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Scam Techniques in Pig Butchering Scams: Case Study

Martina Dove (2024) — SSRN Electronic Journal

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DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5015196 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Journal Article
Country:   United States
Tags:   Case Study, Crypto Investment Scam, Cryptocurrency Investment, Emotional Abuse, Grooming, Online Fraud, Persuasion, Persuasion Techniques, Pig Butchering, Romance Investment Fraud, Romance Scams
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Examines experiences, meanings, or processes, often through interviews or observations. It can explain how something happens without estimating how common it is.
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Synopsis

            
Qualitative case-study analysis of three conversations from one pig butchering scam. Methods included transcript review, coding for known and novel scam techniques (e.g., authority, urgency, altercasting), examination of conversational flow and control, and alignment with existing literature on fraud and grooming. The conversations lasted more than one year, continued despite the victim's attempts to stop, and resulted in a loss of $107,500. Praise and future plans for cooperation gradually shifted to berating, humiliation, shame, and pressure for larger investments when the victim did not comply. Limitations include a single-case design with limited generalizability, potential transcript/translation nuances, and lack of victim-side data.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
Explicit gaps include the single-victim design limiting generalizability and the absence of victim-side factors. The paper recommends larger, multi-conversation analyses and simultaneous study of perpetrator and victim dynamics to achieve a more comprehensive understanding.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
Qualitative case-study analysis of three conversations from one pig butchering scam. Methods included transcript review, coding for known and novel scam techniques (e.g., authority, urgency, altercasting), examination of conversational flow and control, and alignment with existing literature on fraud and grooming.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
Limitations include a single-case design with limited generalizability, potential transcript/translation nuances, and lack of victim-side data. Findings may not capture all scam techniques, and results may reflect context-specific dynamics rather than universal patterns.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Future studies should analyze larger numbers of conversations to validate the findings, and examine victim factors alongside perpetrator techniques. Additional work could compare pig butchering with other romance-fraud variants, explore cross-cultural differences, and assess interventions or preventive measures in broader contexts.

          

              

    
    

        
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