Ahmet Tozal defrauded of 400,000 Turkish lira via UAI Coin pig-butchering scam

Summary

Ahmet Tozal, a 44-year-old Turkish garment worker, was scammed out of 400,000 Turkish lira (about a year's salary) in 2023 by a pig-butchering scam involving a fake cryptocurrency called UAI Coin. The scam began with a random WhatsApp message from a woman who claimed to be a wealthy businesswoman and eventually convinced him to invest. The scam, which originated in China, involves building a relationship with the victim before persuading them to invest in a fake asset. Tozal lost everything and moved to Uzbekistan to find work and pay off debts. He is one of many victims globally; others, including a Kazakhstani restaurant manager and an Indian pharmaceutical worker, also lost significant sums. Scam gangs, often based in Southeast Asia, are known to use trafficked individuals to pose as attractive women in these schemes.