Pig butchering scams, how to spot them and stay safe

Pig butchering scams occur when a victim willingly gives up financial information, personal information, or money to a fraudster under the guise of a relationship or investment opportunity. The name comes from the fraudster bolstering and encouraging the victim, fattening the pig, before they eventually take everything and leave them ruined, butchering the pig.

Many scams begin with an unsolicited text or email, something like “Hey, Jim. Is the party still on?” when you’re not Jim or holding a party, or “Hey sis, I think we need to talk about the diagnosis” when you’re not someone’s sister and know nothing about a diagnosis.

Upon being corrected, the fraudster will often apologize for the miscommunication and try to spark up a casual conversation, seeming as friendly and personal as possible. After the fraudster feels like they have formed a genuine connection with the victims, they will then start asking for large sums of money, often in crypto currencies, or personal information.

The fraudster will usually say that the money is for an investment opportunity or to cover some expenses, but these are all lies. In fact, the fraudster is almost never who they say they are, and will use photos and videos stolen from elsewhere on the internet in an attempt to seem legit and fool the victim. This could also be viewed as a form of catfishing.

Once the fraudster has successfully stolen everything they were hoping for, they will then attempt to disappear from the victim’s life entirely, leaving them to deal with the consequences.

It is nearly impossible to find a pig butcher after the crime has been committed, as many reside in other countries, use multiple profiles, and have encryption software to hide their true identities.

Crypto related scams increased in 2024 from the previous year by over 40%, in a large part due to pig butchering schemes. This type of scam has been on the rise for several years, as the COVID 19 pandemic contributed greatly to people's loneliness and desire for human connection, online or otherwise.

Over $9.9 billion were lost due to crypto scams like pig butchering in 2024. Of these scams, most were under the guise of a romantic relationship.

Pig butchering schemes are very dangerous and on the rise, but there are a few ways you can protect yourself! Here’s just a few.

Ignore unsolicited texts and emails: This is how most schemes start, so if you get a text from a number you don’t recognise, especially with an oddly specific message, do NOT interact. Even saying something like “you have the wrong number” or trying to pull a prank on them will show that the number is active and a potential target.

Be wary of, if not AVOID, opportunities involving crypto currency: Pig Butchering is widely considered to be a crypto scheme, as most money stolen is through crypto. If you receive any kind of offer relating to crypto currency, be very wary of it. Better yet, you can avoid dealing with crypto all together! As the film War Games once stated; “The only winning move is not to play”.

Make sure who you’re talking to online is who they say they are: Most fraudsters who conduct pig butchering schemes do so under the guise of another person. They will often use pictures of someone else stolen from the internet or, in more recent years, use AI generated images or even clone a loved one's voice. A good way to tell if someone is who they say theory is is to conduct a full virtual call with video. If they refuse to do so all together, then it might be a good time to cut contact.

QR codes themselves can only be harmful if the person or entities behind them have nefarious intentions. While QR codes are used very rarely in pig butchering schemes, it is very much possible.

However, pig butchering schemes are done at a more personal level, whereas QR codes are made to distribute data and information to many people. So, it is very rare for a QR code to be used in a pig butchering scheme.

Pig butchering schemes prey on loneliness and the desire for human connection. This can be devastating to those who fall victim to them, both financially and emotionally, as they lost not only a large sum of money but also a relationship they held in high regard.

If you or a loved one fall victim to a pig butchering scheme, please remember to be kind and understand both you and them. Remember that we are all so much more than the number in our bank accounts, and that good people become victims of scams all the time.

It’s a dangerous world out there, but kindness and compassion will always be our guide!