Pig Butchering Crypto Scam Recovery Services

You’re Not Alone — Pig Butchering Scams Steal Millions Every Year. Our Specialist Solicitors Can Help Recover Your Lost Funds. No Win, No Fee. Free Consultation.

A pig butchering crypto scam is a long-term type of scam where scammers develop a relationship with their victim over several interactions, either online or by phone. Unlike one-off scams, they build trust with the victim, believing they are in a romantic relationship or even a friendship.

Once trust is established, the scammer introduces a fake cryptocurrency investment opportunity, promising huge returns. They often use fraudulent websites, apps, or platforms that display fake profits to convince the victim to invest repeatedly. When the victim either tries to withdraw funds or stops investing, the scammer disappears with the stolen money.

Unlike other common scams that pressure victims into transferring money immediately, pig butchering scams start with casual contact, often with no connection to money or investments. This lowers the victim’s guard, making them unsuspecting.

The two most common ways scammers make contact are:

1. Through Facebook or dating apps, where they build a fake romantic relationship.
2. Via a “wrong number” text or cold call that leads to a developing friendship.

After multiple interactions, the fraudster gains the victim’s trust and assesses their financial situation. Once they see potential, they introduce a so-called “investment opportunity,” often in cryptocurrency.

Scammers favour crypto because it’s hard to trace and has seen massive growth—supporting their false claims of high returns. They often pretend to have made huge profits themselves, encouraging the victim to do the same.

The victim is directed to a fake crypto trading platform or exchange and encouraged to “start small.” The fraudulent website will show fake profits, convincing them to invest more. In reality, all funds go straight to the scammer.

Some victims are tricked into transferring cryptocurrency they already own or buying crypto on a legitimate exchange before unknowingly sending it to the fraudster.

How Does the Scam End?

The fraud typically ends in one of two ways:

• The fraudster takes all they can and disappears. The fake website often mimics a real exchange, making it difficult to trace.
• The victim tries to withdraw funds and is hit with fake “withdrawal fees” or another obstacle, exposing the scam. At this point, the fraudster vanishes.

There are several clear warning signs that you may be a target of a pig butchering scam:

• Unexpected contact – You receive a “cold call” or text from someone claiming to have contacted you by accident, but they quickly try to develop a friendship or romantic relationship.
• Suspicious online relationship – You meet someone on a dating app or social media, but they avoid meeting in person, refuse video calls or won’t provide a traceable phone number, including a WhatsApp contact. Scammers use fake identities and avoid traceable communication to conceal who they really are. Since WhatsApp numbers can be tracked, they often prefer other messaging apps.
• Unusual interest in your finances – They ask detailed questions about your savings, pension, or which bank you use, which helps them gauge how much they can extract from you.
• Lack of social media history – Their social media presence doesn’t predate your contact, or they have no online history at all. Some scammers create fake social media profiles, but often, their digital footprint is suspiciously limited.
• Pressure to invest – After gaining your trust, they introduce an “investment opportunity” and urge you to act fast to avoid missing out. If someone you’ve never met in person pushes you to invest—especially in cryptocurrency—this is a major red flag. It’s almost certainly a scam, and you should cease all contact immediately.

Think You’re a Victim? Contact Our Expert Solicitors Now!

If you realise you’ve been scammed, take these three steps immediately:

• Stop all contact with the scammer – Block them on all platforms to prevent further manipulation.
• Contact your bank – If the funds were transferred recently, your bank may be able to stop or trace the transaction, especially if the payment was sent to another UK bank. However, crypto transactions are harder to recover.
• Report the fraud – Contact Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, either online at actionfraud.police.uk or by phone. While many crypto scammers operate from abroad, reporting quickly increases the chances of recovering funds or preventing others from falling victim.

Act Fast! Speak to a Specialist and Fight Back Against Crypto Scammers.

Step 1: FREE initial consultation to assess your claim.
Step 2: Evidence gathering to build the strength of your case.
Step 3: Presentation of your claim to your Bank and/or redress body.
Step 4: Handling negotiations with the Bank, or their legal representatives.
Step 5: Recovering your money.

We understand that being defrauded or scammed out of essential savings will be very distressing. More than anything, we are here to listen and here to help.

Free Consultation & No Win, No Fee
We start with a free, no-obligation consultation to assess your case. If we take it on, our No Win, No Fee policy means you only pay if we recover your money.

How We Maximise Your Chances of a Refund
We build the strongest case possible by carefully examining:

• Your communication with the scammer (calls, emails, messages).
• How you were misled and the tactics used.
• The details of your transfers and the reasons behind them.
• Who you believe you were dealing with (legitimate or fake).
• Your Bank’s response and whether they followed proper procedures.

By applying refund regulations, we help prove:

• You were not negligent.
• The scam was fraudulent from the start.
• Your Bank has a duty to compensate you.

Can You Claim a Refund Yourself?
Yes, you can complain to your Bank and escalate to the FOS for free. However, refund success rates vary widely—some Banks approve most claims, while others reject nearly all.

With our expertise, we ensure your claim is as strong as possible, increasing your chances of success. Get Expert Legal Support and a Free Case Review Today.

• Fake Crypto Funding Platforms – Fake crypto exchanges or clones of the real ones (like Coinbase or Binance), tricking victims into investing through fake accounts that show false profits to encourage further deposits.
• AI and Arbitrage Scams – Scammers promise guaranteed returns by using AI to exploit small crypto price differences across exchanges but steal the funds instead.
• Romance-Driven Investment Scams – A fraudster develops an online romantic relationship with the victim, gains their trust, and then persuades them to invest in a fake crypto scheme.
• Social Media and Messaging App Scams – Scammers use Facebook, Instagram, or messaging apps to build fake friendships or romantic relationships and promote fraudulent crypto schemes.
• Fake Brokerage Websites and Apps – Fraudsters create fake brokerage websites, often mimicking legitimate ones with fake accounts and profits to lure victims into investing before disappearing with their funds.
• Fake Financial Advisers and VIP Trading Groups – Scammers pretend to be financial advisers, using fake websites and social media groups, called “VIP Trading Groups” promising high returns to convince victims to transfer funds, which are ultimately stolen.

If you lost crypto to a pig butchering scam, take the first step – Contact Our Crypto Scam Recovery Solicitors Now!

The scam originated in China and South East Asia around 10 years ago. It is so-called because of the simile with pig butchering i.e. fattening a pig (building trust and slowly investing) and then slaughtering the pig (i.e. the fraudsters stealing funds and disappearing).

Losing money to a scammer can be distressing, but you can recover funds.

If you have reported the suspect transfer to your bank soon after, they may be able to stop the transfer, particularly if it is to another UK bank.

You can also seek a refund from your bank that made the transfer. The UK banking regulators have set out rules and requirements to be eligible for this. Please see our section above on “How we help you Recover your funds from a pig butchering crypto scam”.

There are various ways to protect yourself. The biggest red flag is when someone you’ve met online asks you to invest in crypto, promising high or guaranteed returns.

Never invest based on the say-so of someone who approached you through social media, dating, or messaging apps. Always seek independent financial advice from an FCA-regulated adviser before investing your money. To verify if a crypto platform is legitimate, see our Fake Crypto Exchange Scams page.

Before sending any money, check if the online relationship is genuine by:

• Meeting in person.
• Arranging a video call.
• Reviewing their social media history for older posts on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.

If they avoid meeting or sharing basic details, be extremely cautious.