Pig Butchering Scams Target Immigrants: How to Stay Safe

You get a text from a stranger — friendly, maybe even flirtatious. Weeks pass. The conversation feels real. Then they mention an investment opportunity that sounds almost too good. By the time you realize it's a scam, your savings are gone. This is how pig butchering scams work, and immigrants are among the most frequent targets.

These scams cost Americans billions of dollars each year. Scammers deliberately target immigrants because of language barriers, social isolation, and limited access to trusted information in English. The FBI and the New York Attorney General's office have both issued warnings about the growing threat. Fraudsters spend weeks — sometimes months — building a fake friendship or romance before steering victims toward fake cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, or investment platforms. Once the money is transferred, it almost never comes back. Even video calls can now be faked using AI, so a face on a screen is no longer proof someone is real.

Warning Signs You Should Know

The FBI put it plainly: "No one is offering free money, especially strangers. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Watch out if someone contacts you out of nowhere on WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram, or LinkedIn and quickly pushes to move the conversation to an encrypted app. Other red flags include promises of guaranteed investment returns, pressure to invest immediately, requests to keep the relationship secret from family, and refusals to let you withdraw your money. Scammers also sometimes pose as attorneys or government officials and demand additional payments — U.S. government agencies do not ask people to send money this way. If someone asks you to deposit cash into a Bitcoin ATM, hand money to a courier, or send gift cards, stop the conversation immediately.

Older adults are especially at risk. According to the FBI, people ages 60 and older filed more than 201,000 reports with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in 2025, reporting $7.7 billion in losses. Erin West, founder of Operation Shamrock and a former California prosecutor, explained why victims often don't see the warning signs: "You are very much wrapped up in what you think is an amazing new relationship." Family members should watch for sudden secrecy, unusual withdrawals, or a loved one who starts talking about cryptocurrency investments with someone they've never met in person.

What to Do

• Stop all contact with the suspected scammer immediately. Do not send any more money, cryptocurrency, or gift cards — most of these transactions cannot be reversed.
• Contact your bank right away. They may be able to stop or trace some transactions before the money disappears.
• Report the scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Also file a report with your local police department — even if recovery is unlikely, your report helps protect others.
• Report to the New York Attorney General's Office online or by calling 1-800-771-7755. The office protects your identifying information under state law. If English is a barrier, contact a trusted community organization or ethnic media outlet — they can connect you with FBI Community Outreach Specialists.
• Save all messages, emails, receipts, and transaction records. Law enforcement will need this documentation.
• The New York Attorney General's Office has published a free guide in English, Chinese, and Korean on recognizing pig butchering scams. Share it with family and friends.