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Lawmakers and former FBI agent warn of rise in ‘pig butchering’ scams, call for more resources to help seniors
Summary
Witnesses described ‘pig butchering’ romance-investment scams, scam compounds in Southeast Asia, and human trafficking linked to transnational fraud rings. Lawmakers sought more local–federal coordination, technology partnerships and expanded elder-justice task forces.
Lawmakers and former federal investigators told a joint Senate–House hearing on Oct. 12 that organized criminal networks — some operating in Southeast Asia and tied to actors in China — are running sophisticated "pig butchering" scams that have cost older Americans billions and routinely cross international borders.
The hearing focused on how scammers gain victims’ trust with romance or investment ruses, then push them into fake platforms and apps that drain savings. "They are looking at our seniors like animals that they are fattening for slaughter," Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, describing the method she and colleagues called "pig butchering."
Why it matters: Witnesses said the scope of elder fraud has reached epidemic proportions and that domestic law enforcement lacks the resources to investigate most leads. They urged expanded elder-justice task forces, stronger public–private partnerships for rapid data sharing, and international…
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