AI and the Romantic Trap: How Cryptocurrency 'Pig Butchering' Scams Leave Investors with Nothing

Source: TokenPost Original Title: AI·Romance·Bitcoin Armored ‘Pig Butchering Scam’… Investors Lose Entire Retirement Funds Original Link:

The Deadly Combo of Emotional Manipulation and Investment Fraud

A Bitcoin investor lost all their retirement assets in a ‘pig butchering scam’ that combines emotional manipulation and artificial intelligence technology. This incident once again exposes the real threat of new types of cryptocurrency scams.

( Multiple Warnings Failed to Prevent Tragedy

Terence Michael, an advisor at a Bitcoin consulting firm, disclosed on social media that a client lost all their Bitcoin to a woman they met online. Michael stated, “I tried multiple times via phone and messages to stop the transfer, but ultimately the client lost all their assets.”

The woman, claiming to be a ‘trading expert,’ promised to double the Bitcoin, then spent several days cultivating a romantic relationship to gain trust. The investor not only transferred Bitcoin but also booked a flight to meet her. However, after receiving the funds, she immediately admitted to using fake photos and AI technology to forge her identity and then disappeared.

) A New Global Threat

In 2024, approximately 200,000 pig butchering scam cases were reported worldwide, with total losses reaching $5.5 billion. The U.S. Department of Justice seized $225 million related to such scams this June.

Worse still, these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated through deep integration with AI technology. According to the ‘2025 Anti-Fraud Report’ jointly released by leading exchanges, security agencies, and blockchain analysis firms, 87 AI-driven scam organizations were dismantled in the first quarter of this year. The report warns that the use of AI-generated deepfake videos, fake video calls, and malicious code in recruitment messages to establish ‘face-less trust’ is rapidly increasing.

AI-driven cryptocurrency scams caused losses of up to $4.6 billion in 2024.

Two Deadly Traps

Investors with assets are more susceptible to external temptations and carefully crafted emotional manipulation. The victim in this case was emotionally unstable after divorce and was ultimately deceived by a scammer pretending to be an ideal partner. This is a common feature of new scams: personal emotional connections become the attack point.

Industry experts warn that advances in AI technology are empowering these scams, and anyone could become a victim. Special caution should be exercised regarding investment advice from strangers promising high returns or showing excessive concern, and professional consultation should be sought.

( Key Insights

• Any high return promised by strangers should raise suspicion
• SNS and online investment proposals should never be transferred before professional review
• Emotions and investment decisions should not be mixed
• Even multiple warnings may not prevent actions by manipulated investors