biggest single cause of crypto losses for ordinary people?, Someone I met online is showing me big crypto profits. Is it real?, How do I spot and report an XRP scam, and what do I do if I’ve been scammed? and Can I deduct crypto I lost to a scam?.
Source
Investment Scams | Consumer Advice (consumer.ftc.gov), read October 2, 2026.