Pig-butchering scam text examples — real scripts, line by line
A "wrong number" text from a stranger named Vanessa. An uncle who works at a hedge fund. A WhatsApp recruiter offering $300/day in USDT. These are the openers of a pig-butchering scam. Match the message you just received against the gallery below.
One-line summary
If a stranger texted you out of the blue, was unusually friendly, and wants to move the chat to WhatsApp — block them. The next stage is an investment "tip" and a fake trading app.
12 real pig-butchering text scripts
These are paraphrased from victim reports submitted to FBI IC3, the FTC, and the GACS community. Names and numbers have been changed; the structure of every script is real.
- 1
The 'wrong number' opener
"Hi David, are we still on for dinner at 7? It's Vanessa from the gym."
Why it's the scam: The scammer doesn't know your name. They send the same message to thousands of phone numbers and wait for anyone polite enough to reply 'wrong number'. Replying confirms your line is live and starts the grooming.
- 2
The Mandarin / Cantonese opener
"老王，下周三的茶叙你来吗？— Wrong number? So sorry! You speak English? My English is improving 🙂"
Why it's the scam: A pivot script designed to look like a misfired message to a relative. The follow-up flatters the recipient and opens small talk. Every reply moves you closer to the 'investment app' pitch.
- 3
The wealthy-uncle / mentor tip
"My uncle works at a hedge fund in Singapore and he gave me a signal on a gold contract — I made $42,000 in two weeks. He said I can share it with one person. Would you like me to walk you through it?"
Why it's the scam: The classic pig-butchering pivot. After 1–6 weeks of friendly chat (the 'fattening'), the scammer introduces a too-good-to-be-true trading tip, usually gold, oil, or crypto futures, on an app you've never heard of.
- 4
The crypto / USDT 'platform' pitch
"I trade USDT on a private platform — IRS doesn't see it. My contact at Binance gave me early access. You can start with $500 and double it in 48 hours. Just download this app: [link]"
Why it's the scam: The 'platform' is a fake exchange controlled by the scammer. Your deposits look real on the dashboard. The moment you try to withdraw, you'll be told to pay 'tax', 'security deposit', or 'audit fee'. None of it comes back.
- 5
The romance + investment combo
"Good morning love ❤️ Did you sleep well? I was thinking about us. When we are together I will teach you how I trade — we can be financially free in 6 months. Trust me with this."
Why it's the scam: Romance scammers spend weeks building an emotional bond before the financial ask. The 'we' framing is deliberate — by the time money is mentioned, you are invested in a relationship, not a transaction.
- 6
The LinkedIn / WhatsApp 'recruiter' opener
"Hello, I saw your profile on LinkedIn and would like to invite you to a financial-analysis project. The pay is $300/day in USDT. Please add me on WhatsApp: +852 xxxx xxxx."
Why it's the scam: Modern pig-butchering increasingly hides as a job offer. The 'task' is to deposit your own crypto to 'review trades' on a fake platform — same dashboard, same withdrawal trap, same outcome.
- 7
The 'recovery' message (after you've been scammed)
"Hello, I am Agent Smith from CFTC Recovery Division. We see you were victim of crypto fraud. We can recover your funds — please pay recovery fee $1,200 USDT first."
Why it's the scam: Once a pig-butchering victim is on a scammer database, they get hit again by 'recovery agents' offering to get the money back for a fee. No legitimate agency ever asks for upfront payment in crypto.
- 8
The 'lost pet' Facebook DM
"Hi, sorry to bother you — I saw your profile and you seem kind. I lost my golden retriever near the park yesterday and I'm new in town. Would you mind if we kept in touch in case you see him? My WhatsApp is +1 415 xxx xxxx."
Why it's the scam: A softer, sympathy-led variant that targets women on Facebook and Nextdoor. The 'lost pet' or 'new in town' framing is a pretext to move you to WhatsApp. There is no dog. Two weeks later the trading tip arrives.
- 9
The 'crypto airdrop' notification
"🎉 Congratulations! You qualify for the OKB Genesis Airdrop — claim 1,250 OKB ($14,800) before midnight UTC. Connect your wallet here: okb-genesis[.]io"
Why it's the scam: Not strictly pig-butchering but uses the same template-and-volume model. 'Connecting your wallet' signs a transaction that drains every token in it. Real airdrops never DM you a link and never require connecting before the snapshot.
- 10
The 'female trader' Telegram add
"Hello dear, I am Cindy from Hong Kong. I noticed we are both in the BTC Signals group. I have an algorithm with 92% win rate, my mentor gave it to me. Add me on WhatsApp +852 6xxx xxxx so I can share signals with you privately."
Why it's the scam: Telegram crypto groups are scraped by bots that DM every member with a 'female trader' script. Photos are stolen from Instagram. The 'algorithm' is the fake-exchange dashboard. The win rate is whatever they decide to show you that day.
- 11
The fake customs / 'frozen wallet' ask
"Babe, customs at HK airport froze my wallet because of new KYC rules. I have $80,000 stuck. Can you send $4,500 USDT to this address so they release it? I'll pay you back triple this weekend."
Why it's the scam: After weeks of romance, the scammer manufactures an emergency that only you can solve. The amount escalates — first $4,500, then a 'second customs fee', then 'tax'. Each payment is gone. Legitimate customs agencies don't text spouses for crypto.
- 12
The 'mentor' video-call pitch
"Let's do a Zoom tomorrow — Master Zhang will explain the strategy. He only takes 3 students a month. Bring a notebook. Make sure your phone is fully charged so we can deposit together while he's on the call."
Why it's the scam: Live walkthroughs are the high-pressure close. The 'mentor' on the call is a chatter reading a script. 'Deposit together while he's on the call' removes your time to think. The moment funds are in the fake platform, the call ends.
Message-verification checklist
Got a message you're not sure about? Run it through these 8 checks before you reply. Any single match below is enough reason to stop and verify; two or more is a pig-butchering opener.
- 1
I don't know the sender from real life
A friend, relative, or coworker would not need to introduce themselves with a wrong-number opener. If you can't place the person from offline interactions, treat the conversation as untrusted by default.
- 2
The number / handle doesn't match the platform they claim
Someone who says they 'work at Binance' should not be DMing you from a personal WhatsApp on a foreign SIM. Look up the person's name on LinkedIn and Google Image Search before believing the credential.
- 3
They moved (or want to move) the chat to WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal
Migrating off SMS, dating apps, or LinkedIn is the single strongest signal of an organized scam. End-to-end encryption is the scammer's protection, not yours.
- 4
Reverse-image search returns matches that aren't them
Save their profile photo and run it through Google Images, Bing Visual Search, and Yandex. Pig-butchering profiles almost always reuse photos of real people scraped from Instagram, model agencies, or stock sites.
- 5
They will not video-call you live (or the call is suspiciously short)
Refusing live video, or insisting on pre-recorded clips, is a near-certain sign of a stolen identity. If a call does happen and the face does not match the photos, end the conversation.
- 6
Any financial product, app, or wallet has entered the chat
Mentor tips, 'private exchanges', QR-code airdrops, custom trading apps, or instructions to 'send USDT to verify' are the only reason this contact exists. From the first mention, treat every following message as a sales script.
- 7
Independent search returns scam reports on the wallet/platform/number
Paste the wallet address, phone number, platform domain, or Telegram handle into Google with the words 'scam' and 'reddit'. Cross-check the wallet on the GACS checker and on chain-analysis tools like Etherscan or TronScan.
- 8
Withdrawals require a new fee, tax, or 'verification deposit'
Real exchanges never require an additional deposit to release your own funds. The first time a fee is gated in front of a withdrawal, the platform is fake — stop sending immediately, screenshot everything, and report.
Save or screenshot this checklist. Share it with anyone you suspect is being groomed — most pig-butchering victims realise too late because no one ever walked them through these specific checks.
6 red flags across every pig-butchering script
- 1
It started as a 'wrong number' or random opener
Real friends don't text you out of the blue with photos of brunch in Singapore. Any unsolicited text from a number you don't recognize that pivots into friendly conversation is the start of the script.
- 2
They moved you to WhatsApp / Telegram / Signal fast
Scammers want you off SMS and onto an end-to-end encrypted app where law enforcement can't subpoena messages. If a new contact insists on moving to WhatsApp within the first day, that's the tell.
- 3
Photos look like a model or a wealthy lifestyle
Pig-butchering profiles use stolen photos — usually attractive 28–40-year-olds, often Asian, often pictured with luxury cars, restaurants, or skylines. Reverse-image search the profile photo on Google or Yandex.
- 4
Within 2–6 weeks, money or crypto enters the chat
There is always a pivot. It may be a 'tip', a 'platform', a 'mentor', a 'job', or 'helping with their wallet because customs froze it'. If a stranger you met online introduces any financial product, it is the scam.
- 5
They want you on a trading app you've never heard of
Real exchanges (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance) don't require an invite code from a friend. Any 'private platform', 'institutional pool', or 'pre-listing' you can only access via a link from your chat partner is fake.
- 6
Withdrawals require new fees
The moment you try to withdraw is when the 'tax', 'unfreeze fee', 'audit', or 'KYC verification deposit' appears. Every additional payment is gone. Stop sending money the second a withdrawal is gated by a new fee.
Already sent money or crypto? Read this first.
- Stop sending. Any new "fee", "tax", or "unfreeze" request is part of the same scam.
- Screenshot every chat, wallet address, and platform URL before they're deleted.
- If you sent crypto, copy the transaction hashes — IC3 and chain-analysis firms can sometimes trace them.
- File at ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Follow the 15-minute panic guide.
- Report the wallet or platform at /report so others searching for the same address see the warning.
FAQ
What is a pig-butchering scam?
Pig-butchering (Sha Zhu Pan, 杀猪盘) is a long-form romance-investment scam where the scammer spends weeks or months building trust over text or chat, then introduces a fake trading platform. The victim deposits crypto or money, sees fake profits on a dashboard, then loses everything when they try to withdraw. The name comes from the practice of fattening a pig before slaughter.
How do pig-butchering text scams start?
Almost always with a friendly opener that looks like a wrong number, a misfired group invite, or a LinkedIn/WhatsApp 'opportunity'. The first message rarely mentions money. The scammer is testing whether you respond at all — anyone who replies politely moves to the next stage of the script.
How do I know if a text I just got is a pig-butchering scam?
Match it against the gallery above. If the message comes from a number you don't know, uses a generic friendly opener, and the sender wants to keep chatting or move to WhatsApp — treat it as a pig-butchering opener. Don't reply. Don't say 'wrong number'. Block the number.
What should I do if I already replied?
Stop replying now. Block the number on iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, and any other platform they moved you to. You haven't lost anything by chatting — the danger starts only if you deposit money, install an 'investment app', or share screenshots of your bank or crypto wallet. If any of that happened, follow the panic guide linked below within the hour.
I sent money to a platform they recommended. Can I get it back?
It depends on the rail. Card and US ACH bank transfers can sometimes be disputed within 60 days — call your bank's fraud line on the number on the back of the card today. Wire transfers, USDT, BTC, and gift cards are usually unrecoverable, but report anyway: the FBI's IC3, the FTC, and your bank build cases from victim reports, and law enforcement occasionally seizes scammer wallets.
Where do I report a pig-butchering scam?
In the US: ic3.gov (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center) and reportfraud.ftc.gov (FTC). In the UK: actionfraud.police.uk. In Canada: antifraudcentre.ca. In Australia: scamwatch.gov.au. Also report the wallet address or platform URL on GACS at /report so the next person who pastes the same address or URL into a checker sees the warning.
Why is it called pig-butchering?
Translated from the Chinese 杀猪盘 (shā zhū pán). The scammer 'fattens' the victim with weeks of attention and small fake winnings, then 'slaughters' them with one large final deposit and a frozen withdrawal. The name is intentionally cold — these are industrial operations run from scam compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, often using trafficked workers as the chatters.
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@misc{gacs_pig_butchering_text_examples, author = {GACS}, title = {Pig-Butchering Scam Text Examples — Real Scripts & Red Flags}, howpublished = {GACS — Global Anti-Crypto-Scam}, year = {2026}, note = {Accessed: June 15, 2026}, url = {https://gacs.app/pig-butchering-text-examples} }
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