- Think Twice: words matter to the victims of fraud
LYON, France – INTERPOL is calling for a shift in language to combat online relationship and investment frauds, advocating for the term ‘romance baiting’ to replace the widely used but stigmatizing ‘pig butchering’.
The term comes from fraudsters referring to their victims as ‘pigs’ – those they gradually ‘fatten up’ by luring them into a fake romance or friendship before ‘butchering’ them by convincing them to invest, often in fake cryptocurrency schemes.
Once victims invest significant sums of money, they are manipulated further or abruptly cut off, often leaving them with devastating financial losses as well as psychological harm.
INTERPOL argues that the term ‘pig butchering’ dehumanizes and shames victims of such frauds, deterring people from coming forward to seek help and provide information to the authorities.
In contrast, the term ‘romance baiting’ – which is already used by some law enforcement agencies and online safety experts – acknowledges the sophisticated tactics and emotional manipulation used by fraudsters to build trust with their victims. It places the spotlight squarely where it belongs: on the actions of the perpetrators, rather than those of the victims.
INTERPOL acting executive director of police services Cyril Gout, said:
“Words matter. We’ve seen this in the areas of violent sexual offences, domestic abuse, and online child exploitation. We need to recognize that our words also matter to the victims of fraud. It’s time to change our language to prioritize respect and empathy for the victims, and to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes.”
Dr Elisabeth Carter, associate professor of criminology and forensic linguist, Kingston University London, said:
“Academic research clearly shows the links between the tactics of fraudsters and of perpetrators of domestic abuse and coercive control. It is imperative that we do not adopt the terminology of these criminals but instead use terms that assist public protection and support victim reporting.”
INTERPOL’s call to action on abandoning the term ‘pig butchering’ is part of its ongoing Think Twice campaign, which raises awareness about online safety and vigilance when interacting online.
The awareness campaign includes a series of short videos highlighting five rising online threats: ransomware attacks, malware attacks, phishing, generative AI frauds and romance baiting.
