Sedgwick County DA warns of ‘Pig Butchering’ scam

Wil Day
·2 min read

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Sedgwick County District Attorney is warning about a new type of scam called “Pig Butchering.”

The scam combines romance scams with cryptocurrency scams. The scams can be extremely elaborate, with fake apps and websites designed to convince you it is legitimate.

Scammers use a variety of means to start their scams. In some cases, they may reach out over social media with a message or a comment.

In others, they may contact you on a dating site. Sometimes they will send a text message to a “wrong number” and then try to initiate a conversation with the receiver.

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In each instance, they eventually convince their victim to invest in cryptocurrency. They may claim to have a family member or other inside information.

They will convince their victims to use an app or website that appears to be completely legitimate and to transfer money into cryptocurrency. The scammers may even allow them to withdraw some of their “profits” to convince them that the investment is real.

In each case, they will try to get as much money as possible from their victims. When the victim attempts to withdraw their money, they may get an error message, and the scammer cuts off contact.

The FBI offers these tips to avoid being scammed:

  • Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.

  • Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere. (You can use Google Image Search or TinEye for photos. You can also copy and paste the full text of their initial message to you into a web search to see if it shows up elsewhere.)

  • Go slowly and ask lots of questions.

  • Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.

  • Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.

  • Beware if the individual promises to meet in person but then always comes up with an excuse why he or she can’t. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.

  • Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.

For more information about scams and how to report them, click here.

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