Crypto Investment Scam (“Pig Butchering”)

A crypto investment scam — sometimes called “pig butchering” — starts with a friendly stranger, often from a “wrong number” text, who slowly steers you to a fake trading platform.

How the crypto investment scam works

They earn your trust, show fake gains to lure you into investing more, and even let you withdraw a little early. When you try to take out real money, it's gone — the platform and profits were never real.

Red flags to watch for

• A stranger from a “wrong number” text who keeps chatting
• They mention a crypto or trading “opportunity” with guaranteed returns
• A slick platform showing profits that keep going up
• Pressure to invest more, or fees to withdraw your “earnings”

What it looks like

“Hi, sorry to bother you again — did you look into that coin I mentioned? It's still going up.”

What to do

1. Stop — real returns are never guaranteed, and this is a known con.
2. Don't invest through a platform a stranger sent you to.
3. Don't pay “fees” to withdraw your money — that's part of the scam.
4. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Other common scams