CKN Knowledge Session - How Pig-Butchering Scams are Spreading from China to the Netherlands

Digital fraud has become a pressing issue worldwide, transcending cultural and geopolitical boundaries. One of the newer forms is the “pig-butchering” scam, a sophisticated online fraud scheme where victims—often approached on social media and dating apps—are slowly manipulated into making fraudulent cryptocurrency investments. These scams, which first emerged in China, have now expanded globally, affecting thousands of victims—including in the Netherlands.  They have become more challenging with the help of AI, as seen in a recent case where a French interior designer was conned out of €830,000 by an AI-deep-faked Brad Pitt.  

Beyond their financial impact, pig-butchering scams are also a major human rights concern. Many of the operations behind these frauds rely on forced labour in Southeast Asian “scam parks”, with trafficked individuals coerced into running scams under brutal conditions. The few who have escaped describe experiences of torture, debt bondage, and sexual abuse.

Our keynote speaker will be Dr Rao Yichen, an expert in digital deception and economic anthropology. Dr Rao will provide a deep dive into:

🔹 How the semiotics of digital deception operate across cultures
🔹 The expansion of pig-butchering scams beyond China to Dutch society
🔹 The economic and human rights implications of these scams
🔹 How we can design sustainable anti-scam strategies using anthropological insights