Pig butchering is one of the online frauds causing the largest individual losses in the UK. The name, translated from a Chinese phrase used by the criminals themselves, refers to the way scammers build up their victims with attention and false affection before taking everything they have. It usually starts with a friendly message and ends with someone losing their savings to a fake cryptocurrency platform.
This type of fraud is patient. Scammers may spend weeks or months building a relationship before money is ever mentioned, which is part of what makes it so effective. By the time the trading talk begins, the victim feels they are dealing with a friend, a partner or a trusted mentor rather than a stranger.
Most cases start with an unexpected message. It might come through a dating app such as Tinder, Hinge or Bumble, or through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or even a wrong number text. The opening is often something harmless: a polite "sorry, I think I have the wrong number" or a compliment on your profile photo.
If you reply, the conversation moves quickly to a different app, usually WhatsApp or Telegram. The person on the other end seems charming, successful and interested in your life. They share photos, talk about their work, ask about your day and remember small details. In many cases they claim to live in another city or country, which conveniently explains why you can never meet in person.
Weeks pass and the relationship feels real. Then, casually, the subject of money comes up. They mention an uncle, a cousin or a former colleague who has helped them make good returns through crypto trading. They are not selling anything. They simply want to share their good fortune with someone they care about.
The next step is the introduction of a trading site or app. It looks professional, with charts, account dashboards, customer support chat and convincing branding. Some sites copy the look of real exchanges. Others use names that sound plausible but do not appear on any regulated register.
You are walked through opening an account and making a small deposit, often through a legitimate crypto exchange first, then transferring the funds on to the fake platform. The scammer guides you through a few trades and profits appear on screen almost straight away. You may even be encouraged to withdraw a small amount, which works, to prove the system is genuine.
That early withdrawal is the hook. Once trust is established, the deposits get bigger. Some people end up remortgaging their homes, borrowing from family or emptying pension pots. The dashboard keeps showing healthy gains. The scammer is warm, encouraging and full of advice.
The trouble starts when you try to withdraw a meaningful sum. Suddenly there is a problem. You are told you need to pay tax up front, or a release fee, or a deposit to "unlock" your account. The figures grow. Each payment is described as the last one needed.
Some are told their account has been flagged for money laundering and they must pay a fine to clear it. Others are pushed to deposit more so their balance reaches a higher tier that allows withdrawals. These fees are almost never genuine, and the money is gone the moment it leaves your wallet.
If you stop paying, the scammer may turn cold, or they may keep stringing you along with promises. Either way, the platform eventually disappears, the account is frozen, and the person you thought you knew stops replying.
The organised crime behind it
Pig butchering is not the work of lone fraudsters. Investigations by journalists, police forces and the United Nations have linked these scams to large criminal compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and parts of the Philippines. Many of the people sending the messages are themselves victims of human trafficking, forced to work in guarded compounds and made to follow detailed scripts.
This is one reason the scams feel so polished. The criminals running them treat fraud as an industry, with training manuals, shift patterns and managers. It also explains why the response can feel so personal and so quick. There is usually a team behind each "girlfriend" or "boyfriend", not a single person.
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Try our Scam Detector free, here on this site →Warning signs to watch for
- An unexpected message from an attractive stranger who quickly wants to move to WhatsApp or Telegram.
- A relationship that becomes intense very fast but where the person always has a reason not to video call or meet.
- Talk of crypto trading, gold trading or foreign exchange tips from a "relative" or "mentor".
- Being directed to a trading site or app you have never heard of.
- Early small profits and easy withdrawals, followed by pressure to invest much more.
- Fees, taxes or deposits demanded before you can take your money out.
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If you think you have been targeted
Stop sending money straight away. Do not pay any further fees, no matter what you are told about releasing your balance. Keep all messages, transaction records, wallet addresses and screenshots of the trading platform. These are useful for any investigation, even if recovery is unlikely.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report the fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or through actionfraud.police.uk. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101. If you sent funds through a UK bank or card, contact your bank without delay. Authorised push payment scams paid from a UK bank account may be covered by mandatory reimbursement rules, though cryptocurrency transfers generally fall outside this protection and are much harder to recover.
You can check whether a firm is authorised on the Financial Conduct Authority register at fca.org.uk. The FCA also runs a ScamSmart warning list. For practical support, Citizens Advice can help with next steps, and Victim Support offers free emotional and practical help to anyone affected by crime in England and Wales.
If the scam involved a dating app or social media platform, report the profile to the platform as well. Under the Online Safety Act, regulated services have new duties to tackle illegal content including fraud, and Ofcom is rolling out its enforcement role in stages. Reports from users help build the picture of where platforms are falling short.
Losing money this way is painful, and the shame many victims feel often stops them speaking up. There is no need for that. These are professional criminal operations designed to fool intelligent people, and the more reports the authorities receive, the better the chance of disrupting them.
Related warnings
- Cloned Investment Firm Scams
- Cryptocurrency Recovery Scams
- Authorised Push Payment Fraud and Your Refund Rights
- Fake Job Offer Scams on LinkedIn and WhatsApp
See more recent scams on the Latest Scam Warnings page.
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