The nature, organisation, and control of pig butchering fraud

This PhD lightning talk will present current research on the human and systemic dynamics behind pig-butchering fraud within the research theme, "The Human at the Heart of Cybersecurity." This sophisticated crypto-investment fraud-cum-romance scam exploits social engineering, digital trust, and global financial networks. The study highlights cultural dynamics, particularly guanxi within the Chinese diaspora, influencing trust and exploitation in digital networks and social structures. Orchestrated by transnational organised crime groups and nation-state actors and supported by professional enablers, these schemes blend mass-marketed investment fraud, money laundering-as-a-service and human trafficking, creating widespread societal and economic harm at a global scale.
Focusing on the UK and Canada, this research will integrate script analysis, network analysis and offender profiling to identify vulnerabilities in criminal networks for disruption and fragmentation. Exploring human behaviours, such as fraud susceptibility and enforcement challenges, provides insights into regulatory and law enforcement strategies to control multijurisdictional cyber-enabled economic crime.