New Jersey father loses $280K after falling for a 'pig butchering' scam on Facebook. Here’s how the scammer prayed on his vulnerability

“I don’t know you, you are my recommended friend on FB … so I added you, hope this doesn’t disturb you,” the message read, according to CNN (1). “I find your post about your son very heartwarming. Maybe we can connect?”

After Novak agreed to connect, it didn’t take long before the two were messaging each other on WhatsApp, with their messages eventually turning into a daily ritual of sharing photos, voice notes and affection. The woman reportedly made Novak feel seen in a way he had not felt in years.

Then the conversations shifted from romance to “opportunity.” Ailis, as she identified herself, urged Novak to invest in a safe, high-return crypto strategy. The website she recommended showed quick gains and promised more if he added extra cash.

Novak then began moving over his savings, trusting both Ailis as well as the numbers on the website. And by the time the truth had become clear, a large portion of his life savings — $280,000 — was gone. Novak, as he would come to learn, had become a victim of a sophisticated “pig butchering” scam.

“I lost everything. I lost my kids’s future. I lost my future,” Novak told CNN. “I cried every day. How do you tell your 78-year-old mom who has medical problems that everything’s gone?”

What are pig butchering scams?

Pig butchering is a long-con scam that blends romance, confidence tricks and fake investment opportunities, often involving cryptocurrency.

The scam gets its name from the farming practice of fattening up pigs before they’re slaughtered. Scammers build trust over weeks or months, “fattening” up their targets with affection and romance before slowly introducing a “can’t-miss” investment that shows impressive, but fake, returns (2).

U.S. authorities say many of these schemes are run by organized crime groups abroad. Some scam operations even use trafficked workers who are forced to spend long hours grooming victims online (3).

These groups systematically target Westerners through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, dating apps and text messages. Once the target is emotionally invested and convinced the investment profits are real, the scammers push for large deposits until the victim is drained. That’s when the scammers typically cut off all contact with the victim.

Who is at risk of being targeted?

Law enforcement estimates that pig butchering schemes strip tens of billions of dollars from innocent victims worldwide every year. In the United States, investment fraud has become the costliest category of cybercrime, with losses in the billions each year and a large share tied to cryptocurrency scams, according to the Federal Trade Commission (4).

Older Americans are a prime target for these scammers because the elderly often have retirement savings, home equity or access to credit that scammers can tap. U.S. officials warn that large criminal networks abroad now run industrial-scale scam centers that focus specifically on U.S. victims (5). They use social media, messaging apps and dating platforms to reach thousands of people at the same time, then concentrate on anyone who responds.

Romance scams overlap heavily with pig butchering, and older adults often suffer the worst losses. In fact, people over 60 lose more money to online fraud than any other age group, according to AARP (6). Scammers know that loneliness, grief or fear about money can make someone more likely to trust a stranger who seems kind, attentive and financially successful.

How to protect yourself from these scams

First and foremost, unsolicited messages on Facebook or any other platform should be a major red flag, especially if the person starts flirting soon after making contact. You should also be wary if they refuse to video chat, dodge basic questions or push “risk free” crypto or investment opportunities.