Content Warning: This article mentions suicide, which may be distressing to some readers, and names marked with asterisks (*) have been changed to protect privacy. Discretion is advised.

In an age where technology has brought the world closer together, it has also opened the door to new forms of criminal activity that can have devastating consequences.

The tragic story of a father who took his own life after losing his savings to international criminal gangs is a stark reminder of the dangers lurking behind our screens.

The father, Dennis Jones*, lived a life of positivity and activism. He spent his retirement years engaging with refugees and debating politics.

However, his life took a dark turn when he fell victim to a sophisticated online scam known as 'pig butchering’.

This term refers to the method scammers use to 'fatten up' their victims by building trust over time before defrauding them of their money.

Dennis Jones* fell victim to a ‘pig butchering’ scam, which took a toll on his life. Credit: CNN / YouTube

‘As soon as I found out it was a suicide, I was 100 per cent sure that it was the scam,’ his son Matt* said.

‘Our father was, from the day I was born until six months ago, always a positive, happy person.’

‘This was literally the only thing in his life that had happened, to where it changed him and it just crushed him.’

Dennis'* descent into despair began when he befriended a woman named Jessie on social media.

Over months, she groomed him into investing his entire savings into fraudulent cryptocurrency websites. When the money vanished, so did Jessie, and Dennis* was left in financial ruin.

In early March, Dennis'* children organised a gathering to assist him in rebounding from the scam.

The plan was for him to relocate to Adrianne's home with her family to ensure he would be cared for.

‘We wanted him to know he was going to be taken care of,’ Matt* recounted.

However, on the morning of the meeting, Dennis* could not be reached.

Matt* drove to Dennis’* apartment, but he wasn't there, and all attempts to contact him went to voicemail, likely because Dennis* was out on one of his long runs.

An hour later, police arrived at Matt's* door to inform him that Dennis* had taken his own life.

This story is a chilling example of a global criminal operation predominantly run by Chinese gangs who have built a multibillion-dollar scam industry in Southeast Asia.

Victims are often lured with promises of love and financial gain, only to find themselves trapped in a web of deceit.

In 2023, Scamwatch received 484 reports of pig butchering scams targeting Australians, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Law enforcement agencies, including the Santa Clara County Prosecutor's Office and the US Secret Service, work tirelessly to combat these crimes.

‘I’ve been a prosecutor for over 25 years, I’ve done all kinds of different types of crime — I spent nine years in sexual assault—and I’ve never seen the absolute decimation of people that I’ve seen as a result of pig butchering,’ Santa Clara County Prosecutor Erin West said.

‘We’ve got victims victimising victims, and the only winners are Chinese gangsters.’

You can watch CNN’s coverage below:

Credit: CNN / YouTube​

If you or someone you know has been affected by a scam, it's crucial to report it to the authorities and seek support.

Organisations like Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) offer confidential help for those in crisis.

Key Takeaways

• A father tragically took his own life after being scammed by international criminal gangs in a sophisticated 'pig butchering' scheme involving cryptocurrency investment.
• These scams are largely operated by Chinese gangs in Southeast Asia, where they have set up scam factories, often holding people against their will to work as scammers and potentially involving human trafficking.
• The devastating effects of these scams not only lead to financial ruin for victims but also severe emotional and psychological impacts, as evidenced by the personal story of the affected family.
• Despite efforts by law enforcement and the creation of coalitions and task forces to tackle these scams, they continue to grow, with victims still suffering significant losses both financially and personally.

Have you or someone you know been targeted by similar scams? What measures do you take to safeguard your finances online? Join the conversation and share your experiences in the comments below.

 

[LeahI]

What a bunch of low lifes!
Poor bloke must have been devastated, and his family.

But meeting someone on the internet and having them coerce you into releasing any of your money, should have raised suspicions.

 

[UNIT1000]

if the phone rings do what i do ancer and say you have 3second 1 2 3 hangup

 

[LeahI]

if the phone rings do what i do ancer and say you have 3second 1 2 3 hangup

Do you say hello first?

 

[kenrconn]

I NEVER answer a call from a number I don’t know. I have software on my phone which warns me about telemarketers and possible scammers. It’s called HIYA. If it’s a number who really wants to talk to me they would leave a message but that rarely happens. I think I counted 15 calls last week from scammers or telemarketers, all using mobile phone numbers that are similar or close to mine.
I also check my bank balances every day or two and keep a spreadsheet of all our expenses to make sure there are no items that I don’t know about.

 

[Jo Piper3]

Terribly sad situation for his family.

 

[Ebby]

The poor soul ! how awful to find out you have been betrayed like that and that must have been as bad as loosing the money.Just so sad for this to have happened and somebody needs to do something about stopping all these scams

 

[Babbie]

The poor soul ! how awful to find out you have been betrayed like that and that must have been as bad as loosing the money.Just so sad for this to have happened and somebody needs to do something about stopping all these scams

Unfortunately, many scams are based overseas and the Australian Government has no jurisdiction whatsoever. Despite all the warnings given today by authorities re scams, if people still wish to communicate with individuals on the internet they don’t know, it is a risk they choose to take.

 

[Babbie]

Never remain with any 'online contacts' you have never met, once money is mentioned they need to be considered as ALL scams. Hang up and block contacts from future harassment. Personal contacts can be addictive and believable for many vulnerable and lonely people but most calls from other countries are not as they claim. IU feel so much for the family and this poor man he was so shattered to take his own life over losing all his money and mostly likely shame. So sad and not an isolated outcome.

Loneliness, you have hit the nail on the head!

 

[Cyberchook]

Never continue any 'online contacts' you have never met, once money is mentioned, they need to be considered as ALL scams. Hang up and block contacts from future harassment. Personal contact can be addictive and believable for many vulnerable and lonely people, but it is 99.9%. a scam. Many of these contacts are also men masquerading as young pretty women, most calls from other countries are not as they claim. I feel so much for the family and this poor man he was so shattered to take his own life over losing all his money and mostly likely shame. So sad and not an isolated outcome.

 

[Cyberchook]

Loneliness, you have hit the nail on the head!

(Sorry, I edited this post see below and can't delete this one..)

 

[Gsr]

Very sad for the whole family, but why are people still falling for such scams. Lonely or not surely bells start ringing when the scammers ask for money or bank details. It is so well publicised not to click on links, not to give out bank details, etc etc. These scammers will never stop while they can still fool so many people.

 

[Babbie]

Very sad for the whole family, but why are people still falling for such scams. Lonely or not surely bells start ringing when the scammers ask for money or bank details. It is so well publicised not to click on links, not to give out bank details, etc etc. These scammers will never stop while they can still fool so many people.

Well the bells obviously don’t ring for a lot of people. If people didn’t take the bait, scammers would be out of business.

 

[Macarj]

What a bunch of low lifes!
Poor bloke must have been devastated, and his family.

But meeting someone on the internet and having them coerce you into releasing any of your money, should have raised suspicions.

It is difficult if you are lonely, it is very easy to fall for somebody

 

[David567]

My condolences to the family.
These is a good reminder that you should never send money to someone you have met on line. especially when you don't don't know who they really are or where they are. Even if you have met the person it would still be stupid to give them money. Nearly everything is a SCAM these days and everything should be treated as a SCAM. It's just not worth taking any risk trusting people these days including those that you think you know. We are not living in the old days anymore when we could trust most people.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I NEVER answer a call from a number I don’t know. I have software on my phone which warns me about telemarketers and possible scammers. It’s called HIYA. If it’s a number who really wants to talk to me they would leave a message but that rarely happens. I think I counted 15 calls last week from scammers or telemarketers, all using mobile phone numbers that are similar or close to mine.
I also check my bank balances every day or two and keep a spreadsheet of all our expenses to make sure there are no items that I don’t know about.

Thank you for the hint, I will look into getting HIYA, I'm so sick of scam calls.
I also check my bank balances every day, it only takes a minute. I also keep a book listing all incoming and outgoing money. Also doesn't take much time each day and I always know my exact financial situation.
There is nothing more annoying than standing behind someone at an ATM or in a supermarket line, holding everybody up because they have no idea the balance on their card.

 

[Fay1946]

I NEVER answer a call from a number I don’t know. I have software on my phone which warns me about telemarketers and possible scammers. It’s called HIYA. If it’s a number who really wants to talk to me they would leave a message but that rarely happens. I think I counted 15 calls last week from scammers or telemarketers, all using mobile phone numbers that are similar or close to mine.
I also check my bank balances every day or two and keep a spreadsheet of all our expenses to make sure there are no items that I don’t know about.

HIYA is a Seattle based company. Is there nothing in Australia that is similar ?

 

[Nana Zorak]

I NEVER answer a call from a number I don’t know. I have software on my phone which warns me about telemarketers and possible scammers. It’s called HIYA. If it’s a number who really wants to talk to me they would leave a message but that rarely happens. I think I counted 15 calls last week from scammers or telemarketers, all using mobile phone numbers that are similar or close to mine.
I also check my bank balances every day or two and keep a spreadsheet of all our expenses to make sure there are no items that I don’t know about.

 

[mylittletibbies]

HIYA is a Seattle based company. Is there nothing in Australia that is similar ?

I really don't think it matters
I googled them, excellent reviews . Used by companies all over the world
After all the bulk of scams come from overseas.

 

[Nana Zorak]

Me too , I have a separate bank account for purchases from Temu & other stores I deal with. This way I have 2 Spread sheets running in my book .So I can see where my money goes.