SAFETY
The 'Wrong Number' Text Is Now a $4B Scam Machine
That friendly misdial in your DMs is the opening move of pig-butchering crypto fraud — and under-35s are now the top target.
Losses from 'wrong number' romance-investment scams passed $4B annually, and complaint data shows under-35s overtook seniors as the most-victimized age group for the first time.
- The play: friendly misdial → weeks of chat → 'my uncle trades crypto' → fake exchange
- Under-35s now file more pig-butchering complaints than any other age group
- Median reported loss: $8,900 — usually savings moved in 3-5 'investment' rounds
- The fake exchanges show real-looking profits and even let you withdraw once, early
WHY THIS MATTERSThe tell is always the same: anyone who befriends you by 'accident' and eventually mentions investing is running the script. There is no exception. Screenshot, block, report — and warn the group chat.