The man aims to raise awareness about ‘pig butchering’ scams after being targeted last year and losing all of his life savings.
A 75-year-old man has shared the heartbreaking text messages that cost him his entire $715,000 life savings in a sickening months-long ‘pig butchering’ scam. The man, who chose to remain anonymous, detailed to The Wall Street Journal how he was duped into believing a younger woman had fallen in love with him and needed his financial help.
The scam began in May of last year when a woman posing as a lonely but successful 37-year-old Chinese woman living in San Francisco reached out to him on LinkedIn. Over the next three months, she meticulously built trust, eventually convincing him to transfer his entire life savings into a fake trading platform. She promised that the returns on his investment would allow them to marry and live together.
The man, a professional residing in the American Midwest, found himself completely entranced by the woman’s story. She told him she had moved to the U.S. from China eight years earlier and was seeking genuine companionship. She sent photos of herself dining at luxury restaurants, shopping, and traveling. They bonded over shared interests such as food, travel, fitness, and pets. Their communication included detailed descriptions of meals and workouts, and they had a few brief voice and video calls early on, likely involving a model from one of the scam compounds.
As their rapport grew, she introduced him to her ‘uncle’s’ company, which she claimed made a fortune trading gold futures on a platform called FX6. She gradually manipulated him into transferring $715,000 to this platform, which subsequently disappeared. Throughout their interaction, she assured him of their future happiness together, frequently saying things like, “We will be very happy in the future… I really thank God for letting me meet you.” She also orchestrated plans for a road trip together, supposedly funded by the returns on his investments.
Despite growing skepticism, the woman’s emotional manipulation kept him compliant. When he expressed doubt, she would guilt-trip him, saying, “Your distrust of me once again made me feel the fickleness of men.” As the scam progressed and his bank began to warn him about the potential fraud, she coached him on how to ignore these warnings and continue making payments. He sold his stocks and even took out a loan to meet her increasing financial demands.
Eventually, when he could no longer provide any more money, she vanished. Desperate and devastated, he sent her numerous messages, pleading for an explanation. In one, he wrote, “Do me a favor and just shoot me. I have nothing to live for. No money, no family, and no soul mate.” She never responded.
Realizing the gravity of his situation, he reported the scam to the FBI. However, his case, like many others, has not seen resolution, as the FBI typically forwards such complaints to relevant law enforcement agencies. To this day, he has not recovered any of his lost money.
This man’s story is a stark reminder of the prevalence and sophistication of ‘pig butchering’ scams. These scams involve fraudsters, often posing as beautiful young women, seducing vulnerable and lonely individuals online, and convincing them to invest in fake schemes. Once the money is transferred, the scammers disappear. Many of these scammers operate from compounds run by Chinese criminal syndicates in Southeast Asia and West Africa. Disturbingly, the scammers themselves are often victims of trafficking, forced into this fraudulent work under threat of violence.
In sharing his story, the man hopes to raise awareness about these schemes and their devastating impact. “She hooked me,” he told The Wall Street Journal, underscoring how even the most cautious individuals can fall prey to such elaborate deceptions. His experience highlights the need for increased vigilance and awareness to protect against these emotionally and financially destructive scams.
As he reflects on his ordeal, the man continues to grapple with the emotional and financial fallout. His story serves as a cautionary tale, urging others to be wary of online relationships that seem too good to be true. By sharing his experience, he aims to prevent others from falling victim to similar schemes, emphasizing the importance of skepticism and the potential dangers lurking in the digital age.
