Kathleen Rickert said the scheme began last summer when she received a text from someone who claimed to have the wrong number. The sender asked whether she was "Dave," and when she said no, the conversation continued anyway.

"He just started chatting with me," Rickert said. The exchanges soon became daily, she said: "We talked from morning till night."

After about a month, the man introduced the topic of investing in gold. Rickert said she knew little about the metal beyond its cost, but he claimed to be trading it and offered to help her earn money too. She started with a small amount.

The conversations also took a romantic turn. Rickert said the man talked about building a life together, and she trusted the promises. "Like a fool, I did. I sent more money," she said.

In total, Rickert said she sent about $25,000. Her supposed gold investment account appeared to be growing, but when she tried to withdraw her profits, she said she was told she first had to pay $47,000 in taxes.

That demand prompted her to recall a coworker describing a similar scheme. "I called them out as it being a scam," she said.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicole Sinegar said the warning signs Rickert described are consistent with "pig butchering," a form of investment fraud in which scammers spend weeks or even months building trust before convincing victims to hand over money. "They then 'butcher the pig' for their, again, finances, for their assets," Sinegar said.

The consequences can be severe. Sinegar said such scams can wipe out victims' savings and retirement accounts, and that anyone can be targeted. "What they look for is someone who is vulnerable, someone who may have the means to actually give them the amount of money that they're looking for," she said.

The FBI points to three red flags for spotting an investment scam:

- An unexpected message from a stranger, including unsolicited texts or social media messages that seem to start innocently, such as a wrong-number text. - Investment advice from someone you have never met, particularly when the person first builds a personal or romantic connection before encouraging you to put money into an investment. - Demands for upfront taxes or fees before supposed investment profits can be withdrawn.

Sinegar also stressed the importance of reporting these scams.

Rickert said she is sharing her experience to help others recognize the warning signs and to encourage victims to come forward. "I thought I was a lot smarter than this, and I fell for it," she said. "So I know there's a lot of people that this is happening to that aren't gonna come forward. I just want them to know to come forward and let people know. I'm embarrassed that I fell for this."