An internet scam dubbed “pig butchering,” run by Chinese crime syndicates in Southeast Asia may have ties with the Chinese communist regime, China watchers say, especially in light of the regime’s history. The syndicates—operating in countries bordering southern China, including Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar—use trafficked “cyber slaves” to scam internet users. A report titled “A…

An internet scam dubbed “pig butchering,” run by Chinese crime syndicates in Southeast Asia may have ties with the Chinese communist regime, China watchers say, especially in light of the regime’s history. The syndicates—operating in countries bordering southern China, including Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar—use trafficked “cyber slaves” to scam internet users. A report titled “A…

Every hog butchering performed by Doug Wharton and Andy Lane of Hand Hewn Farm begins the same way. They start in the early morning, when the mist still clings to the grass. There is no chaos, none of the nervous energy that makes both hog and butcher unsteady. This constructed calm also settles the nerves…

Commentary Perhaps you are familiar with the term “pig butchering,” a new type of criminal activity with all the elements of a romance scam but with an investment opportunity twist. The FBI describes “pig butchering” as “a time-tested, heavily scripted, and contact-intensive process to fatten up the prey before slaughter.” In December, Frank Fisher, public…

Americans are being defrauded by “pig butchering” cryptocurrency investment scams, with criminals utilizing social media to cheat thousands of people into losing hundreds of millions of dollars, according to U.S. authorities. “Pig butchering” involves scammers tricking a victim, referred to as a “pig,” into investing money in cryptocurrencies by promising a high rate of return….