Elderly Americans lose $4.5M to romance-based pig butchering scam websites in 2024

Summary

The U.S. Secret Service seized a second website linked to a "pig butchering" scam that defrauded primarily older Americans of over $4.5 million. The scam involves romance-based fraud, where scammers build trust before exploiting victims financially. The seizure occurred in 2024, as reported by Moneywise.com. The Secret Service has been actively targeting these scams, having previously seized another related website. The victims were predominantly elderly individuals, highlighting the vulnerability of this demographic to such financial fraud. The article also provides tips on how to protect loved ones from similar scams.