Pig-Butchering Scam Kits Are for Sale in Underground Markets (bloomberg.com) 27
Cybercriminals are selling ready-made "pig-butchering" scam kits on the dark web to conduct "DeFi savings" cryptocurrency fraud, according to Sophos. The kits expedite scamming worldwide. In these scams, criminals build online relationships then persuade victims to invest in fake crypto schemes, manipulating them to drain digital wallets. The bundled kits contain websites enabling wallet access via Ethereum blockchain plus chat support posing as technical staff. Victims open legitimate crypto apps but enter malicious sites letting criminals steal funds. The report details the mass distribution of these DIY crypto fraud kits.
The second stage of any scam (Score:2)
The second stage of any scam is to package it up and sell it to others, once it's too much work and risk for too little profit. Ready-made scam kits are about on the same level as "guaranteed" lottery schemes.
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There are other reasons than "too little profit". For example, copycats deflect attention, or in strictly business terms add additional sources of revenue.
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I think that pig-butchering would not be allowed by some major religions.
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Apple?
Ran out of sucker money (Score:4, Insightful)
Looks like the core scammers ran out of easy marks to sell crypto shit to, so they are now selling their scammy shit to a different set of victims: people too dumb to create their own crypto scam so they buy someone else's to scam the easy marks that don't exist anymore. That set of people has been mined out. I don't feel bad at all for anyone who buys one of these scam kits and fails to find enough tertiary victims.
If you're playing poker and look around the table and can't identify the mark, it's you.
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Basically if these kits were still productive, then the guys sellin' em would be using them instead of sellin' em.
As regulatory surveillance is stepped up
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Same story with my mom. She's 85 and not nearly as sharp as she once was; she has me handle her money and stuff now. But she still doesn't click on anything, talk to anyone, answer unknown phone numbers and so on. If your dad and my mom are immune then there can't be anyone else left.
Oh btw, I've created this amazing new product that lets you setup your own Nigerian kingdom you can be the former prince of. With the help of this proven method, you too can acquire help from around the world to retrieve yo
Re: Ran out of sucker money (Score:2)
The same scenario ran with flooding audible etc with "made for you" flimflam books from writer mills.
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Don't believe it. There's always a new scam that you don't recognize. What you hope is that you'll hear about it (and believe it) before you fall for it.
These "pig butchering kits" may not be a new scam, but wait a year or so.
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They key it to be constantly suspicious and skeptical. Things in the modern world really are complicated for senior citizens, and they may be confused enough to believe that they have to pay for something using bitcoin or that they have to open a Coinbase account to pay off a loan they mysteriously don't remember having. That means being distrustful of emails that seem to be from your friends, or investment advice that is in a personal email message from your favorite presidential candidate, etc.
Play stupid games... (Score:1)
... win stupid prizes.
"DeFi Savings" - DeFi = Deregulated Finance (Score:1)
Remember kids, "DeFi" stands for Deregulated Finance.
Re: "DeFi Savings" - DeFi = Deregulated Finance (Score:3)
Defi explained simply: creator of the defi does whatever the fuck they want with your money.
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Naming (Score:3)
I feel like this might benefit from a better name. If I'm shopping for a pig butchering kit, I'm really looking for a block and tackle, gambrel hook, and the little sharpened mason-jar lid you use for scraping the hide after boiling.
why tho? (Score:2)
If you get that far just get them to send the funds to your defi scam. Stealing straight from their wallet is unnecessary.
Today is Ground Hog Day (Score:3)
B2B for crimes (Score:2)
Online crime has matured quite a bit if business-to-business services are the new rising star in the industry.
Senator Warren covered this (Score:2)
I gotta admit "Pig Butchering" has a nice ring, really draws your eyes in, and somehow it sounds vaguely foreign. Like something poorly translated from one of the Asian languages like Korean or Chinese. Silly as it sounds that phrasing will probably do
I ordered a pig butchering kit (Score:1)
Total scam, indeed, time someone investigated these people.
to be fair.... (Score:2)
To be fair, if some ad was offering a decent scalding tub, maybe some heavy duty heavy metal scrapers, a few sets of long gloves, a bone saw, some good sharp knives, maybe a grinder etc. at a good price I'd be interested and know quite a few others who would be too...
(if you've never dealt with a pig-on-the-hoof to make it into a pig-on-the-smoker, you scald the skin and then scrap the hair and top layer of skin off with a cinder block or other handy appropriate tool)