Pig butchering scam

It begins with a wrong number, a dating match or a friendly professional connection. Weeks of genuine-feeling conversation build trust before investing is mentioned casually, framed as something they do for family. You are guided to a slick app showing steady gains. Small withdrawals succeed to prove it works. When you commit real money, withdrawal requires a tax, a fee, or a minimum balance — each one paid brings another. The platform is a display; the money left on the first transfer.

• An online-only relationship that steers towards investing
• A trading platform they introduced, not one you searched for
• Screenshots of impossible, unbroken returns
• Fees or taxes demanded before you can withdraw your own money

"My uncle manages a gold futures desk and lets family in on his signals. I made $8,400 this month. Start with $500 and I will walk you through every trade."

1. 01Stop sending money the moment a withdrawal costs a fee. Nothing is recoverable by paying more.
2. 02Check any platform against your national regulator's register.
3. 03Reverse-image search their photos and never invest on a stranger's guidance.
4. 04Report to the FBI IC3 or Action Fraud, and tell someone you trust — shame is the scam's best protection.