Pig Butchering

Authorities recovered $5.4 million in cryptocurrency linked to a romance-turned investment scam targeting victims across Florida and Massachusetts. Part of the funds will be returned to victims, including one who lost over $450,000, while the remainder will support ongoing efforts to fight crypto fraud.

US authorities have seized and frozen over $578 million in cryptocurrency linked to Chinese transnational criminal networks running scams that targeted US residents. The operations, often based in Southeast Asia, involved “pig butchering” schemes and trafficked workers, and investigators aim to forfeit the funds and return them to victims.

US federal agents in North Carolina seized more than $61 million in USDT linked to a crypto romance investment scam after tracing the money through multiple wallets with support from Homeland Security Investigations. Tether helped authorities freeze the funds, which are now subject to forfeiture.

A Bitcoin investor lost his entire retirement savings after sending $85,958 to a scammer posing as a romantic partner and trader. Despite repeated warnings from his adviser, the investor fell for a pig butchering scam that used emotional manipulation and false promises of high returns.

A San Jose widow lost nearly $1 million after an online romance led her into a fake crypto investment scam. She followed the man’s instructions, drained her savings and took out a second mortgage before realising it was a fraud.

A California man was jailed for more than four years for helping launder nearly \$37 million stolen in a global crypto scam. He was ordered to pay \$26.9 million in restitution, while eight co-conspirators have also admitted guilt.

Binance has joined the T3+ coalition and helped freeze $6 million from a pig-butchering crypto scam. The exchange is actively working with other industry players to track and stop illegal blockchain activity in real time.

A man lost $20 million in a romance-based crypto scam and is suing Citibank for failing to detect suspicious transfers. He claims the bank ignored warning signs in $4 million worth of transactions that could have helped stop the fraud.

Crypto scams are getting worse as criminals use AI deepfakes to trick people with fake videos and voices. In 2024 alone, these scams caused losses of $4.6 billion, with nearly 40% involving AI impersonations.

A shocking report has linked that could prove that the Cambodian government has been using crypto-powered scam networks to fuel 60% of the country's economy.