Even this is likely to be an undercount, because we know of many who were victimized in 2020 and 2021 that did not know how or were too embarrassed/traumatized to report their losses. These individuals were typically recent Chinese immigrants who did not speak English well.
This matches the reported statistics in China, where 69% of Pig-Butchering scam victims were women, with ages concentrated between 25 and 40 years old. http://www.xinghuozhiku.com/59618.html
Why otherwise highly educated, working professionals are either the most targeted or fall victim the most will be subject of a future post.
In addition to the above updates, here are new insights into the psychological aspects of the scam:
Anecdotally, we know of a couple of victims outside of China who did follow through, but whose stories we cannot share, since their families have asked for privacy. There have been dozens of reported suicides from ShaZhuPan victims in China.
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