WhatsApp Scam Reports
Wrong Number / Pig Butchering
What is a Wrong Number / Pig Butchering scam?
A friendly "sorry, wrong number" message from a stranger who keeps the chat going, builds trust over weeks, and eventually steers you toward a fraudulent crypto or trading platform. The long grooming phase before any money is mentioned is the tell — worth reporting even at the friendly stage.
1 report on file · refreshed live on every request · most recent
Red flags to watch for
- A "wrong number" message from a stranger keeps the conversation going instead of apologizing and stopping.
- They steer small talk toward your job, income, or free time over several days or weeks.
- Eventually a trading, crypto, or investment "opportunity" comes up, often framed as a favor or insider tip.
- There's no rush at first -- the friendliness itself is the setup, which is what makes it easy to miss.
What to do
Treat sustained friendliness from an unexpected contact as the red flag, not the reassurance -- a real wrong number apologizes and the conversation ends. Don't be talked into installing a trading app or moving funds anywhere a friendly stranger recommends.
How common this is, officially
IC3's "Investment" category received 72,984 complaints in 2025, with reported losses of $8.6 billion.
— FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report
"[The] combined annual loss from scam offences across East Asia, South-East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand is estimated at between US$ 88.3 billion and 114.1 billion for 2025" — the scam-center economy behind most pig butchering operations.
— UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment for South-East Asia 2026
Reports tagged Wrong Number / Pig Butchering
1 report filed under Wrong Number / Pig Butchering, most recently on . Wrong Number / Pig Butchering ranks #6 of 6 scam types on file by report volume.
- 1🇺🇸 United States1 report
1 matching report
Frequently asked questions
How is a scam type determined for a report?
The reporter selects it when filing, from a fixed list of common patterns -- not inferred automatically from the notes.
What if a report matches more than one pattern?
Reporters pick the single closest match. Read the notes on each report for the full description, which often blends more than one tactic.
How often is this page updated?
Immediately — every count here reflects the reports on file in real time, not a periodic snapshot.
Report this to official agencies
This case file is a self-reported community record, not an official investigation. If you were targeted, consider also filing a report with a national or international fraud authority:
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)United States
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)United States
- Action FraudUnited Kingdom
- Scamwatch (ACCC)Australia
- Canadian Anti-Fraud CentreCanada
- CERT NZNew Zealand
- National Cyber Crime Reporting PortalIndia
- ScamShieldSingapore
- Anti-Deception Coordination CentreHong Kong
- EuropolEuropean Union
- INTERPOLGlobal
- econsumer.gov (ICPEN)Cross-border complaints