Mar 15, 2026
In January, San Francisco retiree Adan Look became Facebook friends with an account using the name Annissa.
Annissa was a self-described Japanese microchip salesperson with profile photos of a woman in her 20s. Annissa and Look messaged privately on WhatsApp where she called him ‘honey’, promised him a new life in Hawaii and invited him to invest in crypto.
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Look told ABC7 it was when he tried to withdraw his apparent $6 million from a crypto exchange and was told he needed $25,000 (that he did not have) to unlock it that “the bubble popped” (1). It turned out Look had nothing left.
Despite his prior experience volunteering to help seniors combat scams, and friends and family attempting to intervene, Look was firm in his belief that he was not being scammed.
This makes his story all the more chilling and serves as a reminder that romance scams can happen to anyone.
These scams are not uncommon
Romance scams like the one that happened to Look are known as pig butchering. These scams are drawn out over weeks or months, "fattening" the victim with loving words and promises and personal images before taking their money. And often, older adults are the victims.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), total fraud losses reported by adults ages 60 and over increased from $600 million in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2024. The FTC reported that “this increase was largely driven by reports of losses over $100,000" (2).
Additionally, the FBI’s Internet Crime Report stated that victims of relationship-related fraud ages 60 and over lost around $390 million in 2024 (3).
Money isn’t the only thing that pig butchering scams put at risk. Other stories of these kinds of scams have been linked to subsequent suicide and mental health crises due to how detrimental it can feel (4). That being said, it’s important to protect yourself and your loved ones from the havoc pig butchering and romance scams can cause.
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How to avoid being a victim of a romance scam
To avoid falling prey to a romance scam you need to remain vigilant in your use of social media and the internet in general. Here are some red flags to look out for to protect yourself:
- Unsolicited friend requests from unknown people
- A request to make your communication private, like on WhatsApp
- Romantic sentiments expressed early on in communication
- Unsolicited investment advice (5)
- Someone asking for money, especially by unusual methods like cryptocurrency
- Urgency expressed in requests for money
You can also perform reverse image searches using the profile photos that the suspicious account is using. If the photos are from a stock photo website or associated with multiple different names online, there is a high chance you may be getting scammed (6).
What to do if this is happening to you now
If you have already shared personal or financial information you may want to call your bank to freeze your accounts or dispute any suspicious transactions, as well as change usernames and passwords for digital banking accounts and social media.
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It is also important to report the suspected scam to the appropriate authorities such as local enforcement, the FBI and the FTC. Reporting your concerns may not recover lost funds but can help prevent further losses.
What to do if a loved one is being scammed
If you are concerned that someone you care about is being scammed, expressing this concern to them could be what they need to save them from losing money. Keep an eye out for sudden changes in behavior and lifestyle and note if they are talking about someone they have never met in person. These could be warning signs that your loved one is being scammed and needs help (7).
People who have been scammed may feel ashamed and defensive. So try to avoid direct confrontation about the scammer — the victim needs to be convinced to end the connection to the scammer themself.
You can ask questions like, ‘why won’t this person communicate via a zoom call?’ and ‘can you show me how to verify the crypto exchange is licensed?’ to encourage your loved one to think critically about the situation. And of course, you can contact appropriate authorities to report the scam.
Adan Look was “very ready to fly” and start a new life with someone he believed was real. But he “had to go down, back to earth” (1).
The further along these pig butchering schemes go, the harder the fall. This is why it’s essential to stay vigilant, on behalf of both yourself and people you care about.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
ABC7 (1); Federal Trade Commission (2); FBI (3); CNN (4); United States Secret Service (5); Cyber Fraud Hub (6); ScamWatch (7)
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For more than 10 years Lawrence has been writing about cybersecurity and cyber scams. He works closely with security experts and tech-industry professionals and translates their knowledge into content that all readers can understand and apply.
