Sun City man reports $155,000 crypto scam loss

April 30, 2026

Summary

A Sun City Hilton Head resident told deputies he lost $155,000 in a yearlong cryptocurrency investment scam.

Why this matters

The report highlights common signs of cryptocurrency investment scams, including unsolicited messages, promises of profit, and repeated demands for fees. It also shows how losses can continue even after victims contact law enforcement.

A Sun City Hilton Head resident told the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office he lost $155,000 over about a year in a cryptocurrency investment scam, according to an incident report.

The man, who lives in Sun City’s Lake Somerset area, told deputies in early April that the scheme began about a year earlier with an unsolicited WhatsApp message saying he could make money investing in cryptocurrency and stocks.

He said he invested an initial $30,000 and lost it “overnight.” According to the report, the investment company gave him several explanations, then directed him to use a cryptocurrency trading platform.

Because he was “new to cryptocurrency and its processes,” the man told deputies he received messages with his login information and instructions for transferring funds. A deputy wrote that the man “believed he was getting on the inside track to making money,” but the transfers appeared to be going “directly to the scammers.”

The man said he invested another $60,000 into the platform and saw some profit. He was later told to pay $30,000 in “taxes and fees.” When he said he wanted to close the account and withdraw his money, the report said, he was required to pay a $20,000 withdrawal fee to a supposed “digital currency exchange company.”

After that, the company demanded another $5,000 to “close his account,” he told deputies he realized he had been scammed.

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