A brutal new scam is starting to appear and a cyber security expert says those responsible are targeting our most personal vulnerabilities.
The aptly-named “pig butchery” scam has sparked a warning from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and sees predators develop personal, even romantic, relationships with their victims – a common ploy by scammers.
But “pig butchers” are taking the ruse to another level.
According to Satnam Narang, a senior research engineer at cyber exposure management company Tenable, scammers are in for the “long con” – meaning they will spend weeks on one target.
“I would imagine that it’s a pretty high number,” he told news.com.au.
Through social media and common dating apps like Tinder, predators will talk to victims for up to two weeks before any mention of investment.
“They’re going to try to like, get to know. You ask what you’re interested in,” he said.
“They slow roll you into thinking you might be developing a connection with somebody.”
And unlike other friendship or romance-based scams which often seek smaller, one-off payments, “pig butchers” eventually fleece their victims of huge sums through crypto investments.
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