Cryptocurrency Romance Scam Victim Loses 90% of Retirement: Chris's Pig Butchering Story
Stolen Podcast19 Aug 2025

Cryptocurrency Romance Scam Victim Loses 90% of Retirement: Chris's Pig Butchering Story

In this eye-opening episode of the Stolen Podcast, host Erin West interviews Chris Colocousis, a romance scam survivor who lost 90% of his retirement savings to a sophisticated cryptocurrency investment fraud known as "pig butchering."

Chris shares his detailed story of how what began as a Facebook friend request from an attractive woman led to months of manipulation, fake cryptocurrency trading platforms, and devastating financial loss. Learn about the red flags he missed, the psychological tactics scammers use, and why even crypto.com's fraud warnings couldn't stop the theft.

Key topics covered:

  • Romance scam red flags and manipulation tactics
  • How fake cryptocurrency trading apps steal money
  • Why moving conversations to WhatsApp is a warning sign
  • The failure of law enforcement and banks to recover stolen funds
  • How scammers use deepfakes and sophisticated technology
  • Steps to take if you've been victimized by financial fraud

This episode serves as both a cautionary tale and educational resource for anyone using social media or considering cryptocurrency investments. Chris's story demonstrates how these transnational organized crime networks target everyday Americans with devastating effectiveness.

Episoder(50)

Scam Crackdown in Cambodia: How a Nation Became Ground Zero for Global Scam Slavery

Scam Crackdown in Cambodia: How a Nation Became Ground Zero for Global Scam Slavery

When no one believed them, The Eyewitness Project's Nathan and Lindsay kept reporting. Now the world is paying attention. Erin West talks with the investigative journalists whose frontline work in Cam...

1 Apr 44min

Inside the Scam: How Social Engineers Steal Millions—and What You Can Do About It

Inside the Scam: How Social Engineers Steal Millions—and What You Can Do About It

Fraud Detective Marc Evans provides insight into how scammers use social engineering to scam individuals and businesses. Episode 46: Erin West sits down with Marc Evans, an active metropolitan fraud d...

25 Mar 52min

It's Not Your Fault: AARP Fraud Expert Amy Nofziger on Scam Victims, Shame, and Healing

It's Not Your Fault: AARP Fraud Expert Amy Nofziger on Scam Victims, Shame, and Healing

AARP’s Amy Nofziger outlines why scams keep working, who they really target, and what actually helps people heal. Amy Nofziger has spent 24 years running AARP's Fraud Watch Network Helpline — and the ...

18 Mar 42min

When Seeing Is No Longer Believing: Deepfakes, AI Deception, and the Scam Economy with Perry Carpenter

When Seeing Is No Longer Believing: Deepfakes, AI Deception, and the Scam Economy with Perry Carpenter

What if the person on your screen isn't real? Author and cybersecurity expert Perry Carpenter joins Erin West to break down how deepfakes, AI-generated voice cloning, and synthetic media have become t...

11 Mar 48min

SOLUTIONS: A Former CIA Analyst's Plan to Stop America's Scam Epidemic

SOLUTIONS: A Former CIA Analyst's Plan to Stop America's Scam Epidemic

Episode 43: Ken Westbrook shares how his mother got him into fighting scams, the challenge in measuring the scale of scams, and the actions the U.S. needs to take to better fight scams. When Ken W...

4 Mar 46min

From Credit Card Bust-Outs to Pig Butchering: A 26-Year Fraud Fighter Exposes the Gaps | Steve Lenderman

From Credit Card Bust-Outs to Pig Butchering: A 26-Year Fraud Fighter Exposes the Gaps | Steve Lenderman

Episode 42: What do synthetic identities, bust-out credit card fraud, and pig butchering scams have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode of Stolen, Erin sits down with Steve Lenderman — a...

25 Feb 44min

Erin West Inside Cambodia’s Pig Butchering Scam Compounds: Crypto Fraud, Human Trafficking & the Global Crackdown

Erin West Inside Cambodia’s Pig Butchering Scam Compounds: Crypto Fraud, Human Trafficking & the Global Crackdown

Episode 41: Erin West returns to Cambodia to investigate whether the world’s largest pig butchering scam operations are truly shutting down—or simply regrouping. From Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, she ...

18 Feb 40min

SOLUTIONS: Fighting the Scamdemic with Smarter Technology

SOLUTIONS: Fighting the Scamdemic with Smarter Technology

Episode 40: Erin West and Scamnetic CEO Al Pascual discuss the growing issue of scams and the development of innovative technology solutions to combat them. They explore the importance of technology i...

11 Feb 34min

Populært innen Fakta

mikkels-paskenotter
fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
foreldreradet
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
treningspodden
jakt-og-fiskepodden
sinnsyn
rss-kunsten-a-leve
rss-bisarr-historie
rss-kull
gravid-uke-for-uke
hverdagspsyken
fryktlos
rss-var-forste-kaffe
level-up-med-anniken-binz
rss-impressions-2
hva-er-greia-med
hagespiren-podcast