Steps to Take After a Pig Butchering Crypto Scam

Step 1: Stop All Contact and Payments Immediately

Step 1 in responding to pig butchering and similar investment scams is to cut off all communication and stop sending any money the moment you suspect something is wrong.

These fraudulent schemes are designed to convince victims that one more payment, one more “tax,” or one more “unlock fee” will release the account, when in reality each payment simply deepens the loss.

Scammers often keep pressing even after victims express doubts, using emotional pressure and false urgency to extract large sums over time.

It is important to stop sharing any sensitive information, including additional ID documents, bank details, or screenshots that show how much money you have left.

Once you decide to stop, treat every message, phone call, or new profile linked to the scammer as part of the same operation, not a fresh chance to fix things.

Ending contact creates a clear line in time from which you can start securing accounts, organizing evidence, and speaking with institutions on your own terms instead of reacting to the scammer.

At this stage, your immediate actions should include:

• Stop replying to the scammer on dating apps, social media, messaging platforms, email, and phone
• Refuse all new requests for “fees,” “taxes,” or “security deposits,” no matter what proof they claim to show
• Block the scammer’s profiles and phone numbers after you have saved the necessary screenshots and chat logs
• Do not allow any more remote access to your phone, tablet, or computer
• Do not send sensitive information such as new ID photos, bank statements, or full card numbers to anyone connected to the scam

What if the Scammer Has Already Cut Off Contact With Me?

If the scammer has already cut off contact with you, you are not alone, because many pig butchering cases end the moment a victim tries to withdraw funds or questions the story.

At that point, the damage has already been done to the victim’s trust, but there is still value in treating the scam as active in terms of risk to your accounts and information.

You should move straight to securing your email, banking, and exchange logins, since an intricate scam often involves collecting enough data to attempt further account access or identity misuse.

Even without ongoing chats, you can still save what remains: screenshots of profiles, messages, fake platforms, and transaction records from your bank and exchanges.

Those records can help law enforcement and any lawyer you speak with understand how the scam worked, which platforms were used, and where your money went.

From there, the rest of the steps on this page, including contacting institutions and reporting the fraud, still apply even if the scammer has disappeared.

Step 2: Secure Your Accounts and Devices

Step 2 focuses on locking down every account and device that might have been touched while you were being groomed to deposit funds into the scam.

Even if you no longer send money, scammers may still have enough information to attempt logins, open new accounts, or carry out other fraudulent activities in your name.

Start with the email accounts you used for exchanges, banks, and apps, because control of your email often allows password resets elsewhere.

Then move to your crypto exchanges, banking portals, payment apps, and cloud storage, changing passwords and turning on two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Treat any tool the scammer asked you to install as a potential security risk that needs to be removed or checked.

Concrete steps you can take include:

• Change passwords on email accounts, crypto exchanges, online banking, and payment apps used to deposit funds or send money
• Turn on two-factor authentication for exchanges, wallets, banks, and major online accounts
• Log out of active sessions on unfamiliar devices and revoke access for apps or browsers you do not recognize
• Uninstall remote-access, screen-sharing, or “trading help” software the scammer told you to download
• Run a reputable antivirus or security scan on phones, tablets, and computers used during the scam
• Review account settings for any new forwarding rules, linked devices, or security questions you did not set yourself

Taking these steps quickly can reduce the risk that the scammer or their group uses your accounts for further suspicious activity.

Securing your accounts also helps contain the damage if login details were stored in a browser or shared over chat during the scam.

Once your core accounts are stable and you have changed critical passwords, you can focus on organizing records and contacting institutions without wondering what is happening in the background.

Keep a simple list of every account you updated so that any lawyer or investigator you speak with can see which access points have been addressed.

Step 3: Preserve Evidence Before It Disappears

Once you recognize a cryptocurrency scam, it is critical to preserve every piece of information that shows how you were contacted, what you were told, and where your money went.

Open accounts, chat logs, and fake websites can be deleted or changed quickly once scammers move on to new victims.

Good evidence includes screenshots and files that connect the fake profile, the fraudulent platform, and each crypto wallet or bank account that received your money.

Records that tie specific wallet address details, transaction IDs, and amounts to your digital assets can help law enforcement and any lawyer you speak with track stolen cryptocurrency.

Saving this information also reduces the risk that you forget key details about how the scammer claims were presented or how they gradually introduce the “investment opportunity.”

Treat this step as building a digital file for your case, not just for yourself but for any investigator who reviews what happened later.

Save Chats, Profiles, and Platform Screenshots

Your conversations and on-screen views are often the clearest proof that a fraudulent platform and fake profile were used to gain your trust.

Before accounts are closed or blocked, capture everything you can see in the apps and websites where the cryptocurrency scam played out.

Aim to connect the scammer’s identity, their promises, and the fake websites or dashboards that showed your supposed balance.

Evidence to save includes:

• Full chat histories from dating apps, social media, and messaging platforms
• Screenshots of the fake profile, including usernames, photos, and any biography text
• Screenshots of the fraudulent platform or fake websites used for “trading” or “investment”
• Images showing claimed account balances, profits, and error messages when you tried to withdraw
• Any on-screen instructions about which crypto wallet to send funds to or which wallet address to use
• Emails or in-app messages where the scammer claims to work for an exchange, broker, or regulator

Download Bank, Exchange, and Payment Records

Your financial records show exactly how money and digital assets left your control and where they were sent.

Banks, exchanges, and payment services keep logs of transfers, card charges, and crypto transactions, often including useful details like transaction IDs and the receiving wallet address.

Downloading these records now can help later if platforms limit access to closed or flagged accounts.

Items you should collect include:

• Bank statements and wire transfer receipts linked to the fraudulent platform
• Records of card payments used to buy crypto or deposit to the scam
• Exchange histories showing crypto purchases, transfers to an external crypto wallet, and related fees
• Transaction IDs and wallet addresses for every crypto transfer tied to the scam
• Payment app histories from services used to send money to the scammer or to intermediaries
• Any bank or exchange emails confirming transfers, withdrawals, or account changes

Write a Simple Timeline

After you have saved what you can, write a straightforward timeline that explains how the cryptocurrency scam unfolded.

Start with when the scammer first contacted you, how they gradually introduce the topic of investing, and when they directed you to move money to a fraudulent platform or specific wallet address.

Note each major step, such as the first time you were asked to deposit more, the first time you tried to withdraw funds, and the exact point your access was blocked.

Include how much you sent in each round, how you funded each transfer, and whether the scammer ever pushed you to open accounts at new banks, exchanges, or apps.

If you know when your stolen cryptocurrency left a particular exchange or crypto wallet, write that down alongside any transaction IDs.

This timeline becomes a quick reference for banks, exchanges, law enforcement, and any lawyer who reviews your case, so they can see the full pattern instead of isolated payments.

Step 4: Contact Your Bank and Payment Providers

For many people, pig butchering scams drain not just spare cash but life savings, so it is important to alert every bank and payment service you used as soon as you recognize what happened.

Traditional financial intermediaries, including banks, credit card issuers, and payment apps, sometimes have a short window to attempt recalls, dispute charges, or at least flag accounts linked to stolen funds.

Tell them clearly that you were the victim of a cryptocurrency scam, provide the dates and amounts of each transfer, and share any account names or reference numbers connected to the payments.

Even when a bank or card company cannot return your money, your report can trigger internal reviews and money laundering reports that may support broader investigations.

The same applies to payment services you used to move money into exchanges or to third parties connected with the scam.

Document every call or online chat, including who you spoke with and what they said they could or could not do.

These contacts can create a paper trail that later helps law enforcement and any lawyer who reviews your case understand how traditional financial intermediaries were involved at each step.

You should contact, in order of urgency:

• Banks used for wires, ACH transfers, or direct deposits into exchanges
• Credit card issuers used for purchases tied to the scam
• Payment apps used to move money to intermediaries or exchange accounts
• Any other financial institution that helped fund the digital assets you sent into the scam

Step 5: Notify Any Crypto Exchanges or Platforms You Used

After you contact your bank and payment providers, you should report the scam to every crypto exchange or platform that handled your funds.

Exchanges sit at key chokepoints in the flow of money, and even if they cannot reverse transfers on demand, they can review accounts, preserve logs, and, in some cases, freeze wallets that appear tied to criminal activity.

Start by listing every exchange you used to buy cryptocurrency, move funds, or convert digital assets back to cash during the scam.

Then, use each platform’s fraud or support channels to file a detailed report that includes transaction IDs, wallet addresses, dates, amounts, and a brief description of how you were misled.

Victims should also send clear, factual Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) letters to identified crypto exchanges asking them to review and, where appropriate, freeze wallets suspected of being involved in criminal activities.

These letters should not pretend to carry law-enforcement authority, but they can put exchanges on notice that specific accounts and transfers are linked to a reported crime and may become part of an investigation or restitution effort.

In a KYC/AML letter or support ticket, you can:

• Identify yourself and your exchange account by name, email, and any internal ID
• State that you are a victim of a pig butchering cryptocurrency scam and briefly describe the scheme
• List relevant transaction IDs, wallet addresses, dates, and amounts tied to the scam
• Name any external wallets or exchange accounts you believe received your stolen funds
• Ask the exchange to review these accounts under its KYC/AML policies and to preserve logs or consider freezing activity associated with the suspicious wallets
• Attach or offer supporting documents, such as police reports or IC3 complaint numbers, if you have them

Exchanges ultimately decide what actions they can take, and many will only freeze assets or disclose detailed information when they receive formal requests from law enforcement.

Even so, your report and KYC/AML letter can help align your case with existing compliance systems and ongoing investigations inside the platform.

This step also creates another documented record of your efforts to trace and report the stolen funds, which can be useful if a lawyer, regulator, or investigator later reviews your case.

Ask About Internal Actions and Law-Enforcement Requests

When you contact an exchange, ask directly what internal steps they can take once a customer reports a pig butchering scam.

Some platforms may be willing to flag suspicious wallets, preserve logs, or restrict activity on accounts that appear connected to stolen funds, even if they cannot confirm every action they take.

You can also ask whether the exchange has a dedicated process for cooperating with law-enforcement requests and how you should share any police reports or IC3 complaint numbers you obtain.

If the exchange explains that it needs a subpoena or other formal request before releasing information or freezing assets, note that policy and share it with any lawyer or investigator who reviews your case.

Keeping a record of these responses helps show that you alerted the platform, asked about its law-enforcement procedures, and tried to connect your losses to any internal actions the exchange may take.

Step 6: Report the Scam to Law Enforcement and Regulators

Reporting a pig butchering scam to law enforcement is not just a formality, it is a central step in connecting your case to larger investigations and any existing efforts to seize criminal assets.

Victims of pig butchering scams should file a report with their local law enforcement agency immediately after realizing they have been scammed, even if they believe the scammer is overseas.

A police report or incident number creates an official record of the crime that banks, exchanges, and federal agencies can reference later.

After reporting to local law enforcement, victims should access the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to file a detailed IC3 report that includes transaction data and documentation.

These reports help federal investigators see patterns, link multiple victims to the same scam operations, and identify wallet addresses and platforms used to move stolen funds.

In some cases, victims may be able to recover stolen funds if law enforcement seizes assets tied to the pig butchering scam through established federal processes for forfeiture, remission, or restitution, although no outcome is guaranteed.

File a Complaint With IC3 and Contact Local Law Enforcement

Your first law enforcement contact should be local.

File a report with your city or county police department or sheriff’s office as soon as you understand that you were caught in a pig butchering scam.

Bring or attach your basic timeline, screenshots, bank records, and any exchange documents so the officer or investigator can see how the scam developed and how much you lost.

After that local report is made, you should file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The IC3 formwill ask for your contact information, the scammer’s identifiers, the platforms used, the dates and amounts of each payment, and any wallet addresses or transaction IDs you have saved.

Attach or reference your evidence, including bank statements, exchange histories, fake platform URLs, and chat excerpts that show how the scammer approached you and persuaded you to send money.

IC3 complaints help federal investigators identify clusters of cases with common wallet addresses, fraudulent platforms, and payment routes.

If your losses connect to an investigation that leads to asset seizures, your reports can place you within the group of victims that agencies consider for possible recovery programs.

Notify the U.S. Secret Service Crypto Fraud Team

The U.S. Secret Service has units that focus on financial crimes, including some cases involving digital assets and complex online fraud.

After you file with local law enforcement and IC3, you can reach out to the Secret Service using its published contact channels for crypto and financial fraud to share the same documentation package.

Provide a clear subject line, a concise summary of the scam, and your key attachments, including your police report number and IC3 complaint number if you have them.

The Secret Service can review your information, determine whether it fits within any active or emerging investigations, and route it to the appropriate field office when warranted.

While not every report leads to direct contact or a personal update, notifying this agency adds another path for your evidence to reach investigators who work on large scale digital asset and money laundering cases.

Report to State, Federal, Consumer, and Securities Agencies

In addition to police and federal crime units, it is useful to report your pig butchering experience to consumer and market regulators that track investment scams.

At the federal level, you can file complaints with agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission for consumer fraud, and with securities and commodities regulators when the scam was framed as an investment program.

These complaints help agencies like the FTC, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission see how fraudulent investment platforms are marketed, which fake websites and domains are being used, and where victims are being directed to send money.

At the state level, you can contact your state securities regulator, financial services department, and attorney general’s office to report the scam and provide your documents.

Multiple complaints that reference the same domains, wallet addresses, and payment paths can prompt broader investigations or public alerts that may support later enforcement actions.

Sharing your information across these channels does not guarantee a specific outcome for your case, but it strengthens the overall record against the scam operation and may support future recovery efforts if assets linked to your losses are seized.

Step 7: Protect Your Identity and Credit

Pig butchering scams often involve more than persuading you to send money, they can also involve collecting enough personal data to attempt identity theft.

If you shared ID photos, bank details, or other sensitive information with a fraudulent platform, you should assume that information could be reused or sold.

Protecting your identity and credit is a separate, important step from trying to trace stolen funds.

The goal is to reduce the chance that scammers open new accounts, apply for loans, or run up debts in your name after the cryptocurrency scam ends.

Treat any strange mail, new account notices, or unexplained credit activity as urgent warning signs, not minor glitches.

Actions to consider include:

• Review recent bank and credit card statements for charges or transfers you do not recognize
• Obtain your credit reports and check for new accounts or inquiries you did not authorize
• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus if you shared ID documents or Social Security information
• Change security questions and recovery options on key accounts, especially where answers are based on personal history
• Use strong, unique passwords and a password manager to reduce the impact of any credentials that may have been compromised
• If you see signs of identity theft, file an identity theft report and share it with banks, credit bureaus, and any lawyer or investigator who reviews your case

Step 8: Avoid “Crypto Recovery” Scams

After a pig butchering scam, many victims are contacted again by people who claim they can recover stolen funds for a fee, which is often just the start of a second scam.

These operations monitor online reports and victim forums, then reach out pretending to be law enforcement, regulators, or “blockchain experts” who already “found” your money.

They usually demand upfront payments, taxes, or processing fees, promise guaranteed results, and pressure you to act quickly so you do not have time to verify who they are.

To avoid scams like this, be skeptical of anyone who contacts you first, especially through social media, messaging apps, or unsolicited emails.

A legitimate law firm or agency will not guarantee full recovery of stolen cryptocurrency or insist that you pay large fees before any work is done.

Before you share documents or pay anyone, verify their identity independently, check licenses and physical office information, and walk away from anyone who resists basic questions about who they are and how they operate.

Common Red Flags After a Pig Butchering Scam

Recovery scams often start soon after you report your losses or talk about the scam online, when you are most desperate for help.

The people behind these schemes typically claim to be investigators, regulators, or “crypto specialists” who already located your funds and just need one more payment to release them.

They rely on urgency, secrecy, and guarantees to push you into sending more money without independent verification.

Treat any contact that fits the pattern below as a strong warning sign, not a real solution.

Red flags to watch for include:

• Unsolicited messages from strangers claiming they can recover your stolen cryptocurrency
• Contacts who say they already “found” your funds and need you to act immediately
• Demands for upfront fees, “taxes,” or “clearance costs” before any work is done
• Promises of guaranteed recovery or full reimbursement of your losses
• Refusal to provide verifiable identification, bar numbers, or a physical office address
• Requests that you keep the contact secret from your bank, your lawyer, or law enforcement
• Pressure to pay using gift cards, new crypto transfers, or other hard-to-reverse methods

How Legitimate Law Firms and Agencies Operate

Legitimate law firms and government agencies do not cold-message victims on social media or promise guaranteed recovery of stolen cryptocurrency.

They identify themselves clearly, provide verifiable contact information, and give you time to review who they are before you sign anything or pay any fee.

Any fees, if charged, are explained in writing, and payment methods are traceable and consistent with normal business practices, not rushed or secretive.

Their focus is on reviewing your documentation, explaining realistic options, and, where possible, connecting your losses to established legal and law-enforcement processes.

Signs of legitimate practice include:

• You initiate contact through a published phone number, website, or referral, not an unsolicited message
• Clear identification of the lawyer or agency, with names, bar numbers, and physical office addresses you can verify
• Written engagement agreements that explain what work will be done and how fees, if any, are structured
• No guarantees of full recovery and no pressure to pay immediately or keep the relationship secret
• Requests for documents that fit normal case review or investigative work, such as transaction records and reports you have already filed
• Payments, if required, made through traceable, ordinary business channels, not gift cards, new crypto transfers, or anonymous wallets

Step 9: Evaluate Whether Recovery Efforts Make Sense

Once you have secured your accounts, preserved evidence, and filed core reports, it is reasonable to ask whether further recovery efforts are worth your time and emotional energy. The answer depends on concrete factors, including how much you lost, how clearly your transfers can be traced through banks and exchanges, and whether any known investigations or asset seizures touch the wallets involved in your case.

If your losses are relatively small, scattered across many transactions, and moved quickly through unregulated platforms, it may be difficult to justify the cost and time of intensive legal or forensic work.

Larger losses that flowed through major exchanges, especially when backed by strong documentation, may present a stronger basis for targeted recovery attempts or inclusion in future seizure and restitution efforts.

A careful review with a lawyer familiar with pig butchering and crypto tracing can help you sort situations where recovery is realistically possible from those where further spending may not change the outcome.

That kind of review should focus on facts, not hope, and should be candid about the risk that no funds will be recovered even in well-documented cases.

It is also important to consider your own stress level and capacity, because long investigations and legal processes can be draining even when they are grounded in solid evidence.

Evaluating these factors upfront can help you make a clear decision about whether to pursue further recovery efforts, pause, or limit your involvement to monitoring official developments and maintaining your records.

What Crypto-Tracing and Legal Teams Can Actually Do

Crypto-tracing and legal teams can analyze your records to see how your funds moved through banks, exchanges, and wallets, and whether those paths intersect identifiable people or regulated platforms.

They can use blockchain analysis tools to link transaction IDs, wallet addresses, and exchange accounts, then frame those findings for law enforcement, regulators, and courts.

When the facts support it, they may send targeted requests or demands to banks and exchanges, assist investigators with organized victim data, or pursue civil claims against identifiable parties.

Even with strong evidence, they cannot guarantee recovery, but they can turn scattered information into a structured case that is far easier for institutions to review.

In practical terms, crypto-tracing and legal teams may:

• Review your chats, records, and platform screenshots to understand how the scam operated
• Map your bank transfers, card payments, and crypto transfers, including transaction IDs and wallet addresses
• Identify exchanges, payment services, and other intermediaries that handled your funds
• Prepare KYC/AML letters, preservation requests, or other targeted communications to those intermediaries
• Coordinate with law enforcement by organizing victim data and linking related cases or wallets
• Advise you on whether losses, evidence, and identified platforms justify further legal or forensic work

Step 10: How TorHoerman Law Can Review Your Pig Butchering Claim

When a pig butchering scam ends, the scammer vanishes, access to fake platforms disappears, and victims are left trying to make sense of what happened with very little guidance.

TorHoerman Law can review your situation to see whether your losses, the path of your transfers, and any ongoing investigations create a realistic path toward potential recovery.

The firm’s focus is on carefully examining how the scammer approached you, how they presented so-called exclusive investment opportunities, and how your money moved through banks, payment services, and crypto platforms.

A meaningful review depends on detailed records rather than general descriptions, so the more documentation you have preserved, the more precisely your claim can be evaluated.

Information that is especially helpful includes:

• A written timeline of the scam, from first contact to the point you realized the loss
• Screenshots or exports of chats, including how the scammer described the “investment” and any promises they made
• Screenshots of fake platforms and account dashboards, if you still have them
• Bank, card, and payment app records showing each transfer tied to the scam
• Exchange histories, wallet addresses, and transaction IDs for all crypto transfers involved
• Copies of any reports you filed with police, IC3, or other agencies

Using this information, TorHoerman Law can assess whether your case appears to connect with known wallets, platforms, or patterns that are already under law enforcement scrutiny.

The firm can also explain what legal tools might apply in your circumstances, where the limits are, and what it would mean to pursue further recovery efforts.

No lawyer can promise that stolen funds will be returned, especially in cross-border crypto scams, but a structured case review can give you a clearer sense of what is and is not possible.

Understanding How Pig Butchering Scams Work & How To Avoid Falling Victim

Pig butchering scams are large-scale cryptocurrency fraud schemes that combine relationship building with fake investing, and they have already stolen billions of dollars from victims worldwide.

The term “pig butchering” comes from a Chinese expression describing the process of “fattening” an animal before slaughter, which in this context means slowly gaining a victim’s trust and savings before stealing their investments.

Many of these scams are run out of scam centers and scam compounds operated by international organized crime syndicates based in Southeast Asia, where trafficked individuals and other human trafficking victims are forced to work the schemes.

Reports have linked the rise of pig butchering scams to criminal organizations that shifted from illegal casinos to cryptocurrency fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, building industrial operations focused on reaching victims through phones and computers.

Some of the people who send the messages and manage fake accounts may themselves be trafficked individuals, but the result for victims is still the same: stolen cryptocurrency and deep personal harm.

The initial contact usually comes through dating sites, social media, or text messages, where the scammer appears as an attractive stranger or friendly professional rather than someone selling investments.

Scammers may use fake profiles, polished photos, and fabricated life stories to build rapport for weeks or months before they introduce any talk of money.

Once trust is established, they gradually introduce supposed “exclusive” investment opportunities and encourage victims to invest increasing amounts of cryptocurrency, often using fake websites or apps that show constant profits.

Victims see their account balances grow on the screen, but when they try to withdraw funds, the fraudulent platform blocks the request, demands extra fees, or stops responding altogether.

No legitimate exchange requires a separate payment to release your own funds after a withdrawal request, so any platform that does should be treated as a major red flag.

Many of these setups mimic ponzi schemes in the way they show early gains and sometimes allow small withdrawals to reinforce confidence, all while directing larger deposits into wallets controlled by the scam operation.

The emotional manipulation in pig butchering scams is intense and sustained, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies have noted that victims often describe severe psychological impacts, including feelings of betrayal, shame, and loss of trust in their own judgment.

People are not just convinced to move digital assets, they are persuaded to reshape their daily routines, their relationships, and their financial plans around what they believe is a real partner or mentor.

To protect against pig butchering scams, never invest in platforms or cryptocurrency recommended by people you have only met online, regardless of how close the relationship feels or how impressive their claimed returns look.

Avoid sending money or crypto to any wallet address or website that you cannot independently verify, and be skeptical of unsolicited “friends” who push you toward off-platform conversations and private investing apps.

If someone you met through dating apps, social media, or text messages asks you to invest in a system they control, assume it could be a cryptocurrency scam and step back to check facts with independent sources before you act.

Warning Signs of Pig Butchering Scams: What To Look Out For

Pig butchering scams often begin with unsolicited contact through social media or dating apps, where the person seems friendly, attractive, and interested in your life.

Scammers use emotional manipulation to build trust with their victims, often sharing fabricated personal details and daily stories that make the relationship feel real.

Victims of pig butchering scams are then lured into investing money through fake cryptocurrency platforms that appear legitimate, complete with dashboards and fake account growth.

Scammers typically promise high returns on investments, which are often too good to be true, and may create a sense of urgency by claiming that investment opportunities are limited or exclusive.

Once victims attempt to withdraw their funds, they often find that they cannot access their money, revealing the scam and the true meaning of the phrase “pig butchering,” which refers to the process of fattening victims over time before ultimately stealing their investments.

Warning signs to watch for include:

• Unsolicited contact from someone on a social media site, dating apps, or messaging platforms who quickly takes an unusual interest in you
• Early and intense emotional bonding, with the other person sharing dramatic or idealized personal stories that cannot be verified
• Frequent talk of “exclusive” or “limited” investment opportunities, often in crypto, with promises of quick profits and high returns
• Pressure to move money into a specific app or website that you have never heard of, rather than well-known, regulated exchanges
• Account balances that appear to grow quickly on a platform but suspicious obstacles or extra “fees” when you try to withdraw
• Repeated reassurances that your concerns are overreactions and that only people who “truly believe” make real money
• Any situation where returns seem too good to be true, which should always be treated with skepticism to protect yourself from scams

The Impact of Pig Butchering Scams on Victims

The emotional harm caused by pig butchering scams has been linked to a sustained decline in both the emotional and physical well-being of victims, often long after the last transfer is made.

Many people describe intense emotional trauma as they struggle to reconcile the belief that they had found a real relationship or legitimate crypto investment with the reality that it was a carefully staged deception over an internet connection.

Victims of pig butchering scams often experience heightened feelings of vulnerability, diminished self-worth, declining self-esteem, and social withdrawal, sometimes avoiding friends and family out of embarrassment.

The scammers’ ability to establish seemingly genuine connections with victims makes the eventual financial betrayal profoundly impactful, causing severe emotional distress and a deep loss of trust in others.

Victims may feel shame, confusion, and betrayal, while families struggle to offer support without judgment after a pig butchering scam.

The financial impact of these schemes can have a ripple effect, damaging a person’s ability to meet daily expenses, pay off debts, and maintain their standard of living.

Many victims chase the allure of high returns well beyond the point of losing discretionary funds earmarked for investment purposes, leading to devastating financial repercussions that can affect retirement plans, housing, and long-term security.

Because the scam attacks both financial stability and emotional resilience at the same time, victims of pig butchering scams often need time, structured support, and clear information about next steps before they can begin to rebuild.

Contact TorHoerman Law Today: Pig Butchering Scam Lawyers

If you lost money in a pig butchering crypto scam, you are not alone, and you do not have to sort through your options by yourself.

The steps on this page can help you secure your accounts, document what happened, and connect your losses to the agencies and institutions that track these schemes, but they can also leave you with hard questions about what to do next.

A focused legal review can help you understand how your transfers moved through banks, payment services, and exchanges, and whether your case appears to overlap with known wallets, platforms, or investigations.

TorHoerman Law is reviewing information from victims of pig butchering and related cryptocurrency scams to evaluate whether any evidence-based path toward recovery may exist in individual cases.

No lawyer can promise that stolen funds will be returned, especially in cross-border crypto fraud, but an organized case review can give you a clearer sense of what may be possible and what further efforts may involve.

If you or a loved one lost money in a pig butchering crypto scam, you can contact TorHoerman Law for a confidential evaluation of your situation.