The first half of a pig butchering scam doesn't look like a scam: no get-rich promise, no pressure, not even a suspicious link. By the time the "opportunity" turns up, you are no longer weighing an unfamiliar project but a person you trust: an online partner, or the "mentor" in a group who offered to guide you. Below, the scheme is split into seven stages, each with a check you can complete on your own.
- Stage one never mentions money. When money does come up, go back and confirm who contacted whom first.
- One successful small withdrawal says nothing about the platform. What to check is which account that money came from, and whether the conditions change once the amounts grow.
- One rule: never use an investment channel that someone you met online, or a group "mentor", brought you to. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gives the same advice: never mix online dating and investment advice.
Why pig butchering starts without any talk of money or investing
The first stage of this scam contains no "opportunity", only a person. They don't sell anything, don't rush you and don't send links. They just chat. The skepticism you have ready is for vetting projects, and what is in front of you at this point is a relationship that appears to want nothing from you.
Look at it from their side. If the opening line were "do this with me and make 30% a month", you would back away at once. So the subject of money is pushed back, and the time is spent becoming someone you are willing to believe. The get-rich promise is kept for when your guard is already down.
The openings are ordinary: a message sent to the wrong person, hitting it off in a hobby group, a match on a dating app, someone who says they are from your hometown or work in your field, being added to a group whose creator you don't know. After that the conversation revolves around you: your work, your routine, what has been bothering you lately. Their own persona is complete, with a job, a family and a daily rhythm, plus an occasional passing remark such as "my family runs a small business" or "a friend of mine trades", never expanded on.
The one thing to do at this stage
The first time money comes up in this relationship, go back and confirm one thing: who spoke first, at the very beginning. The question is who contacted whom. It has only one answer, it has nothing to do with how you feel about this person, and it decides the standard everything after it should be judged by.
The seven stages of pig butchering, from first message to blocked withdrawal
End to end, the scheme has seven stages. Find the one you or your family member has reached:
Stage 1 · Contact
They strike up a conversation using the everyday pretexts above. All this step aims for is a channel where the conversation can continue.
Stage 2 · Building trust
A period of everyday companionship: replies that come reliably, remembering small things you mentioned, being there when you're having a bad day. Money isn't mentioned. What this step does is move them, in your mind, from "stranger" to "someone I know".
Stage 3 · Introducing the "investment"
Money comes up for the first time, and seemingly in passing: they do it themselves and mention it casually, only say more when you ask, and may even tell you it isn't for you and you should stay out of it. The effect is to make you feel that you were the one who asked.
Stage 4 · A small test and a successful withdrawal
The amount is small, the process goes smoothly, and the withdrawal really arrives. This is the pivot of the whole scheme: it swaps the question in your head from "is this a scam?" to "I've already checked it."
Stage 5 · Putting in more
The reasons start to pile up: a market window, limited spots, an inside schedule, they're adding more themselves. The numbers on screen climb in step, so you can "see" the gains.
Stage 6 · Withdrawal blocked
When you want to take the money out, conditions appear: tax, a deposit, risk control, an account problem, a rules violation. They arrive one after another, and each one tells you that once it's dealt with, you can withdraw.
Stage 7 · A second round
Once the platform won't load and the person can't be reached, new people get in touch and collect another payment in the name of redress, recovery or unfreezing.
Notice how the seven stages are ordered: the earlier the stage, the less it looks like a scam; the later the stage, the harder it is to leave. So counting on "I'll be able to tell when the time comes" doesn't work. By the time you can tell, you are already at stage six.
What you can check yourself at each stage
"Something feels off" is not reliable, because the first half is staged for your feelings. The table below turns each stage into an action that has an answer, each one something you can do alone, without the other person's cooperation.
| Stage | What they're doing | What you can concretely check |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | Starts the conversation, with a reason that sounds natural | Note who spoke first; run their self-introduction and photos through a reverse search to see whether they turn up anywhere else |
| Building trust | Steady companionship, steers clear of money | Suggest an unplanned live video call or a last-minute change of plans, and watch how they respond; that is behavior you can observe |
| Introducing the investment | Shows off gains "in passing" | Search for the platform's name yourself instead of tapping the link they sent; check the developer, release date and where the reviews come from in the app store |
| Small test | Lets you withdraw successfully once | Check who sent you that money: a company account, or a personal account whose name doesn't match the platform |
| Putting in more | Manufactures deadlines and limited spots | Repeat their reasons for adding more, word for word, to someone with no stake in any of this, and note their first reaction |
| Withdrawal blocked | Demands tax, a deposit or an unfreezing fee first | No need to check anything else: any demand that you pay money before you can take money out settles it the first time it appears |
| A second round | Promises to get your money back | Anyone who reaches out on their own, guarantees recovery and wants a fee first belongs to a second scam; there's nothing more to discuss |
These actions have one thing in common: they all have answers, and the answers don't depend on how you see this person. You can't prove whether someone is sincere, but you can find out where an app came from and who sent a payment.
We've video-called and I've heard their voice. Does that rule it out?
No. Video, voice and photos don't show that the person's identity, job or source of income is real, and still less that the platform they recommend is real. Checking whether the person on screen is who they claim to be is covered in deepfake video-call scams. Rather than going round in circles over "is it really them?", put your attention back on what can be checked: who brought you to the platform, where the app came from, and what the platform asks of you when you try to take money out.
Are "signal mentors" and VIP signal groups the same thing as pig butchering?
It is the same scheme with the romance swapped for a mentor-and-student relationship. Set against the seven stages, this is the step each of these stands in for (the lines in quotation marks are example scripts):
| What it's called | Example script | Which stage it replaces |
|---|---|---|
| A mentor who calls the trades | "Follow the mentor's calls and you won't have to worry about a thing" | Stage 2: a "mentor" or "senior trader" takes the place of the romantic partner to build trust |
| VIP signal group | People in the group keep posting profit screenshots and thanking the mentor | Stage 3: the group's "gains" take the place of the casual remark; you can't verify the screenshots or the thanks |
| Inside information | "This move is confirmed on the inside, a rare chance" | Stage 5: manufactures a window and pushes you to raise your principal |
| A designated platform, "the mentor's own channel" | "Trade on this platform and follow my timing" | Stages 3 to 6: this is the platform someone brought you to |
Every row can be tested with the same question: if this "mentor" really had a sure way to profit and inside information, why gather a group of strangers and guide them for free? The checks are the same as in the table above: who brought you to the platform, where the app came from, and what it asks of you when you withdraw.
Why "I'm not greedy" doesn't protect you
Because greed is not where it attacks. Greed only comes into play at Stage 5; the first four run on the relationship. You can be completely immune to "30% a month" and still have no resistance to a casual suggestion from someone who has kept you company for a long time. Those two things don't draw on the same judgment.
Serious suspicion may not help either, if you suspect the wrong thing. Examine the platform's interface, ask how returns are calculated, read the whole official-looking explanation, and the conclusion will be that the platform is fine. The flaw in this scheme lies in "how did I come to be in front of this platform?", and vetting the platform will not find it.
So don't make "I'm rational" your defense. What works is one rule that makes no allowance for feelings: never use an investment channel that someone you met online brought you to, however close you are and however smoothly things have gone. The rule needs no exceptions because it costs so little: all you give up is one unfamiliar channel. The FTC's page on cryptocurrency and scams puts it this way: "Never mix online dating and investment advice." If you're unsure whether your situation counts, run it through the scam self-check.
The platform they recommend looks legitimate. Why can't you trust it?
Because that look requires no real business behind it. Candlestick charts, an order book, a positions page, an earnings curve, live support, an app that installs: all of it is just pages.
More to the point: the numbers you see on a platform like this are written in by the platform itself. The prices on the page may really be moving, but your balance, your paper gains and that steadily climbing curve have nothing to do with any real trade and can be set to whatever they like.
So when judging a platform like this, ignore how it looks and look at three things: where you heard about it, where the app came from, and what it does when you want to take your money out. The first two can be checked before you sign up. How to spot a counterfeit app is in fake crypto exchange apps, and where to look up a platform's license and proof of reserves is in how to check whether an exchange is legit.
"The interface looks professional" is not evidence
Anyone can produce the look. Treating it as grounds for trust means grading them on material they prepared. Also not evidence: fast replies from support, documentation in your language, a busy group chat, a stack of screenshots that look like licenses. Look a license up in the regulator's own register, not in an image they send you.
Does an early successful withdrawal prove the platform is real?
No. A successful withdrawal proves only one thing: someone is willing to send you a small sum first.
From the other side, that money is a cost. A small sum buys the principal you put in afterwards and something worth more: from then on you stop asking "is this a scam?" and start asking "when should I add more?"
If this step has already happened, add two checks: which account the money came from (a company account or a personal one, and whether the name matches the platform), and whether the conditions changed once the amounts grew. Small amounts going through smoothly while larger ones meet new charges is the dividing line. The thing to strike from your reasons for trusting it is "I withdrew once, so the money comes out".
How a platform someone brings you to differs from a channel you chose
Put it next to a normal channel and the first rows show no difference. The differences are in the later rows, at the point where it moves your money.
| The same question | A legitimate channel you chose yourself | The platform someone brought you to |
|---|---|---|
| How you heard about it | You found it yourself; it's publicly verifiable | Someone you haven't known long brought you there |
| Where you install it from | The official app store or official website | An installer or link they sent, or a request to install an extra configuration profile |
| Who controls the account | You register it and control it yourself | They register it "for you," manage it for you, or "coach" you through every tap |
| Withdrawal conditions | Stated up front and checkable at any time | Appear for the first time only when you try to withdraw |
| When you want to take your money out | The same process as always | New demands pop up: taxes, deposits, unfreezing fees, "risk-control" holds |
| When you want to stop | You stop, and nobody chases you | Emotional pressure kicks in: you don't trust me, just wait a little longer, it's the very last step |
The first three rows can be checked before you start; the last three only show once your money is in.
A family member is caught in it and won't listen: what to do
First be clear why a head-on warning tends to fail. What you object to is the platform, but what they may hear is you dismissing their judgment, and dismissing someone who has been good to them along with it. The more you blame them, the less they will tell you. The approaches below get around that:
Change the conversation from "you've been scammed" to "let's check one thing together"
- Don't debate whether the platform is real; make one verifiable request. For example, ask them to try withdrawing a larger amount and see whether new conditions appear, or ask the other person to accept an unplanned live video call. Let them see the result for themselves.
- Stop further deposits first; the rest can wait. Talk about "no more money for now", and don't require them to admit they were scammed first.
- Don't take away their phone or force them to cut contact. If they carry on in secret after a forced break, you lose sight of what is happening. Leaving them a way back matters more than winning an argument.
- Save the evidence along the way. Chat history, transfer records, the platform's domain and where the app came from, the other person's account details: save them while they are still visible.
There is no sure way to talk someone out of this, and whether they believe you is in the end not up to you. What you can do is keep a way out open for them.
Already put money in and told to pay tax before withdrawing: what to do
If this describes you or a family member, take these in order:
- Stop sending money. Whether they say one more payment will free up your funds, or that the full amount will arrive once the tax is paid, don't send any more. This comes first because it is entirely in your control.
- Save the traces of the platform and the person first. The platform's domain, where the app was downloaded from, the other person's account and profile picture, the "profit screenshots" they sent you: capture them while the platform still loads.
- Separate the money from the relationship. You don't have to block them right away, but don't let guilt, pressure or "it's the very last step" push you into paying again.
Then report it, through the channel for where you live:
- United States: file a complaint with the FBI's IC3 and report to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- United Kingdom: Report Fraud (previously Action Fraud), online or on 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101.
- Australia: the Australian Cyber Security Centre's ReportCyber, and Scamwatch.
- Canada: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, online or toll free on 1-888-495-8501.
- Hong Kong: call the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre's Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 for advice, and report at the nearest police station if you suspect you have been scammed. The platform address and receiving account they gave you can be looked up in Scameter first.
- Taiwan: call the 165 anti-fraud hotline, or report on the National Police Agency's 165 anti-fraud website (in Chinese).
- Mainland China: dial 110 or report at the nearest police station; the National Anti-Fraud Center app, published by the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, accepts tip-offs.
- Elsewhere: report to the police where you live.
How to record the hashes and addresses of your transfers, which platform to contact, and which cases can still be stopped after the coins have left are set out case by case in Scammed in crypto? What to do and where to report it. If someone then gets in touch offering to recover the money, that is stage seven above; see crypto recovery scams.
For whichever stage you are at
- Scam self-check: if no money has gone in yet and you are unsure, run through its questions.
- Fake crypto exchange apps: for when they send you an installer or a download link.
- Scammed in crypto? What to do and where to report it: for when crypto has already been sent and you need to contact the platform, keep evidence and report.
- Task scams: when an online job asks you to deposit: for when they start you on small paid tasks such as likes or reviews and then ask you to deposit.
- Paid to forward USDT? China prosecutes it as paofen: for when they ask you to receive and forward USDT through your own account.
- Police call says move crypto to a "safe account": for when someone claiming to be police says your account is linked to money laundering and tells you to move crypto.