Rob Carlson:

Interesting (but entirely anecdotal) note since I started responding with human trafficking assistance resources to every incoming sha zhu pan (“pig butchering”) text message -- they have stopped completely. I believe I got added to some exclusion list the criminals pass around. So I can endorse this strategy on several levels now.

Pig butchering “is a type of online scam where the victim is encouraged to make increasing financial contributions over a long period,” often initiated via a text message or phone call with a seemingly random query—“Are you free tomorrow?” or “I found your number while checking my contacts. Did I save the wrong number, or have we chatted before? 😅”—which I got today.

These “misdirected” text messages and phone calls rely on our human tendency to be helpful (“sorry, wrong number”). Once you’ve responded, the scammer will strike up a conversation, which will eventually—perhaps weeks or months later—lead to a request to send or make money.

I usually block-and-report these messages and calls as spam, but Carlson takes a different approach, recognizing that the scammers are themselves often victims. From that aforelinked Wikipedia entry:

Perpetrators are typically victims of a fraud factory, where they are lured to travel internationally under false pretenses, trafficked to another location, and forced to commit the fraud by organised crime gangs.

In an effort to combat this, Carlson responds with this message:

Sometimes people who send messages like this aren’t doing it by choice, and are being forced or trafficked into it. If that’s what’s happening, you don’t have to tell me details but please know you can get help confidentially and for free. You can message @BeFree (233733) in the U.S. or visit humantraffickinghotline.org for local numbers in other countries. They can connect you with safety, shelter, and legal help without involving the police unless you want that.

The potential dual benefits of reducing scam texts and addressing one of the underlying causes have me reconsidering my block-as-spam approach—though I remain wary of engaging.

Others in the thread have noted that Carlson’s options are U.S.-centric, and they’ve suggested other global resources, including:

• Thailand (via badsamurai)
• Australia (via Stib)
• Norway (via Lemmus)

I expect several more resources will be added to the thread.

If you’re curious to learn more about pig butchering—and how to protect yourself from the scam—read these three articles:

• Stay Safe Online: What Is Pig Butchering And How To Spot The Scam (2024)
• investopedia: Pig Butchering Scams: What They Are and The Red Flags You Must Spot Early (2025)
• ProPublica: What’s a Pig Butchering Scam? Here’s How to Avoid Falling Victim to One (2022)

I’ll end with this advice from Investopedia:

If you have already invested money with someone you suspect may be a scammer, stop all communication with them immediately and contact your bank or financial institution to report the incident and discuss your options for recovering your funds. You should also report the scam to the appropriate authorities, such as the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

1. If you suspect you’ve fallen victim to a pig butchering scam, you should immediately take the following steps:

2. Stop all contact with the scammer immediately.

3. Notify your bank or broker and block any further payments to the scammer.

4. Report the crime to local law enforcement and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

5. Gather all documentation related to the scam (text messages, screenshots, financial records, etc.) to assist investigators.

6. Consider seeking counseling to help you cope with the emotional impact of the financial loss and the other effects of being scammed.