Openai/693f6e1a-6e14-8001-83c4-f4580e02b092

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User: explain pig butchering scams and how they're typically orchestrated

explain pig butchering scams and how they're typically orchestrated

Assistant: “Pig butchering” also called romance baiting by Interpol is a long-con confidence scam where criminals build trust over…

“Pig butchering” (also called romance baiting by Interpol) is a long-con confidence scam where criminals build trust over weeks/months, then steer the victim into a fake “investment” (often crypto), showing convincing “profits” until the victim can’t withdraw and is pressured for even more money. Federal Bureau of Investigation

1. First contact (lead generation) - “Wrong number” / “accidental text,” social media DMs, dating apps, WhatsApp/Telegram, etc. - Goal: get you chatting off-platform and establish a “real person” vibe. Department of Justice

1. Grooming (“fattening up”) - Daily conversation, flirting/friendship, lots of personal attention. - They often use scripts and escalation tactics to bond quickly and learn what you can afford. (Law enforcement describes it as relationship-building first, investment pitch later.) Federal Bureau of Investigation
2. The hook: “I can teach you / here’s my platform” - They introduce a “can’t miss” opportunity, usually crypto. - You’re directed to a realistic-looking website/app that’s actually controlled by the scammers. Federal Bureau of Investigation
3. Proof & reinforcement - Early on, victims may see fake gains, and sometimes are allowed a small withdrawal to build confidence. - Then comes the push: “add more to earn more,” sometimes tied to emotional leverage (“if you trust me…”) FDIC OIG
4. The “butchering”: blocked withdrawals + invented fees - When you try to cash out: sudden “taxes,” “verification,” “anti-money-laundering deposit,” “unlock fee,” etc. - Paying those doesn’t help; it’s a ladder of excuses to extract the last dollar. Federal Bureau of Investigation
5. Endgame: vanish, threaten, or keep milking - They ghost, delete accounts, or pivot to intimidation/blackmail. - Money moves through crypto wallets/mules, making recovery difficult. FinCEN.gov

A big reason these scams work is they’re often industrialized operations, not a lone scammer:

• Scam compounds / “fraud factories”: Many major networks operate out of hubs (notably in parts of Southeast Asia) that run scams at scale, and multiple governments and the UN have described links to coercion/forced labor in some of these operations. Reuters
• Division of labor: lead generators, “relationship” chatters, “investment mentors,” tech teams running fake platforms, and finance teams laundering proceeds.
• Commodity infrastructure: authorities have specifically called out services that help host/rotate scam websites and infrastructure at scale. U.S. Department of the Treasury

- Unsolicited “wrong number” that turns friendly/romantic fast. Department of Justice

• They insist on crypto and a specific platform/app you’ve never heard of. Federal Bureau of Investigation
• “Your account is up, but you must pay X to withdraw.” FinCEN.gov
• They dodge live video verification or get angry when you ask for basic proof. DFPI

- Stop sending money (including “fees” to withdraw).

• Preserve evidence: chats, screenshots, wallet addresses, transaction hashes.
• Contact your bank/exchange immediately and file reports (in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre tracks these romance/investment/crypto hybrids). Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
• In the U.S., the FBI has a dedicated effort around this pattern (“Operation Level Up”). Federal Bureau of Investigation

More background readingAP NewsMyanmar calls on countries to take back citizens held in crackdown on scam centersTodaywired.comStop Calling Online Scams 'Pig Butchering,' Interpol WarnsDec 17, 2024theweek.comTexts from a scammer6 days agowsj.comScam Compounds Become Targets in Thai-Cambodian Border WarToday

User: For academic purposes go into more details.

For academic purposes go into more details. Give a "checklist" of things a scammer might do to lure in a victim.

Assistant: Below is a defensive, research-oriented “tactics checklist”: behaviors pig-butchering operators commonly use so you can…

Below is a defensive, research-oriented “tactics checklist”: behaviors pig-butchering operators commonly use so you can recognize/teach/measure them, not replicate them. (Law enforcement often describes this as a hybrid of relationship-building + investment fraud, commonly involving crypto and a fake platform.) Federal Bureau of Investigation

Lifecycle map (what the operator is trying to accomplish)

1. Acquire a target → 2) Move them to a controllable channel → 3) Bond + profile finances → 4) Convert to “investment” → 5) Escalate deposits → 6) Block withdrawals + extract “fees” → 7) Re-victimize via “recovery” offers ic3.gov

Checklist: things a scammer might do to lure in a victim (grouped by stage)

A) Initial contact & channel control

• Cold-contact you via SMS, DMs, dating apps, or social platforms. FinCEN.gov
• Use a benign pretext (“wrong number,” “old friend,” casual mistake) to get you to reply. FinCEN.gov
• Quickly suggest moving to WhatsApp/Telegram/WeChat or another off-platform channel (less moderation, easier to disappear). DFPI
• Present a profile signaling wealth/success (travel, cars, “financial” lifestyle) to prime credibility. FinCEN.gov

B) Grooming (“fattening up” / relationship engineering)

• Message consistently (daily), creating routine and emotional dependence (“good morning/good night” cadence). (Core “confidence/relationship first” pattern.) Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Fast intimacy: flattery, “love bombing,” future plans, or unusually quick trust-building. (Common in romance-fraud dynamics that blend into investing.) Federal Trade Commission
• Mirroring: adopt your interests/values; “we’re the same,” to accelerate bonding.
• Micro-tests of compliance: small asks (reply timing, secrecy, switching apps) before bigger financial asks.
• Isolation pressure: discourage you from discussing the “opportunity” with friends/family (“they won’t understand,” “keep it private”). The FBI flags urgency/isolation as common levers. Federal Bureau of Investigation

C) Financial profiling & credibility building

• Casually probe your income, savings, debt, goals, and risk tolerance (“what do you do for work?” “do you invest?”).
• Claim to be (or be close to) an investor / money manager / insider. FinCEN.gov
• Share screenshots of gains, “wins,” or a track record that can’t be independently verified.
• Introduce a mentor/uncle/cousin or “team” figure to add authority and a sense of organization.

D) The “investment” conversion

• Pivot from bonding to a specific investment narrative, usually crypto, sometimes framed as a “safe system.” Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Direct you to a platform that looks legitimate but is controlled/manipulated by the scammers. Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Coach you through buying/sending crypto, sometimes asking for screenshots so they can “help.” FinCEN.gov
• Ask you to install something extra (plugin/app) or otherwise interact with a setup that can alter what you see (e.g., manipulated balances). FinCEN explicitly warns scammers may use fraudulent sites/apps and even legitimate apps with add-ons to falsify information. FinCEN.gov
• In more aggressive variants, request remote access to your device “to help set it up.” (Major red flag.) FinCEN.gov

E) Deposit escalation & commitment traps

• Encourage “just start small” (a trial deposit) and then push larger amounts once you’re emotionally/financially committed. FinCEN.gov
• Show rapid “profits,” then apply FOMO: “this window won’t last,” “you’re missing out,” “my other friend doubled it.” Consumer Advice
• Use commitment + sunk-cost pressure: after you’ve deposited, they frame stopping as irrational (“don’t quit when you’re close”).
• Normalize ever-larger transfers: wires to unfamiliar entities, overseas accounts, prepaid cards/crypto kiosks, etc. (Commonly reported patterns.) FinCEN.gov

F) The withdrawal trap (“butchering”)

• When you try to withdraw, the platform suddenly demands taxes / verification / liquidity / early-withdrawal fees. FinCEN.gov
• Claim your account is flagged for AML / money laundering or “security review,” and the only fix is more payment. FDIC OIG
• Impose arbitrary deadlines and threats (“account frozen,” “legal action,” “you’ll lose profits”) to force fast decisions. Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Eventually ghost you, lock you out, or keep you paying fees until you stop. FDIC OIG

G) Post-scam re-victimization (“recovery” scams)

• You’re contacted by someone claiming they can recover your funds—but only if you pay first. Consumer Advice
• Impersonate law firms / lawyers / government partners, show “official” letterhead, invent regulators, or add you to “secure” group chats. The FBI/IC3 warns specifically about fictitious law firms targeting crypto-scam victims with these tactics. ic3.gov

“Tell-tale artifacts” checklist (useful for research/casework)

• Communication shifts to encrypted/off-platform apps early. DFPI
• The “platform” has no credible regulatory footprint, unclear ownership, and withdrawal terms that change midstream. FDIC OIG
• Any request for remote access, screenshots of your banking/crypto app, or payment to “unlock” withdrawals. FinCEN.gov
• A pattern of urgency + secrecy + social isolation as soon as money is involved. Federal Bureau of Investigation

One-line “rule” that catches most variants

If an online acquaintance mixes relationship-building with pressure to invest in crypto and a platform you can’t independently verify, assume pig-butchering/romance-baiting and disengage. Federal Bureau of Investigation

If you want, I can turn this into a coding-style rubric (binary features + weights) you could use for an academic write-up or a dataset annotation guide (e.g., “channel move,” “withdrawal-fee demand,” “remote-access request,” etc.).

Recent reporting and background readstheweek.comTexts from a scammer6 days agowired.comStop Calling Online Scams 'Pig Butchering,' Interpol WarnsDec 17, 2024reuters.comAmnesty says Cambodia is enabling brutal scam industryJun 26, 2025wsj.comScam Compounds Become Targets in Thai-Cambodian Border WarToday