Pig butchering: investment fraud through fake relationships
A "wrong number" message or a social-media contact, weeks of friendship or romance, then "I'm earning well on this platform". The fake platform shows profits, but nothing can be withdrawn.
Last reviewed: 15 October 2026
Red flags
- Fast intimacy with a stranger
- Reluctance to appear on video calls
- They supply the link to the investment platform
- Pressure to invest more after seeing "profits"
How it works
The scammers build trust patiently, which is where the name comes from: fattening the pig before the slaughter. Your "profits" grow quickly on the fake platform, so you send more. In the end, a withdrawal triggers a demand for "tax", or the person simply disappears. International reports link these operations to organised crime groups.
What to do
Stop the moment someone you met online brings up investing. However sincere they seem, never send money through a link a stranger gives you.