Santa Monica Software Developer Loses $740,000 in Pig Butchering Scam

Summary

Warren Dang, a Santa Monica software developer, lost $740,000 after a scammer posing as a romantic partner named 'Jenny' on a dating app lured him into a fake cryptocurrency investment platform. The scam unfolded over weeks as the scammer built emotional trust before convincing him to transfer escalating sums. Dang was among hundreds of Californians defrauded in pig butchering schemes that year, with statewide losses exceeding $1.1 billion in 2023.