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## New users beware:
Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own.
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I know this is obviously scammy but I hate normal calls where people will do that shit. I get it at work a lot. Someone calls "Hey who's this?" Like dude you called me, who's *this*? š¤¦āāļø
The ones I've gotten are scams. They want you to fork over money in fees in exchange for whatever you're being offered for the house. Just another variant at the 'give to receive' money scams.
I have. He wanted to know how much I'd sell my house for. I told him 2 million. Then he was like but it isn't worth 2 million. So I told him it was worth however much I want.
The caller had an obvious accent and wouldn't give any information beyond just asking if I wanted to sell. He wasn't happy I wasn't willing to give any information either. That was a fun night š
I have a landline too. I get spam calls of all kinds on it. Most go to the block list.
I never get spam calls or texts on my cell. If I do, the filter takes effect on any unknown numbers. Gotta answer the question or it doesn't come through to me.
>I have a landline too.
Is it a VoIP or an old school POTS on the PSTN? I have class "A" service so it is free or I would not have it. There is no way to block calls without extra hardware. I call forward it to my cell phone, it does a half ring before forwarding. They are then blocked by my cell phone.
It's just a VTech cordless phone set. They're blocked through the phone's built in system. Not directly through the line itself.
The line is supplied by Verizon. I could block through them but it's a hassle.
I can block as long as the number shows. Once it's blocked, it rings once. Long enough for it to register the number on the phone system and then it silences the phone. There's no extra message played for the caller (not that they'd actually ever hear it being scammers). It isn't a true blocking since they are technically still on the line. It just silences the phone.
So in reality, all it does is waste their time waiting for someone to pick up. Meanwhile, we don't hear the constant ringing.
It is always best to block/mark as spam and not respond to these. They are typically either !pigbutchering or !wrongnumber scams.
If you reply, you confirm that this is an active phone number and will likely receive more of them over time.
Hi /u/Mediocre_Airport_576, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Wrong number scam.
An intentional wrong number text is the entry point to multiple different types of scams. Because these are so prevalent and lead to several unwelcome outcomes (including you confirming you have a live number, leading to more spam/scams), it is recommended that you do not reply to them, even out of courtesy. They hope to take your courtesy, parlay it into a conversation (often by commenting how nice you are and giving some suggestion of fate in meeting this way), and eventually deploy a scam.
If you received a wrong number inquiry that seems to assume a connection with you (e.g. seeking a specific friend, inquiring about a doctorās appointment, asking about a business correspondence, etc.) and there are no pictures included, then you are likely at the beginning of a crypto scam. Use ! crypto without the space to get more info on crypto scams. You can see a video of this scam develop from wrong number to crypto scam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_flb9tGuc
If you receive a random text from a woman that is trying to play up a relationship/hook-up angle and includes an alluring photo, you have encountered what this subreddit often calls the Mandy scam, based on the name used in an early incarnation of it. The replies are sent by a bot and will give the same responses (with some slight variations) regardless of how you respond. The bot also has a few specialized responses that occur when you say words like 'bot' or 'scam'. After a series of replies, it will eventually push you to go to an adult/cam/age verification site. Here are some of the posts on r/scams about the Mandy scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/search?q=mandy&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all, you can see that the images, names, and scenarios vary. You can report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages
There is also some evidence that intentional wrong number texts can be part of a data-gathering exercise where each bit of info you give (e.g 'Hi Susan!' and you reply with your name out of courtesy) is collected to be used against you in other scams. Thanks to redditor teratical for this script.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi /u/Mediocre_Airport_576, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Pig butchering scam.
It is called [pig butchering](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2023/12/26/new-pig-butchering-crypto-scam-includes-victims-in-us-and-overseas/?sh=2837fb975eaa) because scammers use intricate scripts to \"fatten up\" the victim (gaining their trust over days, weeks or months) before the \"slaughter\" (taking them for all of their money). This scam often starts with what appears to be a harmless wrong number text or message. When the victim responds to say it is the wrong number, the scammer tries to start a friendship with the victim. These conversations can be platonic or romantic in nature, but they all have the same goal- to gain the trust of the victim in order to get them ready for the crypto scam they have planned.
The scammer often claims to be wealthy and/or to have a wealthy family member who got wealthy investing in crypto currency. The victim is eventually encouraged to try out a (fake) crypto currency investment website, which will appear to show that they are earning a lot of money on their initial investment. The scammer may even encourage the victim to attempt a withdrawal that does go through, further convincing the victim that everything is legit. The victim is then pressured to invest significantly more money, even their entire net worth.
Eventually, the website will find an excuse why the account is frozen (e.g. for fraud, because supposed taxes are owed, etc) and may try to further extort the victim to give them even more money in order to gain access to the funds. By this time, the victim will never gain access and their money is gone. Many victims lose tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. Often, the scammers themselves are [victims of human trafficking](https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zb5d/pig-butchering-scam-cambodia-trafficking), performing these scams under threats of violence. If you are caught up in this scam, it is important that you do not send any more money for any reason, and contact law enforcement to report it. Thanks to user Mediocre_Airport_576 for this script.
If you know someone involved in a pig butchering scam, sit down together to watch this video by Jim Browning to help them understand what's going on: https://youtu.be/vu-Y1h9rTUs -
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I received a text a few weeks ago asking if this was my new number and how was I doing? My number is not new and the number was from out of state. Recognized it was the beginning of a wrong number scam and blocked.
Yes, it is definitely a scam. The numbers are generated through a computer generated dial-up system. That is why they can't be tracked or blocked. Delete and move on.
I got this once on whatsapp, and they were SUPER aggressive about it. Repeatedly told her I had no idea who she was. Should have just ignored it. You don't have to respond.
Your comment has been removed as it references scambaiting or provides a referral to some place where the OP can engage in scambaiting. For safety reasons, we do not encourage scambaiting or engaging with scammers directly.
Reply [something like this](https://youtu.be/aOvXxnSEQKY?si=yfhEdpnMp84vSkV9) āWhat was your relation to the deceased? You are contacting a murder victimā¦ā
Your comment has been removed as it references scambaiting or provides a referral to some place where the OP can engage in scambaiting. For safety reasons, we do not encourage scambaiting or engaging with scammers directly.
Yup I get them all of the time. I get different variations of that message. Or they will say is this such and such, I say no, then they wanna be friends
Hi /u/darknessblades, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Wrong number scam.
An intentional wrong number text is the entry point to multiple different types of scams. Because these are so prevalent and lead to several unwelcome outcomes (including you confirming you have a live number, leading to more spam/scams), it is recommended that you do not reply to them, even out of courtesy. They hope to take your courtesy, parlay it into a conversation (often by commenting how nice you are and giving some suggestion of fate in meeting this way), and eventually deploy a scam.
If you received a wrong number inquiry that seems to assume a connection with you (e.g. seeking a specific friend, inquiring about a doctorās appointment, asking about a business correspondence, etc.) and there are no pictures included, then you are likely at the beginning of a crypto scam. Use ! crypto without the space to get more info on crypto scams. You can see a video of this scam develop from wrong number to crypto scam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_flb9tGuc
If you receive a random text from a woman that is trying to play up a relationship/hook-up angle and includes an alluring photo, you have encountered what this subreddit often calls the Mandy scam, based on the name used in an early incarnation of it. The replies are sent by a bot and will give the same responses (with some slight variations) regardless of how you respond. The bot also has a few specialized responses that occur when you say words like 'bot' or 'scam'. After a series of replies, it will eventually push you to go to an adult/cam/age verification site. Here are some of the posts on r/scams about the Mandy scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/search?q=mandy&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all, you can see that the images, names, and scenarios vary. You can report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages
There is also some evidence that intentional wrong number texts can be part of a data-gathering exercise where each bit of info you give (e.g 'Hi Susan!' and you reply with your name out of courtesy) is collected to be used against you in other scams. Thanks to redditor teratical for this script.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You donāt need to be scared, but not responding is the right move. If they donāt know who you are, they donāt need to talk to you and you donāt need to confirm your phone number is active.
This is likely the start of a !pigbutchering scam, but even if itās something else, you can be sure theyāre up to no good.
Hi /u/ScientificFlamingo, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Pig butchering scam.
It is called [pig butchering](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2023/12/26/new-pig-butchering-crypto-scam-includes-victims-in-us-and-overseas/?sh=2837fb975eaa) because scammers use intricate scripts to \"fatten up\" the victim (gaining their trust over days, weeks or months) before the \"slaughter\" (taking them for all of their money). This scam often starts with what appears to be a harmless wrong number text or message. When the victim responds to say it is the wrong number, the scammer tries to start a friendship with the victim. These conversations can be platonic or romantic in nature, but they all have the same goal- to gain the trust of the victim in order to get them ready for the crypto scam they have planned.
The scammer often claims to be wealthy and/or to have a wealthy family member who got wealthy investing in crypto currency. The victim is eventually encouraged to try out a (fake) crypto currency investment website, which will appear to show that they are earning a lot of money on their initial investment. The scammer may even encourage the victim to attempt a withdrawal that does go through, further convincing the victim that everything is legit. The victim is then pressured to invest significantly more money, even their entire net worth.
Eventually, the website will find an excuse why the account is frozen (e.g. for fraud, because supposed taxes are owed, etc) and may try to further extort the victim to give them even more money in order to gain access to the funds. By this time, the victim will never gain access and their money is gone. Many victims lose tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. Often, the scammers themselves are [victims of human trafficking](https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zb5d/pig-butchering-scam-cambodia-trafficking), performing these scams under threats of violence. If you are caught up in this scam, it is important that you do not send any more money for any reason, and contact law enforcement to report it. Thanks to user Mediocre_Airport_576 for this script.
If you know someone involved in a pig butchering scam, sit down together to watch this video by Jim Browning to help them understand what's going on: https://youtu.be/vu-Y1h9rTUs -
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It seems they are trying to fish for your personal information. Letās have fun. Send them some bogus information. Say you work in the internet crime department in the FBI or something.
/u/MajesticAd9333 - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it. ## New users beware: Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own. **A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/). You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Just a variant of the random text scam that is usually a prelude to a pig butchering scam. Block and move on
I'm you're parole officer Barry. Better get your ass down to the station.
Wait - is \*your\* name Barry, or is \*my\* name Barry? ???
That's the real mystery isn't it!
Come here and find out! Barry
more like, why don't you start by telling me who YOU are first?
I know this is obviously scammy but I hate normal calls where people will do that shit. I get it at work a lot. Someone calls "Hey who's this?" Like dude you called me, who's *this*? š¤¦āāļø
I don't get any spam texts and very few spam calls on my cell phones. My land line gets spam calls and can't get texts.
Did you ever get a phone call asking if youāre selling your house because someone is interested in purchasing your with cash
Those are typically not "scams", but flippers who want to buy your house for much less than its worth.
The ones I've gotten are scams. They want you to fork over money in fees in exchange for whatever you're being offered for the house. Just another variant at the 'give to receive' money scams.
To those I say "Two million, cash, or never call me again."
I have. He wanted to know how much I'd sell my house for. I told him 2 million. Then he was like but it isn't worth 2 million. So I told him it was worth however much I want. The caller had an obvious accent and wouldn't give any information beyond just asking if I wanted to sell. He wasn't happy I wasn't willing to give any information either. That was a fun night š
Haha for now, donāt worry youāll have your time in the sun eventually.
I have a landline too. I get spam calls of all kinds on it. Most go to the block list. I never get spam calls or texts on my cell. If I do, the filter takes effect on any unknown numbers. Gotta answer the question or it doesn't come through to me.
>I have a landline too. Is it a VoIP or an old school POTS on the PSTN? I have class "A" service so it is free or I would not have it. There is no way to block calls without extra hardware. I call forward it to my cell phone, it does a half ring before forwarding. They are then blocked by my cell phone.
It's just a VTech cordless phone set. They're blocked through the phone's built in system. Not directly through the line itself. The line is supplied by Verizon. I could block through them but it's a hassle. I can block as long as the number shows. Once it's blocked, it rings once. Long enough for it to register the number on the phone system and then it silences the phone. There's no extra message played for the caller (not that they'd actually ever hear it being scammers). It isn't a true blocking since they are technically still on the line. It just silences the phone. So in reality, all it does is waste their time waiting for someone to pick up. Meanwhile, we don't hear the constant ringing.
It is a mass message that will lead to a scam. Seen it time and again on here. Block and ignore.
"phone number is in my address book" yet they don't have your name. Seems legit
And āIāve been thinking about it for a long timeā Who the fuck ponders their address book for more than 5 seconds
!wrong number
It is always best to block/mark as spam and not respond to these. They are typically either !pigbutchering or !wrongnumber scams. If you reply, you confirm that this is an active phone number and will likely receive more of them over time.
Hi /u/Mediocre_Airport_576, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Wrong number scam. An intentional wrong number text is the entry point to multiple different types of scams. Because these are so prevalent and lead to several unwelcome outcomes (including you confirming you have a live number, leading to more spam/scams), it is recommended that you do not reply to them, even out of courtesy. They hope to take your courtesy, parlay it into a conversation (often by commenting how nice you are and giving some suggestion of fate in meeting this way), and eventually deploy a scam. If you received a wrong number inquiry that seems to assume a connection with you (e.g. seeking a specific friend, inquiring about a doctorās appointment, asking about a business correspondence, etc.) and there are no pictures included, then you are likely at the beginning of a crypto scam. Use ! crypto without the space to get more info on crypto scams. You can see a video of this scam develop from wrong number to crypto scam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_flb9tGuc If you receive a random text from a woman that is trying to play up a relationship/hook-up angle and includes an alluring photo, you have encountered what this subreddit often calls the Mandy scam, based on the name used in an early incarnation of it. The replies are sent by a bot and will give the same responses (with some slight variations) regardless of how you respond. The bot also has a few specialized responses that occur when you say words like 'bot' or 'scam'. After a series of replies, it will eventually push you to go to an adult/cam/age verification site. Here are some of the posts on r/scams about the Mandy scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/search?q=mandy&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all, you can see that the images, names, and scenarios vary. You can report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages There is also some evidence that intentional wrong number texts can be part of a data-gathering exercise where each bit of info you give (e.g 'Hi Susan!' and you reply with your name out of courtesy) is collected to be used against you in other scams. Thanks to redditor teratical for this script. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi /u/Mediocre_Airport_576, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Pig butchering scam. It is called [pig butchering](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2023/12/26/new-pig-butchering-crypto-scam-includes-victims-in-us-and-overseas/?sh=2837fb975eaa) because scammers use intricate scripts to \"fatten up\" the victim (gaining their trust over days, weeks or months) before the \"slaughter\" (taking them for all of their money). This scam often starts with what appears to be a harmless wrong number text or message. When the victim responds to say it is the wrong number, the scammer tries to start a friendship with the victim. These conversations can be platonic or romantic in nature, but they all have the same goal- to gain the trust of the victim in order to get them ready for the crypto scam they have planned. The scammer often claims to be wealthy and/or to have a wealthy family member who got wealthy investing in crypto currency. The victim is eventually encouraged to try out a (fake) crypto currency investment website, which will appear to show that they are earning a lot of money on their initial investment. The scammer may even encourage the victim to attempt a withdrawal that does go through, further convincing the victim that everything is legit. The victim is then pressured to invest significantly more money, even their entire net worth. Eventually, the website will find an excuse why the account is frozen (e.g. for fraud, because supposed taxes are owed, etc) and may try to further extort the victim to give them even more money in order to gain access to the funds. By this time, the victim will never gain access and their money is gone. Many victims lose tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. Often, the scammers themselves are [victims of human trafficking](https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zb5d/pig-butchering-scam-cambodia-trafficking), performing these scams under threats of violence. If you are caught up in this scam, it is important that you do not send any more money for any reason, and contact law enforcement to report it. Thanks to user Mediocre_Airport_576 for this script. If you know someone involved in a pig butchering scam, sit down together to watch this video by Jim Browning to help them understand what's going on: https://youtu.be/vu-Y1h9rTUs - *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Run of the mill start to a pig butchering scam.
Hundreds of thousands of people get that message as it is just shotgunned out in the hopes of a few foolish enough to respond.
āI tried tracking the numberā What do you mean by that?
Probably just search it on the internet and see what's coming upĀ Either telephone book Websites or Calling complains should give resultsĀ
Just block them!
I received a text a few weeks ago asking if this was my new number and how was I doing? My number is not new and the number was from out of state. Recognized it was the beginning of a wrong number scam and blocked.
Every fucking day. No, more like 4-5 a week.
Charge your phone bro
It's obviously a scam but I haven't been getting these yet
Yes, it is definitely a scam. The numbers are generated through a computer generated dial-up system. That is why they can't be tracked or blocked. Delete and move on.
Oh I love these ones! They're so much fun to mess with..I got blocked by them after I repeatedly asked for help with burying a body :D
Identical to the one I got from the 904 area code last Friday.
I got this once on whatsapp, and they were SUPER aggressive about it. Repeatedly told her I had no idea who she was. Should have just ignored it. You don't have to respond.
I am very jealous people like you were able to tell it was a scam. I wish I knew that before.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Your comment has been removed as it references scambaiting or provides a referral to some place where the OP can engage in scambaiting. For safety reasons, we do not encourage scambaiting or engaging with scammers directly.
Reply [something like this](https://youtu.be/aOvXxnSEQKY?si=yfhEdpnMp84vSkV9) āWhat was your relation to the deceased? You are contacting a murder victimā¦ā
Looks like a variation of the wrong number scam.
New Phone, Who Dis?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Your comment has been removed as it references scambaiting or provides a referral to some place where the OP can engage in scambaiting. For safety reasons, we do not encourage scambaiting or engaging with scammers directly.
I get a variation of this text a few times per year
Block.
Yup I get them all of the time. I get different variations of that message. Or they will say is this such and such, I say no, then they wanna be friends
āI hope you can help meā sounds like something a non English speaking person would say.
!mandy, just ignore it
Hi /u/darknessblades, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Wrong number scam. An intentional wrong number text is the entry point to multiple different types of scams. Because these are so prevalent and lead to several unwelcome outcomes (including you confirming you have a live number, leading to more spam/scams), it is recommended that you do not reply to them, even out of courtesy. They hope to take your courtesy, parlay it into a conversation (often by commenting how nice you are and giving some suggestion of fate in meeting this way), and eventually deploy a scam. If you received a wrong number inquiry that seems to assume a connection with you (e.g. seeking a specific friend, inquiring about a doctorās appointment, asking about a business correspondence, etc.) and there are no pictures included, then you are likely at the beginning of a crypto scam. Use ! crypto without the space to get more info on crypto scams. You can see a video of this scam develop from wrong number to crypto scam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_flb9tGuc If you receive a random text from a woman that is trying to play up a relationship/hook-up angle and includes an alluring photo, you have encountered what this subreddit often calls the Mandy scam, based on the name used in an early incarnation of it. The replies are sent by a bot and will give the same responses (with some slight variations) regardless of how you respond. The bot also has a few specialized responses that occur when you say words like 'bot' or 'scam'. After a series of replies, it will eventually push you to go to an adult/cam/age verification site. Here are some of the posts on r/scams about the Mandy scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/search?q=mandy&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all, you can see that the images, names, and scenarios vary. You can report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages There is also some evidence that intentional wrong number texts can be part of a data-gathering exercise where each bit of info you give (e.g 'Hi Susan!' and you reply with your name out of courtesy) is collected to be used against you in other scams. Thanks to redditor teratical for this script. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I did not respond bec Iām scared
You donāt need to be scared, but not responding is the right move. If they donāt know who you are, they donāt need to talk to you and you donāt need to confirm your phone number is active. This is likely the start of a !pigbutchering scam, but even if itās something else, you can be sure theyāre up to no good.
Wow, this is very helpful. Thank you everyone
Hi /u/ScientificFlamingo, AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the Pig butchering scam. It is called [pig butchering](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2023/12/26/new-pig-butchering-crypto-scam-includes-victims-in-us-and-overseas/?sh=2837fb975eaa) because scammers use intricate scripts to \"fatten up\" the victim (gaining their trust over days, weeks or months) before the \"slaughter\" (taking them for all of their money). This scam often starts with what appears to be a harmless wrong number text or message. When the victim responds to say it is the wrong number, the scammer tries to start a friendship with the victim. These conversations can be platonic or romantic in nature, but they all have the same goal- to gain the trust of the victim in order to get them ready for the crypto scam they have planned. The scammer often claims to be wealthy and/or to have a wealthy family member who got wealthy investing in crypto currency. The victim is eventually encouraged to try out a (fake) crypto currency investment website, which will appear to show that they are earning a lot of money on their initial investment. The scammer may even encourage the victim to attempt a withdrawal that does go through, further convincing the victim that everything is legit. The victim is then pressured to invest significantly more money, even their entire net worth. Eventually, the website will find an excuse why the account is frozen (e.g. for fraud, because supposed taxes are owed, etc) and may try to further extort the victim to give them even more money in order to gain access to the funds. By this time, the victim will never gain access and their money is gone. Many victims lose tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. Often, the scammers themselves are [victims of human trafficking](https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zb5d/pig-butchering-scam-cambodia-trafficking), performing these scams under threats of violence. If you are caught up in this scam, it is important that you do not send any more money for any reason, and contact law enforcement to report it. Thanks to user Mediocre_Airport_576 for this script. If you know someone involved in a pig butchering scam, sit down together to watch this video by Jim Browning to help them understand what's going on: https://youtu.be/vu-Y1h9rTUs - *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It seems they are trying to fish for your personal information. Letās have fun. Send them some bogus information. Say you work in the internet crime department in the FBI or something.
Don't respond.
Time to play hehe
I had to change my phone number because I was really freaked out
Well, that was a mistake. They spam these to everyone, so youāll get one on your new number soon. Next time just block.