Shocking video reveals how romance scammers swindle money from unsuspecting victims
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In a world where love can be found at the swipe of a finger, a sinister scam is leaving unsuspecting victims heartbroken and financially devastated.
A recent undercover investigation has unveiled the chilling inner workings of a scam operation known as 'pig butchering', where real-life models are used as bait to lure victims into a web of deceit and financial ruin.
The term 'pig butchering' or ‘romance baiting’ refers to a scam that combines elements of romance and investment fraud, typically involving cryptocurrency.
The scammer, posing as a potential romantic partner, 'fattens up' the victim over several months by building a seemingly genuine relationship.
Once the victim is emotionally invested, the scammer 'butchers' them by providing fraudulent investment advice, leading to significant financial loss.
This scam, which originated in China, has now spread globally, with Australians being targeted through popular dating apps and messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Last month, the Australian Federal Police warned about this scam ahead of Valentine's Day.
The undercover investigation was led by Jim Browning, a software engineer and YouTuber from Northern Ireland. He worked with an insider to infiltrate a Dubai-based scam operation, obtained undercover audio and video, and created videos exposing the scam.
‘The people in this office are pretending to be glamorous models in the hope they can steal money from people all over the world,’ he said.
‘And if you’ve ever wondered why people are convinced by scams like this, take a look at this footage. Yes, they even employ models to FaceTime their victims,’ Browning added.
It was discovered that the scam was being operated from a group of eight-story buildings located several kilometres away from the city.
The operation involved hundreds of people who were part of a global scheme, which was so extensive that it required a dedicated communications van outside the building to handle the traffic from numerous mobile devices.
Inside these buildings, rows of computers are set up with multiple dating and messaging apps combined with VPNs to appear as if they are in the same country.
The scammers use these tools to hunt for potential victims, always posing as glamorous individuals with a rich-looking lifestyle.
The scam's scale is staggering, with an estimated 1,000 people involved. The workers, mostly migrants from North Africa or Southeast Asia, are provided with extensive scripts to copy and paste to potential victims, covering days of interactions.
Employees receive a base salary of 1,500 dirhams ($630) but are at risk of being fired if they do not attract new 'clients' to the scheme.
‘I personally witnessed this group trying to scam people in South America like Bolivia and Peru, right through to obscure countries like Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan,’ Browning shared.
‘They didn’t care how poor the people were, they were commissioned on how many people they got to sign up,’ he continued.
The scam's sophistication is such that it even employs models to FaceTime their victims, adding a layer of authenticity to the scam.
One such model, a Ukrainian woman known as 'Annelle', was paid to speak directly to any victims who might be unsure if they were talking to a real person.
The victims are then asked to download a fake cryptocurrency app called Yomight, which tricks users into transferring crypto to the scammers' accounts while making it appear that the user's balance is increasing.
The scam only becomes apparent when the victim attempts to withdraw large amounts of money.
In 2023, Scamwatch received 484 reports of romance baiting scams targeting Australians, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Despite overall losses nearly halving, Australians still lost more than $40 million to the scam last year.
The ACCC warned that these scammers are cold-hearted criminals who exploit people's emotions to take their money. They advised people not to take financial or investment advice from someone they have only met online.
Even if you think you know who you are messaging, remember that it could be a scammer on the other side of the screen.
You can watch his video here:
Source: Jim Browning/YouTube
This investigation serves as a reminder of the dangers lurking in the online dating world.
It's crucial to remain vigilant, be wary of anyone offering financial advice online, and never invest money based on the recommendation of someone you've only met online. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Have you or someone you know been a victim of a romance scam? Share your experiences and help others stay safe online.
A recent undercover investigation has unveiled the chilling inner workings of a scam operation known as 'pig butchering', where real-life models are used as bait to lure victims into a web of deceit and financial ruin.
The term 'pig butchering' or ‘romance baiting’ refers to a scam that combines elements of romance and investment fraud, typically involving cryptocurrency.
The scammer, posing as a potential romantic partner, 'fattens up' the victim over several months by building a seemingly genuine relationship.
An undercover investigation revealed more details about the pig butchering scam. Image source: Tara Winstead/Pexels
Once the victim is emotionally invested, the scammer 'butchers' them by providing fraudulent investment advice, leading to significant financial loss.
This scam, which originated in China, has now spread globally, with Australians being targeted through popular dating apps and messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Last month, the Australian Federal Police warned about this scam ahead of Valentine's Day.
The undercover investigation was led by Jim Browning, a software engineer and YouTuber from Northern Ireland. He worked with an insider to infiltrate a Dubai-based scam operation, obtained undercover audio and video, and created videos exposing the scam.
‘The people in this office are pretending to be glamorous models in the hope they can steal money from people all over the world,’ he said.
‘And if you’ve ever wondered why people are convinced by scams like this, take a look at this footage. Yes, they even employ models to FaceTime their victims,’ Browning added.
It was discovered that the scam was being operated from a group of eight-story buildings located several kilometres away from the city.
The operation involved hundreds of people who were part of a global scheme, which was so extensive that it required a dedicated communications van outside the building to handle the traffic from numerous mobile devices.
Inside these buildings, rows of computers are set up with multiple dating and messaging apps combined with VPNs to appear as if they are in the same country.
The scammers use these tools to hunt for potential victims, always posing as glamorous individuals with a rich-looking lifestyle.
The scam's scale is staggering, with an estimated 1,000 people involved. The workers, mostly migrants from North Africa or Southeast Asia, are provided with extensive scripts to copy and paste to potential victims, covering days of interactions.
Employees receive a base salary of 1,500 dirhams ($630) but are at risk of being fired if they do not attract new 'clients' to the scheme.
‘I personally witnessed this group trying to scam people in South America like Bolivia and Peru, right through to obscure countries like Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan,’ Browning shared.
‘They didn’t care how poor the people were, they were commissioned on how many people they got to sign up,’ he continued.
The scam's sophistication is such that it even employs models to FaceTime their victims, adding a layer of authenticity to the scam.
One such model, a Ukrainian woman known as 'Annelle', was paid to speak directly to any victims who might be unsure if they were talking to a real person.
The victims are then asked to download a fake cryptocurrency app called Yomight, which tricks users into transferring crypto to the scammers' accounts while making it appear that the user's balance is increasing.
The scam only becomes apparent when the victim attempts to withdraw large amounts of money.
In 2023, Scamwatch received 484 reports of romance baiting scams targeting Australians, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Despite overall losses nearly halving, Australians still lost more than $40 million to the scam last year.
The ACCC warned that these scammers are cold-hearted criminals who exploit people's emotions to take their money. They advised people not to take financial or investment advice from someone they have only met online.
Even if you think you know who you are messaging, remember that it could be a scammer on the other side of the screen.
You can watch his video here:
Source: Jim Browning/YouTube
This investigation serves as a reminder of the dangers lurking in the online dating world.
It's crucial to remain vigilant, be wary of anyone offering financial advice online, and never invest money based on the recommendation of someone you've only met online. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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as soon as the conversation turns to money 
?
