Abstract
The pig-butchering scam, also known as Sha Zhu Pan (杀猪盘) in Chinese, is a distinctive form of online romance scam. It involves fraudulently enticing victims through fake online investment platforms and the use of romantic persuasion. While this crime is renowned for its innovative social engineering techniques, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the scammers' involvement in human trafficking, particularly their recruitment of vulnerable Chinese workers for illegal labor practices. Recognizing these overlapping identities, the current research aims to comprehensively understand the process of identity transformation experienced by these Chinese workers concerning their vulnerabilities and resilience. Using victim testimonial data from two prominent online sources, this study presents a four-stage model outlining the processes undergone by trafficked Chinese workers, leading to the development of a victim-offender identity. Additionally, this effort elucidates strategies employed by them to manage the unique identity subsequent to their escape from the base camp of the pig-butchering scam. The outcomes shed light on a significant criminogenic aspect within the pig-butchering scam, an area that has received limited attention thus far. This knowledge is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to the transformation of these individuals into scammers, thereby offering valuable insights for preemptive prevention and rehabilitation initiatives.
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Data Availability
The data collected for this publication is not publicly released.
Notes
It is advisable to employ a specialized term to describe this base camp, which is often referred to as a technology park and self-described as a high-tech corporation, thereby exhibiting a deceptive and misleading facade. These parks typically comprise various buildings serving for different purposes, maintain their own armed security personnel, institute a comprehensive organizational structure, and enforce strict access controls (Sohu 2023a, b, c).
The United Wa State Army, abbreviated as the UWSA or the UWS Army, is the military wing of the United Wa State Party, the de facto ruling party of Wa State in Myanmar. It is a well-equipped ethnic minority army of an estimated 20,000–30,000 Wa soldiers, led by Bao Youxiang.
A typical base camp of pig-butchering scam is divided into infield and outfield. Infield is consisted of those individuals working on talking to victims, manipulating the baits for fake investments or gambling. Outfield serves for those individuals working infield, is consisted of workers managing different gambling games, with the purpose of drain the money earned by those infield workers. The ultimate purpose is to benefit the head of pig-butchering scam.
This happens because the new company needs to pay additional 10,000 USD or even more to buy this worker. Thus, the additional amount is the number that the worker owned to the new company.
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Wang, F. Victim-offender overlap: the identity transformations experienced by trafficked Chinese workers escaping from pig-butchering scam syndicate. Trends Organ Crim (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-024-09525-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-024-09525-5