[carlosjobim]

In almost every scam there is an element of "grey legal area", where the victim thinks that they are doing something slightly illegal or completely illegal and that's why it is going to pay out so well for them. That is to make sure victims don't tell police or really anybody. "Hey I was putting all my money into this criminal scheme, but instead I got scammed, can you help me?"

That is why we have the old saying: "You can't fool an honest man"

[digging]

> In almost every scam there is an element of "grey legal area", where the victim thinks that they are doing something slightly illegal or completely illegal

That isn't true of pig-butchering scams, or in general.

> That is why we have the old saying: "You can't fool an honest man"

The saying is "You can't cheat an honest man". And it's also bullshit. Don't trust old sayings; you can quote me on that.

[carlosjobim]

How are you so sure, and why are you so angry as to rage against old sayings? The pig butcher scammers might very well tell their victims that the supposed crypto investments are not allowed in China, to make them seem more lucrative.

[orwin]

No, that's not how it works.

The most effective way is to get a 'finance' app approved on the Apple/Google store (which is easy), then you send your victims there after grooming them for multiple weeks, then show above average returns, but not exceptional ones, so they keep depositing their savings, then when they try to withdraw, you make a message like 'you have to pay 40% taxes on your total earnings, please deposit that much before you can withdraw'.

That's why I think 'pig butchering', despite the negative connotation, is accurate. Yes, grooming is part of the scam, but it isn't the majority of it.

[digging]

> How are you so sure?

No, you're the one who made a claim unsupported by TFA, that victims usually believe they're acting illegally.

The scammers might very well tell everyone carlosjobim put them up to it. You can't just assume something is happening because it technically could happen.

[carlosjobim]

I was talking about why victims are many times reluctant to talk to the police or others when they've been scammed. My comment was not in response to the article, but to another comment.

Frankly you seem to be looking for some kind of argument where there is none.

[digging]

It just looks like I'm more upset than I am because of how I write.

Your comment claimed that most scam victims believed they were doing something illegal; I don't think that's a reasonable claim without evidence.

[carlosjobim]

If not most, then very many of the victims when it comes to scams for large amounts of money. There's good reason for this, if the victim wants to keep their dealings secret then there's less risk that somebody finds out and tells them they're being scammed.