INTERPOL says we should rename pig butchering to romance baiting to avoid victim shaming
There are always lots of financial scams running online, and pig butchering is currently one of the most commonly used techniques for parting victims from their money.
But INTERPOL doesn’t like the term, saying it is shaming and puts people off reporting crime. The international crime-fighting agency believes that a shift to the rather fluffier sounding “romance baiting” is important.
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Pig butchering is often a long game which involves tricking a victim into believing they are entering into a serious online relationship. As this fake relationship develops, a victim is encouraged to invest in fake financial schemes, send money to their “lover” -- and the money is lost. The sweetening up of the victim is the virtual fattening of the pig; executing the scam and extracting money is the butchering.
INTERPOL says that it “is calling for a shift in language to combat online relationship and investment frauds, advocating for the term 'romance baiting' to replace the widely used but stigmatizing 'pig butchering'”. The agency says that the term “dehumanizes and shames victims of such frauds, deterring people from coming forward to seek help and provide information to the authorities”.
The agency offers a suggestion:
In contrast, the term 'romance baiting' -- which is already used by some law enforcement agencies and online safety experts -- acknowledges the sophisticated tactics and emotional manipulation used by fraudsters to build trust with their victims. It places the spotlight squarely where it belongs: on the actions of the perpetrators, rather than those of the victims.
INTERPOL says that “words matter” and supporters point to successes with the changing use of language around sexual crimes in boosting rates of reporting.
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