Archive · 31 Dec 2025
Scam manuals reveal 'pig-butchering' fraud tactics
Scammers use special handbooks to trick people into falling in love with them online.
These handbooks teach scammers how to create fake identities and build relationships quickly.
The goal is to make the victim trust the scammer and then convince them to invest money in fake opportunities.
The scams are called 'pig-butchering' because the victims are led like pigs to slaughter.
The handbooks were found by police in places like the Philippines and Thailand.
They show how scammers target different types of people and use emotional tricks to get money.
Once the scam is over, the scammer moves on to find new victims.
Two handbooks seized by police reveal detailed instructions for conducting 'pig-butchering' scams, targeting women in China and men in Brazil.
The Chinese manual outlines a seven-day plan to defraud women by convincing them to invest in crude oil via a fake platform.
The bilingual handbook targets men and suggests discussing cryptocurrency to extract money, with a focus on quick emotional connections.
Scammers use fake personas, including detailed biographies and lifestyles, to build trust and manipulate victims emotionally.
The scams involve multiple scammers working together, with senior members taking over when the victim is about to transfer funds.
- Who
- Cybercriminal gangs, often Chinese-led, and their victims, primarily women and men seeking romantic connections.
- What
- A detailed guide on how to conduct 'pig-butchering' scams, which involve creating fake romantic relationships to defraud victims.
- When
- The manuals were seized during police raids in 2023 and 2024.
- Where
- The scams are primarily conducted in Southeast Asia, with targets in China, Brazil, and other countries.
- Why
- To defraud victims by convincing them to invest in fake platforms or send money under false pretenses.
- Scam Type
- Pig-butchering
- Target Demographics
- Women (Chinese manual), Men (Bilingual manual)
- Scam Duration
- As little as seven days
- Investment Focus
- Crude oil (Chinese manual), Cryptocurrency (Bilingual manual)
- Key Locations
- Philippines, Thailand, Brazil
- Victim Vulnerabilities
- Divorce, financial stress, loneliness
- Scammer Tactics
- Fake personas, emotional manipulation, investment fraud
