The scammers forced to steal people’s life savings – podcast

It tin commencement connected a making love app, societal media – aliases moreover a connection learning app. A alien starts a speech that complete weeks aliases moreover months blooms into an online relationship aliases more. At immoderate constituent nan chat turns to cryptocurrency. Well-known platforms aliases reputable virtual wallets are discussed and investments are made. By nan clip nan unfortunate realises they person been scammed, they person mislaid their savings.

The Observer journalist Shanti Das started investigating these alleged “pig butchering scams” pinch Niamh McIntyre of nan Bureau of Investigative Journalism. She tells Nosheen Iqbal really criminal gangs successful China utilization trafficking victims to defraud group astir nan globe. And really nan brace discovered that much than 150 clone UK firms were being utilized to allay victims’ suspicions.

How does it consciousness to suffer thousands to scammers – and what tin nan UK authorities do to extremity these scams flourishing?

Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

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