A woman in the Bay Area of the United States fell victim to a cryptocurrency “pig-butchering” romance scam, being induced to transfer nearly $1 million. She only realized the scam and called the police after seeking help from ChatGPT. The victim made transfers from her retirement fund and a second mortgage, including an initial $15,000, a $490,000 IRA withdrawal, and an additional $300,000 mortgage. The funds were ultimately sent to Malaysia. The scammer built long-term trust under the guise of an online romance, then lured her into investing in a fake crypto platform, forging profit dashboards to urge her to increase her investment. U.S. regulators report that such “romance + crypto investment” scams are still growing rapidly. In 2024, losses suffered by American seniors reached $9.3 billion, with a very low rate of cross-border fund recovery. (Decrypt)