It started on SayHi. She called herself Alicia Lindseyx — new to Seattle, fresh start, living in a nice building on Capitol Hill. Within minutes she wanted to move to Telegram.
The messages came fast and warm: “You’re handsome.” “I’m excited to know a lot about you.” Before I knew it, she was talking about cuddling, late-night talks, even singing me to sleep.
On paper, it was a dream. Too much of a dream.
She told me she lived in the Three20 Apartments on Pine Street, walking distance from the Paramount Theater. So I asked about it — the kind of small talk any Seattle local could handle. Her answer?
“I’m need here.”
It was meant to be “I’m new here.” But the typo wasn’t the problem. The problem was that it was all she had. No memories, no shows, no neighborhood details. Just a cover story.
And then came the cracks.
She wanted more photos of me — specific poses — but dodged when I asked for a short video saying my name. Her English shifted from clumsy to polished and back again, like more than one person was behind the keyboard. She pinged me at 2:41 in the morning, then “good morning” a few hours later. That’s not a Seattle sleep schedule. But it fits Asia’s daytime perfectly.
The final clue was the oddest: she mentioned she’d been tied up with “other investors.” Not friends. Not colleagues. Investors. That’s when the mask slipped.
Pig-Butchering and the Chinese Connection
This wasn’t a lonely woman in Seattle. This was the start of a pig-butchering scam — a con that fattens victims with romance before luring them into fake crypto investments.
And these aren’t one-off scammers freelancing from their bedrooms. Investigators have tied pig-butchering scams to large Chinese crime syndicates. Here’s how it works:
- Base of operations: Many of these groups run from compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos — regions where law enforcement is weak or corruptible.
- Chinese leadership: The funding, structure, and technology often come from Chinese organized crime groups. They design the scripts, build the fake investment websites, and move the stolen money through complex laundering networks.
- Trafficked labor: Thousands of young workers — some Chinese, some from other countries — are lured with fake job ads. Once inside the compounds, their passports are taken, and they’re forced under threat of violence to run scams online.
- Playbooks: Workers are given pre-written dialogue for romance, friendship, and financial conversations. That’s why Alicia’s tone shifted — multiple operators might have been using the same account, each sticking to a script.
Billions of dollars have been stolen worldwide through these networks. U.S. authorities warn that this has become one of the fastest-growing forms of international fraud. What looks like a casual chat with someone in Seattle is actually a highly organized operation, powered by Chinese syndicates half a world away.
Lessons Learned
- A real Seattle address doesn’t make someone real.
- If they can’t answer basic local questions, assume the worst.
- Timelines that don’t match their claimed location are a red flag.
- “Investor” talk in a romance chat is the gateway to pig-butchering scams.
⚠️ Warning
If someone online seems perfect, moves too fast, and dodges proof like a simple video chat, step back. And if “investor” or “crypto” sneaks into the conversation, you’re not talking to a soulmate — you’re talking to a syndicate.
Report scams to the FTC or FBI IC3.
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