Have you been contacted by text or on WhatsApp or Instagram by someone that you don’t know, who appears to be Chinese. If you have then you may be a target for the 杀猪盘， or pig-butchering scam originating in China.
What is the pig butchering scam?
These scams begin in what appears to be innocent fashion: a message out of the blue on WhatsApp, or Instagram from what appears to be an attractive-looking Chinese girl. Usually the message will just appear as one of the following:
Hi
or,
Do I know you?
or,
Hi, Mike this is Linda
Whilst most people will ignore the initial message some inquisitive people may decide to reply. Anyone who does reply will become a target for the scammers. They will try to gain the trust of their target by frequetly chatting after you add them as a friend. They will try to deepen the bond by asking questions and revealing details about their own life
In fact these messages are from scamming workshops operated by criminals in various cities across China. These offices, with multiple computers mobile phones and other devices even employ actresses to lead their scam.
The next step for the 杀猪盘 scammers is to turn the topic of conversation towards investment opportunites, typically crypto. They will usually start by encouraging victims to invest small amounts, but will work up to larger and larger figures.
From their scamming dens they will then try to convince you to invest in fake crytocurrency exchanges. After investing heavily they will suddenly shut down your access to your funds. The scam will be complete and you will not hear from them again.
How do I avoid becoming a victim of the 杀猪盘 scam？
- Avoid becoming a victim of this particular scam by exercising caution about making friends online and particularly online dating
- Be suspiscious if you get a message out of the blue from someone you don’t know on WhatsApp or Instagram
- Don’t transfer money into the account of someone who you do not know personally
- Do not make investments or trade on cryptocurrencies upon the advice of people you have not met
- If you have been cheated then contact the police
杀猪盘 – pig-butchering scam numbers
| Date reported | Number |
| 18/12/2021 | +852-5607-8625 |