Pig butchering is the patient scam. There is no popup and no threat. Instead a stranger spends days or weeks earning your trust, then guides you into a fake investment that looks like it is winning right up until you try to take the money out. It produces the largest individual losses of any scam.
How this scam works
It starts with a friendly wrong number text or a match on a dating or social app. The person is warm, patient, and in no hurry.
Over days or weeks they build a real feeling of friendship or romance, mentioning how well they do with crypto trading.
They introduce a trading site or app that looks professional and show you how to deposit and watch your balance grow.
The growth is fake. The platform is controlled by the scammer, and early small withdrawals may be allowed to build confidence.
When you try to withdraw a large amount, they demand taxes or fees to release it. The money and the funds you see were never real.
What it sounds like
Contact: My uncle taught me this trading platform, I made 30 percent this month. I can show you, just start small.
You: Any stranger who moves the conversation to crypto investing is running a scam. Stop contact.
Red flags
- A new online friend or romantic contact who steers you toward crypto or a trading platform.
- A platform that shows steady, impossible gains and lets you make one small withdrawal.
- Fees or taxes demanded before you can withdraw your balance.
- Pressure to invest more, faster, or to keep it private.
What to do
- Stop all contact and do not send any more money, including fees to unlock a withdrawal.
- Screenshot the platform, chats, and any wallet addresses before they disappear.
- Report to the FBI IC3 at ic3.gov and the FTC, and tell your bank or crypto exchange.
How to report this scam
See the full reporting guide for every US agency and what each one handles.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called pig butchering?
The term translates a phrase for fattening a pig before slaughter. Scammers fatten the victim with trust and fake gains before taking everything.
Can I get my crypto back?
Recovery is hard once crypto is sent, which is why reporting fast matters. Be aware of recovery scams that target victims a second time by promising to get the money back for a fee.
How big are these losses?
Investment fraud was the largest category of loss reported to the FBI in 2025 at $8.6 billion, and much of it involves crypto and pig butchering.
Back to all scammers