Pig Butchering Scams: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

LastWeekTonight
29 Feb 202424:27

Summary

TLDRThe video script unravels the alarming rise of a new online scam called 'pig butchering,' where victims are lured with false promises of love or lucrative investments, only to be bled dry financially. It delves into the intricate tactics employed by scammers, often exploiting people's vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shockingly, many scammers are victims themselves, forced to work under deplorable conditions by organized crime syndicates. The script raises awareness about this rapidly escalating threat, urging caution and vigilance to combat this insidious form of cyber exploitation.

Takeaways

  • 😭 Online shopping can lead to disappointment, exemplified by a woman who ordered a full-size tree but received a miniature one.
  • ðŸ‘ū The internet is rife with scams, including the 'Pig Butchering' scam, which starts with a wrong number text and can lead to significant financial loss.
  • ðŸ’ļ 'Pig Butchering' scams involve a long con where victims are slowly lured into a false sense of security before being defrauded of large sums of money.
  • ðŸ˜ą Victims of these scams can lose millions, and the emotional and financial impact is devastating.
  • ðŸ’ŧ Scammers use sophisticated methods, including creating legitimate-looking trading platforms and using real apps to simulate fake results.
  • ðŸ›Ąïļ Awareness and skepticism are crucial when dealing with unexpected contacts or investment opportunities, especially involving cryptocurrencies.
  • ðŸ‘Ī Some individuals behind these scams may themselves be victims of human trafficking, forced into scamming by criminal organizations.
  • ðŸšĻ International collaboration and law enforcement are needed to address the root of the scamming operations, often based in Southeast Asia.
  • 🙋‍♂ïļ Everyone is potentially vulnerable to these scams, including tech-savvy individuals and professionals.
  • 💛 It's important to educate friends and family about these scams to protect them from potential financial and emotional harm.

Q & A

  • What is the 'pig butchering' scam and how does it work?

    -The 'pig butchering' scam is a type of online fraud where scammers cultivate a relationship with their targets, luring them into investing in a fake cryptocurrency trading platform. They initially establish contact through social media, dating apps, or wrong number texts, and slowly gain the victim's trust. Eventually, they persuade the victim to set up a seemingly legitimate trading account, but it's a fabricated platform controlled by the scammers. When the victim attempts to withdraw their supposed profits, they are asked to pay additional fees, leading to financial losses.

  • What factors contributed to the rise of the 'pig butchering' scam during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    -Two key factors led to the rise of this scam during the pandemic: 1) Many people were isolated and seeking human connection online, making them more vulnerable targets, and 2) Organized crime groups in China, whose casinos in Southeast Asia were affected by COVID-19 restrictions, turned to running online scam operations from those locations.

  • How do the scammers create a sense of legitimacy for their fake trading platforms?

    -The scammers go to great lengths to make their trading platforms appear legitimate. They create interfaces that mimic real trading platforms, complete with detailed functionality and branding. Some even use legitimate apps that allow anyone to build a trading exchange while manipulating the results. They may also set up additional features like two-factor authentication or customer service lines to further convince victims.

  • What role do human trafficking and forced labor play in the 'pig butchering' scam operations?

    -Many of the individuals running the scam operations are victims of human trafficking themselves. They are lured to compounds under false pretenses of legitimate job offers, only to have their documents taken away and be forced to work for the criminal organizations, often in deplorable conditions and under threats of violence.

  • Why is the $3 billion estimated annual loss from this scam in the US likely an undercount?

    -The $3 billion estimate is likely an undercount because it only includes losses reported to the FBI. Many victims do not report their losses due to embarrassment or humiliation, suggesting that the actual losses could be significantly higher.

  • What challenges do authorities face in shutting down these scam operations?

    -In some cases, local authorities are complicit or bribed by the criminal organizations running the scams, making it difficult to take action. Additionally, the operations are often set up in countries with lax enforcement or where the scam industry generates a significant portion of the GDP, creating disincentives for crackdowns.

  • What steps can individuals take to protect themselves and their loved ones from falling victim to the 'pig butchering' scam?

    -Individuals can raise awareness about this scam by sharing information with friends and family. They should be wary of strangers on dating apps or social media who quickly profess love or try to discuss cryptocurrency investments. It's also important to verify the legitimacy of any trading platforms or investment opportunities before committing funds.

  • How did the 'pig butchering' scam lead to the failure of a bank in Kansas?

    -In Kansas, the CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank, Sha Haynes, fell victim to the 'pig butchering' scam. He allegedly embezzled nearly $50 million from the bank to fund his investments in the fake cryptocurrency scheme, leading to the bank's failure in August 2022.

  • Why is it important to be kind and understanding towards victims of the 'pig butchering' scam?

    -It's essential to be kind and understanding towards victims because the desire for companionship and the tendency to trust others are human qualities. The internet, meant to alleviate loneliness, has been exploited by scammers to take advantage of these vulnerabilities. Victims often feel humiliated and ashamed, making it important to approach them with empathy and support.

  • What humorous analogy does the script use to describe the confusion surrounding cryptocurrency?

    -The script compares the MetaTrader logo, which depicts three men in suits seemingly engaged in an inappropriate act, to a metaphor for cryptocurrency, implying that the concept of cryptocurrency is often misunderstood or confusing.

Outlines

00:00

ðŸ˜Ū The Pig Butchering Scam: A Harrowing Tale of Deception

This paragraph introduces the topic of the 'Pig Butchering Scam', a widespread and lucrative online scam that has taken billions of dollars from unsuspecting victims. It highlights the scam's modus operandi, which begins with an innocuous text message or contact on social media, followed by a gradual process of building trust and eventually leading the victim to invest in a fake cryptocurrency trading platform. The paragraph sets the stage for a detailed exploration of this scam's ins and outs.

05:00

ðŸŽĢ The Lure: How Scammers Reel In Their Victims

This paragraph delves into the initial stages of the Pig Butchering Scam, detailing how scammers make contact with potential victims through various means, such as wrong number texts, dating apps, social media, or professional networking sites like LinkedIn. It showcases examples of scammers using social engineering tactics to establish common ground and build a rapport with their targets. The paragraph also explains how scammers present the illusion of a legitimate investment opportunity in cryptocurrency, leveraging the victim's lack of knowledge and the perceived legitimacy of trading platforms.

10:01

ðŸŠĪ The Trap: Fake Platforms and Psychological Manipulation

This paragraph explores the sophisticated methods employed by scammers to lure victims deeper into the Pig Butchering Scam. It discusses the use of realistic-looking cryptocurrency trading platforms, complete with detailed interfaces and simulated results, to instill a false sense of confidence in the victim's supposed investments. The paragraph also highlights the psychological manipulation tactics used by scammers, such as flattery, emotional appeals, and the exploitation of vulnerabilities like loneliness or financial desperation. Real-life accounts from victims who lost significant sums of money are included to illustrate the devastating consequences of falling for this scam.

15:03

ðŸ•ĩïļ Behind the Scenes: The Organized Crime Networks

This paragraph pulls back the curtain on the criminal organizations behind the Pig Butchering Scam. It reveals that many of the scammers are victims themselves, lured into these operations under false pretenses or coerced through human trafficking and forced labor. The paragraph sheds light on the brutal conditions and abuse endured by those trapped in these scam compounds, often run by organized crime syndicates in Southeast Asia. It also addresses the challenges faced by authorities in shutting down these operations, as some are deeply entrenched and even facilitated by corrupt officials.

20:05

ðŸ›Ąïļ Raising Awareness and Protecting Yourself

The final paragraph focuses on measures to combat the Pig Butchering Scam and protect potential victims. It emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about this scam, as knowledge and vigilance are key to preventing people from falling prey. The paragraph encourages viewers to share information about the scam with friends and family, highlighting that it can happen to anyone, regardless of age or technological savviness. It also suggests being cautious of strangers on dating apps or social media who quickly mention love or cryptocurrency investments. Overall, the paragraph stresses the need for a collective effort to curb the scam's proliferation and support for those who have been victimized.

Mindmap

Keywords

ðŸ’ĄScam

A scam refers to a fraudulent scheme or deceptive act designed to trick people into giving up money or personal information. In the context of this video, the 'pig butchering scam' is a type of online romance scam where scammers build trust with victims over time, lure them into making investments, and eventually steal their money. The video provides numerous examples of individuals falling victim to this scam, such as the woman who lost $2.5 million while dealing with terminal cancer.

ðŸ’ĄCryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of a central bank. In the pig butchering scam, scammers often convince victims to invest in cryptocurrencies through fake trading platforms, giving the illusion of legitimate investments while stealing the victims' funds. The video mentions instances where scammers used apps like MetaTrader to simulate fake cryptocurrency trading results and gain victims' trust.

ðŸ’ĄVulnerability

Vulnerability refers to a state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. The video highlights how scammers prey on individuals' vulnerabilities, such as loneliness, desire for companionship, or financial insecurity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, scammers are able to build trust and manipulate victims into falling for their schemes.

ðŸ’ĄHuman Trafficking

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation. The video reveals that many individuals working for the pig butchering scam operations are victims of human trafficking themselves, lured into these compounds under false pretenses and forced to work for organized crime groups. This sheds light on the broader criminal ecosystem facilitating these scams.

ðŸ’ĄOrganized Crime

Organized crime refers to complex groups or networks engaged in illegal activities for profit, often operating across borders. The video explains that the pig butchering scam is run by organized crime groups, particularly those based in China and Southeast Asia. These groups have established elaborate operations, complete with training manuals and guidelines for scammers to follow in order to successfully exploit victims.

ðŸ’ĄAwareness

Awareness refers to knowledge or understanding of a particular situation or issue. The video emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the pig butchering scam as a key strategy for preventing more people from falling victim to it. By educating individuals about the tactics used by scammers and the potential risks, people can become more vigilant and less likely to be deceived.

ðŸ’ĄSocial Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video highlights how scammers often make initial contact with potential victims through various social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and dating apps. By creating fake profiles and leveraging social media data, scammers can tailor their approaches and make their schemes appear more credible.

ðŸ’ĄRed Flags

Red flags are warning signs or indicators of potential danger or risk. In the context of the pig butchering scam, the video suggests that individuals should be wary of strangers on dating apps who profess love or discuss cryptocurrency investments within a short period of time. These behaviors could be red flags signaling a potential scam attempt, and should prompt caution and skepticism.

ðŸ’ĄEmpathy

Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The video encourages empathy towards individuals who have fallen victim to the pig butchering scam, acknowledging that the desire for companionship and trust in others are human qualities that scammers exploit. By promoting empathy, the video aims to reduce the stigma and shame often associated with being scammed, which can prevent victims from seeking help or reporting their experiences.

ðŸ’ĄInternational Cooperation

International cooperation refers to the collaborative efforts of multiple nations or global organizations to address shared challenges or issues. The video suggests that combating the pig butchering scam and the broader human trafficking networks behind it will require cooperation between international law enforcement agencies. Given the transnational nature of these criminal operations, a coordinated global response is necessary to disrupt and dismantle these illicit activities effectively.

Highlights

The internet, while magical, can also be deceiving, as exemplified by a woman who ordered a full-size tree but received a miniature one.

Scammers exploit vulnerabilities, especially during isolated times like the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the rise of 'pig butchering' scams.

Pig butchering scams involve a process of building trust and exploiting it for financial gain, metaphorically 'fattening' the victim before 'butchering'.

A bank CEO fell victim to a pig butchering scam, leading to a $50 million loss and the bank's failure.

The scam is successful partly because it uses legitimate-looking platforms and cryptocurrency investments to deceive victims.

Victims of pig butchering scams lose significant amounts of money, with an estimated $3 billion lost annually in the US alone.

Organized crime groups in China and Southeast Asia, running online scam operations, are a major force behind these scams.

Many individuals forced into executing these scams are victims of human trafficking, coerced into working under severe conditions.

The scam operations are sophisticated, using manuals and strategies to effectively manipulate and exploit targets.

Authorities in some regions are complicit or unable to combat the scam operations due to their massive financial impact.

Awareness and education about pig butchering scams are crucial for prevention and reducing the scam's profitability.

The internet's potential to alleviate loneliness is exploited by scammers, highlighting the importance of vigilance online.

Platforms and law enforcement need to collaborate more effectively to prevent scams and protect potential victims.

The societal and emotional impact on victims of pig butchering scams is profound, emphasizing the need for compassion and support.

The scam's success across diverse demographics, including tech-savvy individuals, underscores that anyone can be a potential target.

Transcripts

00:04

our main story tonight concerns the

00:06

internet it can be a magical place but

00:08

also one where things aren't always what

00:10

they seem as this woman learned the hard

00:12

way Queen shadana Haynesworth thought

00:14

she bought this the Instagram ad

00:17

displaying a tree that fits in a living

00:19

room not the palm of her hand

00:22

yo this is

00:27

Christmas like seriously

00:31

like who is responsible for this yeah it

00:37

must been pretty disappointing to order

00:39

a full-size tree and get whatever that

00:41

is she must have felt like HBO did when

00:44

they ordered a comedy show and got this

00:46

instead unfortunately not every mistake

00:49

is that benign it is not news that there

00:51

are scammers on the internet but you may

00:53

have noticed that one scam in particular

00:54

is currently everywhere a common way

00:56

that it starts is with a weird text from

00:58

a number that you don't recognize like

01:00

Cheryl can we move lunch to 5 when

01:02

you're not Cheryl or Dave what time is

01:04

our flight when you're not Dave and you

01:05

don't have a flight booked even as we

01:07

worked on this piece multiple members of

01:10

our staff and their friends were getting

01:11

these messages from hello is this the

01:13

manager Jesse from the flower shop to

01:15

this one reading is this Dr John I'm

01:17

Emily is my horse recovering well and

01:20

I'm so glad that wasn't sent to me cuz

01:23

it would have worked you're calling me

01:26

Dr John I'm instantly on board and

01:28

you're assuming that I'm around a for

01:30

medical reasons that's exactly what I've

01:32

been saying I'm allowed to touch it like

01:35

that I'm a

01:36

doctor and I know most people ignore

01:39

messages like those but some right back

01:42

get sucked into a conversation and

01:44

eventually through a process that we'll

01:45

get into can end up losing a lot of

01:48

money it's a scam with a striking name

01:50

that newscasters can't seem to get over

01:53

it's called a pig butchering scam and it

01:55

might sound like a gruesome name but

01:57

that's because the amount of money

01:59

victims are losing is painful the

02:01

scammers have a terrible term for what

02:04

Wendy went through they call it Pig

02:06

butchering the New Mexico security

02:08

division calls them Pig butchering scams

02:11

I know but listen don't worry there are

02:13

no pigs or any other animals involved

02:15

yes don't worry there are no pigs harmed

02:17

in this pig butchering scam although if

02:19

the words do make you squeamish it's

02:21

worth noting that there is a process

02:22

through which pigs are harmed every day

02:24

it's actually how we get bacon pork and

02:26

other product it's called Pig butchering

02:29

and it's exactly what it sounds like but

02:32

the name makes a little more sense once

02:33

you understand how the scam actually

02:36

works in the world of cyber and

02:38

counterterrorism threats special agent

02:41

hasani has seen it all but in 2021 he

02:44

began seeing a new scam Pig butchering

02:47

but it just refers to raising little

02:50

piglets fattening them up and butchering

02:53

them and they're fattening up their

02:55

victim with illusions of grandeur of

02:58

wealth of love before bleeding them dry

03:02

that is rough because imagine being a

03:04

victim of this scam turning on the news

03:06

and suddenly learning that the short

03:08

handful people in your situation is the

03:10

pigs although we say it could have been

03:12

worse pigs are awesome they're one of

03:14

the most intelligent animals on the

03:16

planet they're smarter than dogs most

03:17

three-year-olds and Tom sandal to use a

03:21

phrase that the police never seem to

03:22

appreciate It's actually an honor to be

03:24

compared to a pig and if you are

03:26

thinking well this seems like the kind

03:28

of scam that's been around for decades

03:30

that is partially true but the way this

03:33

one works is fairly new and in the short

03:35

time that it's been around it's been

03:37

massively successful just this month it

03:39

was at the center of a huge local news

03:41

story in Kansas where it brought down a

03:43

financial institution I was surprised I

03:46

was shocked I was disappointed Kansas

03:48

State Bank commissioner David hearnden

03:50

is talking about the massive

03:52

cryptocurrency scam at the Heartland

03:54

Tri-State Bank in Elkart and a

03:57

cryptocurrency scheme that the FBI is

04:01

now referred to as Pig butchering in

04:04

this case hearen says the victim was sha

04:07

Haynes the bank's own CEO and he's now

04:10

facing charges of embezzling nearly $50

04:14

million a loss that caused the bank to

04:17

fail last August that's true according

04:20

to prosecutors a bank CEO got Peak

04:22

butchered sent his scammer the bank's

04:24

Holdings and the bank went under which

04:26

is alarming for several reasons among

04:27

them is that how Bank

04:30

work cuz it really feels like there

04:32

should be at least one step between CEO

04:35

gets tricked and whoops the bank's

04:37

empty it's estimated that as of 2022

04:40

this scam was taking people for more

04:42

than $3 billion a year in the us alone

04:46

and that's almost certainly a massive

04:48

undercount as it only includes people

04:49

who reported their losses to the FBI so

04:53

given all of that tonight let's talk

04:54

about Pig butchering why it's easier to

04:56

fall for than you might think who's

04:58

behind it and what we can do to protect

05:00

ourselves and our liked ones from

05:02

getting scammed in the future and let's

05:04

start with where this began and to do

05:06

that unfortunately we do need to go back

05:08

to the place that no one wants to go the

05:11

beginning of covid you remember Co it's

05:13

the Steven Miller of diseas isn't that

05:15

we were all very worried about it a few

05:17

years ago and have since moved on even

05:19

though it's still extremely dangerous

05:22

but that is when Pig butchering took off

05:24

basically at the start of covid many of

05:26

us were isolated and lonely desperately

05:28

looking for human contact online which

05:30

made us ripe targets at the same time

05:33

organized crime groups in China running

05:35

casinos in Southeast Asia were in crisis

05:38

as thanks to the pandemic gamblers

05:41

weren't showing up so they turned those

05:43

casinos into bases for online scam

05:45

operations and from there their workers

05:48

identified people and prayed on their

05:49

vulnerabilities and let me walk you

05:51

through the basic steps here the first

05:53

is to make contact and lure your Target

05:56

in listen to this woman explain how her

05:58

scammer who called himself self Jimmy

06:00

contacted her at a moment when she was

06:02

dealing with cancer the pandemic and the

06:04

end of her marriage first message it

06:07

came as a very innocent

06:15

message I said wrong

06:20

number he came back you look Chinese are

06:25

you Chinese and I said yes he had moved

06:28

here just before Co and then Co hit and

06:31

so he's not able to go

06:33

[Music]

06:36

home he was

06:40

a a lonely man in need

06:45

of comfort Jimmy would message me every

06:49

day I do remember receiving these Emojis

06:52

with

06:55

[Music]

06:57

hearts it's quite flattering for a

06:59

middle-aged woman to meet a a young man

07:03

who finds you attractive yeah of course

07:06

that's flattering because scammers are

07:07

telling their targets what they want to

07:09

hear most in that moment we might not

07:11

all fall for a gift of a heart pumping

07:13

Emoji but if someone sent me nerd with

07:16

glasses plus football plus learning plus

07:19

sad statistics equals fire Emoji me

07:22

personally why I would not and look one

07:27

way of making contact is through those

07:29

wrong number text but experts that we've

07:31

talked to estimate that they only make

07:32

up about a quarter of the initial

07:35

contacts for this scam the rest can come

07:37

through sites like LinkedIn dating apps

07:39

Instagram or Facebook places

07:41

specifically designed for you to meet

07:43

people that you don't know either for

07:45

love a hookup or in the case of LinkedIn

07:48

to find out what kind of person is still

07:50

on

07:51

LinkedIn and scammers often research

07:54

their target using social media where

07:56

there is a lot of information about

07:57

people so they can pretend pretend to

07:59

have something in common take this woman

08:01

who met someone on a dating app only to

08:03

discover that they shared an unexpected

08:05

connection he started asking questions

08:08

about my family and my past experiences

08:11

it was a connection that felt even

08:13

stronger she says when he told her he

08:15

came from the same town in China from

08:17

where Hutchinson was adopted we kind of

08:19

bonded over that yeah I bet they did

08:22

I've got to say it says something about

08:23

men on dating apps that they connected

08:25

so well simply because he did things

08:27

like ask her questions about herself and

08:29

listen to her responses I don't want to

08:32

say the bar for men is low but that

08:34

story started with him asking her

08:35

questions about her life and ends with

08:37

her giving him all of her money but

08:40

regardless of how they start sooner or

08:42

later we move on to step two turning the

08:44

conversation toward money but even then

08:47

there's a smart twist because you won't

08:49

be suddenly asked to wire money to a

08:51

Nigerian prince with an obviously fake

08:53

email like real Prince spelled with a

08:56

one instead of an i at scum. farts

08:59

with pig butchering there's no direct

09:01

ask for money at all instead an

09:03

opportunity gets presented to you just

09:06

watch as this man explains the moment

09:07

when a guy that he met on a dating site

09:09

started to reel him in he spent at least

09:12

a month daily talking to me in in

09:16

cultivating my friendship initially the

09:18

only talk about money was how much his

09:20

new online friend had made in crypto

09:23

after all Scott thought he knew how to

09:25

protect himself from scams you can

09:27

invest with me and I'll make you all

09:28

this money and like I'm not giving you

09:29

money um that's not happening um so

09:34

that's when he started no you don't give

09:35

it to me you establish your own account

09:37

and I'll guide you right that's the

09:40

clever hook here you're not sending the

09:42

scammer money they're helping you set up

09:44

and control your own account and

09:46

everything seems more legitimate when

09:48

there's an app involved you don't think

09:49

so when is the last time you took an

09:51

Uber oh getting a nondescript car with

09:54

someone I've never met I would never do

09:56

that but wait watch this I can do it

09:57

from my phone well in that case here's

10:00

my address now you know where I live and

10:02

that I won't be home for the evening my

10:03

name's John I don't know your last name

10:05

but that doesn't matter cuz I'm also not

10:06

committing your face to memory

10:08

everything's safe there's an app

10:10

involved and the fact the investment is

10:12

often in crypto can be persuasive for

10:14

multiple reasons first who really knows

10:17

how crypto works I know your friend's

10:19

weird husband claims that he does but he

10:21

sucks to talk to so sadly it must remain

10:24

a

10:24

mystery but people have made money on

10:28

crypto so it's not reasonable to think

10:30

you might meet one of them and they

10:32

could give you some tips on top of which

10:34

you may not be super familiar with how a

10:36

trading platform operates or even what

10:38

one looks like and scammers have created

10:40

incredibly plausible looking platforms

10:42

we got this footage of one which seems

10:44

to have all the detail and functionality

10:47

of a real one and and I'll be honest I

10:49

could be fooled by that also some

10:52

scammers use legitimate apps that allow

10:54

anyone to build a trading exchange the

10:56

problem is there are tools that scammers

10:58

can use to simulate fake results on

11:01

those apps while taking your money just

11:03

watch this journalist explain how this

11:05

gave one victim false confidence in

11:07

metatrader it looks just like any kind

11:10

of normal trading interface that one

11:12

would use that's available in the Google

11:14

Play Store it's available in the Apple

11:15

App Store it's an app that has a lot of

11:18

good ratings and that was one of the

11:20

things that made Sai think that this

11:22

whole operation was legitimate he

11:24

believed that his investment was making

11:27

money if you're trading on a legitimate

11:29

trading interface right you see the

11:31

profits and losses uh over time and this

11:33

is exactly what he saw right if your

11:36

friend told you to download an app and

11:38

you saw it in the App Store with good

11:39

reviews you might assume everything on

11:42

it was legitimate even before you saw

11:44

metatrader logo which looks like three

11:46

men in suits jerking each other off

11:47

under a table an appropriate metaphor

11:50

for cryptocurrency if I have ever seen

11:53

one some scammers even set up additional

11:55

features like two Factor authentication

11:58

or customer service lines this woman

12:00

tried her best to do due diligence on

12:02

the site that she was sent and came away

12:04

convinced that it was real there was a

12:07

legal secretary involved in another

12:09

state vouching association with a law

12:11

firm where it was sending money to she's

12:13

real I could verify her so it was very

12:16

complex and well rehearsed right she

12:19

spoke with a legal secretary and a law

12:21

firm before sending money and that is

12:24

more vetting than I've done for my kids

12:25

daycare look I love them and they're

12:28

very precious to me but they're also

12:29

loud sticky and one of them is just

12:31

getting stronger and stronger every day

12:32

so if you have a building with walls and

12:35

a phone number that I can call I trust

12:37

you take them for the afternoon and at

12:40

this point of the process things might

12:42

look pretty good for the people getting

12:43

scammed you've sent a bit of money to a

12:45

legitimate looking site through an

12:47

account that you control and your new

12:49

friend's trading tips seem to be working

12:51

so maybe you send a little bit more and

12:53

pretty soon you might have a fair amount

12:55

of money tied up on this trading

12:57

platform but when you eventually go to

12:59

withdraw it that is where we hit the

13:01

final step of this process remember that

13:03

woman you saw earlier whose online

13:04

friend claimed that he was from the same

13:06

town where she was born well she'd

13:08

convinced her dad to invest as well

13:10

they'd seemingly made a bunch of money

13:12

and then this happened by December their

13:15

accounts showed a combined balance of

13:17

$1.2 million and Hutchinson decided it

13:20

was time to cash out that's when the

13:23

site told her before she could withdraw

13:25

her money she'd have to pay a hefty tax

13:28

bill of rough

13:30

$380,000 that's when I was like

13:32

something's not right it wasn't the

13:35

cryptocurrency Investments weren't real

13:37

all her and her father's funds had gone

13:40

into the scamers pockets in all

13:43

$390,000 stolen I messed up my life I

13:48

messed up my Dad's life she told me that

13:51

it was all a scam Hutchinson's father

13:53

Melvin and all I could do was just hug

13:56

her and tell her it's okay okay it's

14:00

it's okay and uh it was hard it was hard

14:04

cuz we lost everything yeah their money

14:07

had already gone and that tax bill was

14:09

just an attempt to squeeze them one last

14:12

time and there's isn't the only brutal

14:14

story here this woman lost

14:16

$350,000 this guy lost 300,000 and that

14:19

woman who fell for Jimmy sent him 2 and

14:22

a half million as she was dealing with

14:24

terminal cancer it is traumatic and it's

14:27

humiliating and it took courage for

14:29

those people to come forward and that is

14:31

partly why experts think the $3 billion

14:34

figure that we have is way too low

14:35

because most people who've been scammed

14:37

like this simply don't report their

14:39

losses out of embarrassment and at this

14:41

point you're probably furious with the

14:43

people on the other end of all of these

14:44

messages want to see them taken down or

14:46

at the very least with and that

14:49

does happen a lot people post screen

14:52

grabs messing with scammers all the time

14:53

like in this exchange where someone

14:55

replies to wrong number text with my

14:57

name is inego Montoya and you don't by

15:00

any chance have six fingers on your

15:02

right hand do you or this one where a

15:04

scammer writes I'm Sarah nice to meet

15:06

you with a picture and guess the reply

15:08

we woo we woo boner alert and look look

15:12

I'll be honest that doesn't seem like

15:13

the right sound to me that's not what I

15:16

probably would have gone with auga auga

15:18

Boner alert but reasonable people could

15:20

disagree all bodies are different

15:21

there's no one right sound for a boner

15:24

alert but here's the thing as cathartic

15:27

as that might be

15:29

the person on the other end of that

15:31

phone might not be the one you should be

15:33

mad at cuz remember when I said that

15:35

this would being done in former casinos

15:37

by organized crime syndicates it turns

15:39

out they're not great bosses this

15:42

compound is where an Indian man named

15:44

Rakesh says he was forced to work for

15:46

more than 11 months without pay for a

15:49

Chinese criminal gang Rakesh who doesn't