Wanted
The Pig Butcher
a.k.a. the "wrong number" that got friendly
- The play
- A stray text becomes a friendship, becomes investment tips, becomes a slick crypto platform. Small deposits "grow." You can even withdraw once — that's the bait. Then you go big, and the site and your new friend evaporate.
- The tell
- A stranger whose affection arrives bundled with a trading platform you can't find independently.
- Your move
- Never invest through a link a stranger sent you. Real exchanges don't come with a personal coach.
Wanted
The Fake Boss
a.k.a. "urgent & confidential" from the CEO
- The play
- An email or text that sounds exactly like your boss: pay this new vendor account today, or grab gift cards for a client, quietly and fast.
- The tell
- The unholy trinity: urgency, secrecy, and a changed account number. Any one is a flag. All three is a siren.
- Your move
- Verify on a channel you already had — call the number you know, not the one in the message. No real boss ever got mad at a confirmation call.
Wanted
The Tech Support Ghost
a.k.a. the pop-up with a phone number
- The play
- A blaring pop-up says you're infected — call "Microsoft." The nice technician remotes in, "refunds" you too much by shuffling money between your own accounts, then tearfully asks you to send back the difference.
- The tell
- Real virus warnings don't include phone numbers. Real refunds don't need your help to be corrected.
- Your move
- Never let a caller remote into your machine. Close the tab, reboot, and change passwords from a device you trust.
Wanted
The Romance Ghost
a.k.a. in love, abroad, and in trouble
- The play
- Months of devotion by text. The camera never quite works, the visit keeps slipping — then comes the emergency only a wire transfer, gift cards, or crypto can fix.
- The tell
- Love that always has a reason you can't meet — and eventually arrives with an invoice.
- Your move
- Reverse-image-search the photos. Tell a friend in person — cons need isolation. Never send money to someone you've never met.
Wanted
The Rug Puller
a.k.a. guaranteed returns, limited time
- The play
- An exclusive token, a private fund, a countdown clock. Early "profits" appear in your dashboard — often just your own deposit, waved around as proof — until the whole thing folds with everyone's money inside.
- The tell
- "Guaranteed" is a confession. Markets don't guarantee. Pressure plus secrecy completes the trifecta.
- Your move
- Nothing legitimate expires in ten minutes. If you can't explain exactly how it makes money, it makes money from you.
Wanted
The Voice Clone
a.k.a. the grandkid in trouble, 2.0
- The play
- A panicked call in a voice you'd swear is your kid or grandkid — accident, arrest, bail, "please don't tell mom." Modern tools can fake a voice from seconds of audio pulled off social media.
- The tell
- Panic, secrecy, and payment by wire, gift card, or crypto — the three horsemen again.
- Your move
- Hang up and call them back on their real number. Better: agree on a family code word today, while nothing is wrong.