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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Stop sending money now. Do not pay another “tax,” withdrawal fee, verification deposit, or investment request. Contact the bank, credit union, payment app, wire-transfer company, cryptocurrency exchange, or crypto-ATM operator that handled each payment and say you were induced to send money by fraud. Ask whether the transaction can be stopped, recalled, reversed, or refunded. Recovery is uncertain, but acting quickly can prevent additional losses.
First, understand what happened
Pig-butchering scams are confidence-based investment fraud. A scammer builds a relationship over time, often through social or messaging platforms, then directs you to a convincing but fake trading website or app. The site may display profits and a growing account balance, while every request to withdraw money produces a new demand for taxes, fees, verification deposits, or additional investment. The displayed balance is not evidence that the money exists or can be withdrawn.
The FBI says victims typically lose the money invested and advises: “If you believe you’ve been a victim of this scam, stop sending money to the scammers.” You did not cause the fraud by trusting someone who manipulated you. The useful response now is to limit further loss, preserve evidence, and notify the organizations that may be able to act.
Do these actions in order
1. Cut off every further payment
Stop communicating about payment with the suspected scammer and do not follow new instructions. Do not send money to unlock an account, pay supposed government taxes, clear a withdrawal, prove your identity, or “recover” an earlier deposit. Do not warn the scammer that you are reporting them; preserving messages and transaction details is more useful than arguing.
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Block accounts only after you have saved the relevant conversations, profile names, telephone numbers, email addresses, website addresses, and files. If you are in immediate danger or someone is threatening you, contact local emergency services.
2. Contact every payment provider immediately
Use the telephone number or support channel you find independently on the institution’s official website, statement, or app. Do not use a number supplied by the person who solicited the investment. Tell the representative plainly that a scammer deceived you into authorizing the payment. Ask the provider to flag the transaction and explain whether a stop, recall, reversal, chargeback, or refund process is available.
| How you sent the money | Who to contact | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Bank or credit-union transfer | Your bank or credit union’s fraud department | Report the transfer as fraud immediately. Ask whether it can be stopped or reversed and whether the institution can seek a refund. |
| Payment app | The app company through its in-app fraud process or official support channel | Report that a scammer induced the transfer. Ask about reversal, dispute, or refund options and any information the company needs. |
| Wire transfer | The wire-transfer company that processed the payment | Explain that you were tricked by a scammer and request a refund or recall if one is still possible. |
| Cryptocurrency exchange | The exchange account or service used to send the crypto | Report the transaction as investment fraud immediately. Provide the transaction identifier and destination wallet, and ask what investigation or account-freezing options exist. |
| Crypto ATM | The operator of the specific ATM | Report the scam, provide the machine location, date, amount, receipt, and wallet information, and ask whether the operator can take any action. |
The outcome depends on the payment method, timing, and circumstances. A provider may not be able to retrieve funds, particularly after a cryptocurrency transaction has been confirmed. Asking is still worthwhile; neither a bank, exchange, police report, lawyer, nor private recovery service can promise that your money will be returned.
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3. Secure your accounts used in the scam
If you gave the scammer a password, reused one on another service, or allowed access to an email, banking, payment, or exchange account, change the affected credentials through the service’s official site or app. Review account activity and contact the relevant institution through an independently verified channel if you see an unfamiliar login or transaction. Do not provide one-time codes, recovery phrases, or additional identity documents to the person who ran the scheme.
Report the fraud through official channels
United States: IC3 and the FTC
For a U.S. victim of cryptocurrency investment fraud, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov. The FBI and IC3 specifically identify pig-butchering investment schemes as a form of cryptocurrency investment fraud. Include as much transaction and communication information as you can.
Also report consumer fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC’s fraud-reporting system helps document the scheme and provides guidance on the payment method involved.
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A local police report may help document what happened, but procedures differ by jurisdiction. The federal reporting routes above are U.S.-specific. If you live elsewhere, contact your local police or national cybercrime, consumer-protection, and financial-regulatory authorities; the U.S. agencies listed here do not serve as universal reporting bodies.
What to include in a report
- Dates, amounts, currencies, and payment methods for every transfer.
- The bank, credit union, payment app, wire company, exchange, or crypto-ATM operator involved.
- Transaction IDs, hashes, wallet addresses, deposit addresses, and receipts, when available.
- Names, usernames, telephone numbers, email addresses, and profile links used by the scammer.
- The website or app address for the supposed investment platform, plus screenshots of account balances and withdrawal demands.
- Copies of text messages, emails, chat exports, voice messages, and files showing the relationship and payment instructions.
This is a practical way to organize the information the FBI asks victims to provide, not an exhaustive official checklist. Keep the original files and make a separate backup. Do not edit screenshots in a way that removes dates, usernames, URLs, or transaction details.
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A pig-butchering platform can show fabricated profits to persuade you to deposit more. A demand for a “tax” or “clearance fee” before withdrawal is another payment request, not proof that your balance is real. Do not borrow money, liquidate other assets, or transfer cryptocurrency to satisfy it. Treat every new demand as part of the same fraud and send the information to your payment provider and reporting agencies instead.
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If the scammer says the account will be frozen because you reported the matter, that is pressure designed to keep you paying. Save the statement and stop responding. The FBI’s guidance is to stop sending money; it does not tell victims to pay a final amount to qualify for assistance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Expect recovery scams after you report
How recovery fraud works
The FBI warns that almost all victims are contacted by people running recovery-fraud schemes. A caller, emailer, or message may claim to be a government investigator, lawyer, blockchain specialist, or “hacker” who can retrieve your funds. The offer may require an upfront retainer, tax, filing fee, cryptocurrency transfer, remote-access session, or copies of identity documents.
The FTC warns consumers not to pay upfront to anyone promising to recover money. Recovery is not guaranteed, and an unsolicited service that promises a specific result is a warning sign. Do not give a second person access to your bank, exchange, email, or device merely because that person knows details of your first loss.
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How to verify an alleged official contact
If someone says they represent the FBI, FTC, a bank, or another authority, end the conversation and find the organization’s contact details independently on its official website. Call or submit a message through that channel to ask whether the contact is genuine. The FBI states that it will never ask for money, move communications to private messaging apps, or request bank-account details or personal identifying information. An unsolicited person who does any of those things is not made legitimate by knowing your case number or transaction history.
Keep a case file and a timeline
Create one chronological record while the details are fresh. Note when contact began, what the person promised, every deposit, each withdrawal attempt, every new fee demand, and when you contacted providers or agencies. Record case numbers, the representative’s name, date and time, and the response you received. Keep payment receipts and provider correspondence together with the original chat exports.
A clear timeline helps a bank or exchange understand that separate-looking transfers were part of one fraud. It also prevents you from relying on memory when an investigator asks for exact dates or amounts. Store the file somewhere the scammer cannot alter, and do not send the only copy to an unknown “recovery” contact.
What not to expect
- No guaranteed refund: Reporting a payment does not mean the provider can reverse it. Ask about available procedures without assuming they will succeed.
- No reliable private rescue: A recovery company cannot turn a promise into proof that funds are traceable or recoverable. Never pay an advance fee for that promise.
- No real value in the platform balance: A number shown on a site or app may be fabricated. Do not treat it as cash or as a reason to make another deposit.
- No universal U.S. process abroad: IC3 and the FTC are U.S. channels. Readers in other countries need their own law-enforcement and financial authorities.
If you are still being pressured
Use one short response, if any: “I will not send more money.” Then stop engaging. Preserve the messages, report the accounts through the platform where you encountered them, and direct any legitimate questions to your bank or the relevant official agency. Friends or family can help you review the timeline and verify that a new contact is not another recovery attempt. Avoid shame-driven decisions: the scam depended on manipulation, and the next safe decision is to stop the transfer, document the evidence, and use official channels.
Sources and official reporting links
- FBI guidance: “Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud,” including instructions to stop sending money, preserve transaction information, and watch for recovery fraud.
- FBI guidance: “Operation Level Up,” related information about pig-butchering schemes and recovery services.
- Federal Trade Commission: “What To Do if You Were Scammed,” with payment-method-specific contact steps.
- Federal Trade Commission: “Refund and Recovery Scams,” warning against advance-payment offers.
- Internet Crime Complaint Center: IC3.gov.
- FTC fraud reporting: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance: “Who do I contact for help with a scam or fraud?”
The immediate priority
Do not make another payment. Contact each payment provider through independently verified details, ask what stop or refund options exist, file the appropriate U.S. reports if you are in the United States, and preserve every transaction and message. Anyone who demands money before “recovering” your loss should be treated as a new scammer, not as the solution to the first one.
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