Yes. If someone you met online — through a dating app, social media, or a “wrong number” text — guides you to a crypto or forex trading site that shows fast, steady profits, it’s a pig-butchering scam. The platform is fake, the profits are numbers on a screen, and withdrawals will be blocked behind endless “fees” and “taxes.”
What this scam looks like
“Pig butchering” (from a phrase meaning to fatten a victim before slaughter) blends a romance or friendship scam with a fake investment. After building trust, the scammer shares their “secret” to crypto wealth and helps you open an account on a slick-looking platform — sometimes even a convincing app.
Your first small deposit “grows.” You’re encouraged to put in more, and even allowed a small withdrawal early to build confidence. When you try to take out the larger balance, you’re hit with “withdrawal fees,” “taxes,” or “credit-score” payments — more money to chase money that was never real.
Example is illustrative and de-fanged; links are shown broken so they can't be clicked.
Red flags to watch for
- The ‘opportunity’ came from someone you met online, not from your own research.
- Consistent, impossible returns shown on a private platform or app you were told to use.
- A small early withdrawal worked — a deliberate trust-builder before the big deposits.
- Withdrawals are suddenly blocked behind fees, taxes, or “verification” deposits.
- Pressure to invest more, fast, and to keep it secret from family or your bank.
What to do if you got one
- Stop depositing immediately — especially any “fee” to unlock a withdrawal. That money is lost too.
- Screenshot everything: the platform, wallet addresses, chat history, and the person’s profile.
- Report to the FBI at ic3.gov, to reportfraud.ftc.gov, and to the crypto exchange you used to send funds — speed can occasionally help trace transfers.
- Be alert to recovery scams: anyone who contacts you promising to get your crypto back for a fee is a second scam.
- Considering an ‘opportunity’ someone sent you? Paste the message or link into GotAScam first.
Frequently asked questions
Scammers build polished sites and apps, sometimes cloning real brands. A professional look means nothing. Legitimate investing never comes from a stranger who messaged you first.
That early payout is bait. It’s a small loss to the scammer that convinces you to deposit far more, which you’ll never get back.
No. Real exchanges deduct any fees from your balance — they never ask for an upfront payment to ‘unlock’ a withdrawal. Any such demand confirms the scam.
Not sure about a message you got?
Paste the exact text, email, or screenshot into GotAScam and get a clear verdict — Likely Safe, Uncertain, or Likely Scam — backed by live threat intelligence. It's free, and no sign-up is required for text checks.