Has anyone else noticed how crypto scams are spreading through social media mess

I wanted to share something that happened recently and see if others here have noticed the same pattern.

A colleague of mine started receiving messages on a social media platform from someone who claimed to be a successful crypto trader. At first the conversation was very normal. They talked about the market, recent Bitcoin price changes, and general investment ideas. Nothing suspicious in the beginning.

After a few days the person started sharing screenshots showing trading profits. The screenshots showed large gains from short term crypto trades. According to the messages, the trader claimed to use a private platform that was not yet widely known.

My colleague was curious but also cautious. Instead of sending money immediately, he asked for more information about the platform.

The person provided a website link and explained that new users could start with a small investment to test the system. The platform looked professional. It had charts, account dashboards, and what appeared to be real trading activity.

However, something felt unusual.

When we looked more closely at the website, we noticed that the domain had been registered only a few months earlier. There was also very little information about the company behind the platform.

Another warning sign appeared when my colleague asked about withdrawals. The person said profits could only be withdrawn after reaching a certain balance level. This kind of rule is often used by fraudulent platforms to keep victims depositing more funds.

Later we searched online and found similar complaints describing the same situation. Different users had been contacted by social media accounts promoting the same trading website.

What makes social media scams effective is how personal the conversation feels. Scammers often spend days or even weeks building trust before introducing the investment opportunity.

Because of that, the situation can feel like advice from a friend rather than a sales pitch from a stranger.

I am curious if others here have seen similar approaches recently. Are scammers now focusing more on private messaging instead of public advertisements?