Someone you met online gained your emotional trust over weeks or months, then asked for crypto transfers to a Bybit deposit address — "medical bills," "visa fees," "travel costs." Bybit is Dubai-headquartered (VARA-regulated) with mandatory KYC since 2023. Every deposit address maps to a verified identity. We trace your transfers on-chain, identify the Bybit account that received them, and file emergency freeze requests with Bybit's compliance team in Dubai.
In a romance scam involving Bybit, the scammer builds an emotional connection through dating apps, social media, or messaging platforms. They declare love, plan a future together, and create a sense of urgency around financial needs. The requests start small and escalate: "I need €2,000 for a medical emergency" becomes "I need €15,000 for business debts" becomes "I need €30,000 to finalize my divorce so we can be together."
Why scammers use Bybit for romance scams: Bybit has deep USDT liquidity — scammers who receive funds in USDT can easily convert or withdraw. Bybit's derivatives markets also attract scammers who want to trade with received funds before withdrawing. However, Bybit's mandatory KYC (since 2023) means every deposit address is tied to a verified identity — the scammer's real name and government ID are on file.
The geo-restriction complication: Bybit geo-restricts certain countries (US, UK, parts of Canada). If you're in a restricted region, you may have sent crypto from another exchange or wallet to the scammer's Bybit deposit address. You cannot contact Bybit support directly (your geo-location may trigger account closure). We handle all communication through our Swiss office, bypassing these restrictions.
The "oil rig worker" pattern: A common romance scam targeting Bybit users involves someone claiming to work on an offshore oil rig. They can't access their bank account, they need funds for "equipment repair," "helicopter transport," or "medical evacuation." They ask you to send crypto to their Bybit deposit address, promising to repay when they return to shore. They never return. The Bybit account belongs to the scammer — not an oil rig worker.
Compliance structure: Bybit's compliance team operates from Dubai under VARA regulation. They process legal requests through their compliance email. Response times: 5-14 business days. Bybit is less transparent than Binance — no published timelines, no compliance portal. However, they do respond to properly formatted legal requests with a police report.
Freeze capability: Bybit can freeze the scammer's account. Requires a police report or court order — not just a private attorney's letter. Bybit is generally more cooperative with requests from jurisdictions where they are regulated (UAE, EU under MiCA). For non-regulated jurisdictions, Bybit may require MLAT channels. Response: 5-14 business days.
KYC disclosure: Bybit discloses account holder information to law enforcement or through a court order. Bybit's KYC (mandatory since 2023) includes: government ID, selfie verification, and proof of address. The scammer's real identity is on file.
The derivatives risk: If the scammer received your funds on Bybit and traded them on perpetual futures, the recoverable amount may be less than what you sent. Trading losses on derivatives are generally unrecoverable — the funds went to market counterparties. We check whether the scammer traded your funds and trace the remaining balance.
A client met someone on a dating app who claimed to be a Norwegian engineer working on an offshore oil rig in the North Sea. Over 5 months, the "engineer" sent daily messages, photos of the rig (stolen from a real company's website), and talked about their future together. The requests started with €3,000 for "helicopter transport to the mainland for a medical checkup." Then €8,000 for "equipment repair." Then €20,000 for "finalizing his contract so he could move to the client's country." Over 5 months, the client sent 12 transfers totaling €65,000 to a Bybit deposit address.
Our response: We traced all 12 transfers to the same Bybit deposit address. We filed a legal request with Bybit's Dubai compliance team alongside a police report. Bybit took 10 business days to freeze the account — it held €22,000 in USDT. The scammer's KYC revealed a resident of Turkey — not a Norwegian engineer. The scammer had traded €15,000 on Bybit's ETH perpetual futures (and lost €8,000), reducing the recoverable amount.
Outcome: 34% recovery (€22,000 of €65,000). Lower recovery due to Bybit's slower response time (10 days vs Binance's 3-7 days), the scammer's derivatives trading losses (€8,000 lost to the market), and the 5-month duration (most funds had been withdrawn). Criminal proceedings initiated through Turkish authorities.
Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Swiss professional secrecy applies.
How is a romance scam different from pig butchering? Romance scams involve direct requests for money. Pig butchering introduces a fake investment platform. See pig butchering on Bybit →
Warning: After a romance scam, fake "recovery services" may contact you. Read our recovery scam warning.
Three differences: (1) Bybit is slower (5-14 days vs Binance's 3-7 days) — the scammer has more time to withdraw. (2) Bybit's derivatives focus means the scammer may trade your funds on perpetual futures, reducing the recoverable amount if they lose trades. (3) Bybit geo-restricts certain countries — if you're in a restricted region, you can't contact Bybit support directly. We bypass this through our Swiss office. Recovery rates on Bybit are lower (40-60% vs Binance's 55-70%) due to slower response and derivatives risk.
Trading losses on Bybit derivatives are generally unrecoverable — the funds went to market counterparties (other traders). However, any remaining margin, realized profits, or unrealized positions at the time of the freeze are recoverable. This is why speed is critical on Bybit: the longer the scammer trades, the less may remain. We trace the actual withdrawn and remaining amounts — not the paper losses from trading.
Yes — the "oil rig worker" is one of the most common romance scam patterns on Bybit. The scammer claims to work on an offshore rig, can't access their bank, and needs crypto for "equipment repair," "helicopter transport," or "medical evacuation." They promise to repay when they return to shore. They never return. The Bybit deposit address belongs to the scammer — not an oil rig worker. We trace the address and obtain the real account holder's KYC.
Yes. Bybit geo-restricts certain countries, but the scammer's account is not restricted. We file the legal request from our Swiss office, which is not subject to Bybit's geo-restrictions. The freeze applies to the scammer's account regardless of your location. You should NOT contact Bybit directly — your geo-location may trigger account closure. We handle all communication.
5-14 business days. Bybit's Dubai compliance team (VARA-regulated) processes legal requests. Slower than Binance (3-7 days). For non-UAE jurisdictions, we use MLAT — which adds time. Bybit does not publish compliance timelines. For Bybit romance scam cases, early filing is critical, especially if the scammer is trading on derivatives.
Yes. We trace each transfer individually and aggregate them. Romance scam victims typically send multiple transfers to the same Bybit deposit address over months. Each transfer is traceable on-chain. The multi-transfer pattern is strong evidence: 10+ transactions to the same address, each correlating with chat logs where the scammer requested money. This pattern is clear evidence of sustained fraud.
Describe what happened. Include the scammer's profile, chat evidence, Bybit deposit addresses, transaction hashes, and total amount lost. We respond within 6 hours.