Text scams

"Wrong number" text scams and crypto romance (pig butchering)

6 min read · Updated November 11, 2026

"Hi Linda, are we still on for dinner Saturday?" You're not Linda, so you reply to let them know. They apologize, thank you for being kind, and keep chatting. Weeks later, your new friend is showing you how much they've made trading crypto, and offering to teach you.

This is often called "pig butchering": the scammer spends weeks or months "fattening up" a victim with attention and trust before taking everything they can. It's one of the costliest scams in the country.

What the first text looks like

The opener is designed to look like an innocent mistake (illustrative examples):

"Hi, is this Dr. Lin's office? I'd like to confirm my appointment for Thursday."
"Mike, it's Jenny. Are we still playing golf tomorrow morning?"
"Hey! Long time no see. When are you free for coffee?"
Sometimes just a photo, or "Hi" from a number you don't know.

How the scam unfolds

The apology: when you say it's the wrong number, they're warm and polite. "Sorry to bother you! You seem really nice. Where are you based?"
The friendship: they move the chat to WhatsApp, Telegram or another app. They share photos of an attractive, successful life: travel, nice cars, good food. They text every day.
The romance or mentorship: it often turns romantic, or they become a trusted friend. Either way, they never seem able to video call or meet.
The opportunity: they casually mention making money trading crypto, gold or foreign currency, often thanks to an "uncle" or "expert" with inside knowledge. They offer to teach you.
The platform: you're sent to an app or website that looks like a real trading platform. You start small, see impressive "profits", and may even be allowed to withdraw a little to build trust.
The squeeze: you're encouraged to invest more: savings, retirement money, loans. When you try to withdraw, there are "taxes", "fees" or a "frozen account" to pay first. Then the platform and the person disappear.

Why it's so costly

In its 2025 Internet Crime Report, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center said cryptocurrency investment fraud was the single highest source of financial losses to Americans that year, with $7.2 billion reported. The FBI says these scams are largely run by organized criminal groups based in Southeast Asia, often using victims of human trafficking as forced labor, and that they typically start with text messages, social media, ads or dating apps.

Don't reply to wrong-number texts. The FTC warns that answering, even just to say "wrong number", confirms your number is active and can lead to more calls and texts. Delete it, block the sender and move on. And as the FTC puts it: if someone you've only met online wants to show you how to invest in crypto, or asks you to send them crypto, it's a scam.

Red flags

A stranger who keeps chatting after a "wrong number" text.
A push to move the conversation to WhatsApp, Telegram or another app.
Photos that look like a model or an influencer, and excuses for never video calling.
Talk of easy, guaranteed returns from crypto, gold or currency trading.
An investment app or website you've never heard of, recommended by them.
Fees or taxes you must pay before you can withdraw your own money.
Pressure to keep it secret from family, or to borrow money to invest more.

How to check an investment

Before you invest with anyone, check whether the person or firm is registered using FINRA's free BrokerCheck (brokercheck.finra.org) or the SEC's Investor.gov. Search the platform's name with the word "scam". And talk to someone you trust in real life. Scammers work hard to isolate their victims for a reason.

If you've already invested

Stop sending money, including any "withdrawal fees" or "taxes". Paying more won't release your funds.
Save everything: chat screenshots, the platform's website and app name, wallet addresses, transaction IDs and bank records.
Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov as soon as you can, with as much of that detail as possible.
Contact your bank and any crypto exchange you used to buy the crypto, and report the fraud.
Beware of "recovery" services. People who've lost money are often targeted again by fake lawyers, hackers or "asset recovery" firms who promise to get it back for a fee. That's another scam.

There's no shame in this. These are professional operations with scripts and teams. See what to do if you've been scammed for more support.

Where to report

The FBI at ic3.gov.
The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Forward the original text to 7726 (SPAM), and report the account in WhatsApp, Telegram or whatever app they used.

You can paste any suspicious message into our Scam Text Checker before you reply.

Got a "wrong number" text from a stranger? Don't answer it. Report the number on ShadyCall instead and paste the message. The same opener goes out to thousands of phones, and every report makes the pattern easier to see under scam texts.