FBI Director Patel Vows to Track ‘Pig Butchering’ Scammers

FBI Director Kash Patel pledged the bureau will find and prosecute ‘pig butchering’ crypto scammers after U.S. agents seized 127,000 bitcoin and arrested more than 300 suspects in May during an operation the agency called Operation Blackout.

Patel wrote on social media: “Crypto Fraudsters have been scamming and taking advantage of the American people for too long. No more! This FBI will find you, and we will bring you to justice!”

Pig butchering scams rely on social engineering. Criminals build relationships on social media, messaging apps and dating platforms, gain a victim’s trust, then persuade them to move cryptocurrency into fake investment accounts or accounts controlled by the scammers. Law enforcement and victim advocates say these schemes often target older adults and younger users who may be less familiar with the tactics.

The May operation targeted fraud centers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The FBI reported it seized roughly $8 billion in cryptocurrency, including the 127,000 bitcoin haul, and arrested more than 300 suspects in locations such as Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand. Investigators said satellite internet service from Starlink aided coordination of some raids.

The bureau launched Operation Level Up in 2024 to identify victims and notify them. By December 2025, more than 8,000 potential victims had received FBI notifications, efforts the agency credited with stopping about $500 million in losses. The FBI also reported that 80 victims were referred for suicide intervention.

Officials said the May arrests and seizures will be followed by expanded victim alerts and actions to disrupt the networks behind the scams. Patel highlighted links between the fraud rings and human trafficking and directed investigators to track threats connected to those activities as they pursue additional suspects.

The FBI said it is working with international law enforcement partners and private technology providers to follow financial trails, disrupt accounts controlled by scammers and continue victim notification while prosecutions proceed.