Bergen County, New Jersey, issued a public warning on Monday after a spike in pig‑butchering scams targeting local residents. The county’s Financial Crimes Unit says fraudsters create online relationships, convince victims to invest in cryptocurrency, and then vanish with the money.

The alert appeared on the county’s social‑media channels and was delivered by Assistant Prosecutor Craig Becker. In a concise video, Becker explained how scammers "fatten up" a victim before "slaughtering" their life savings. He urged residents to be wary of strangers who mention crypto and to report any suspicious activity to local police.

Pig‑butchering is a form of online relationship and investment fraud. According to the U.S. Office of Inspector General, the scheme involves gradually persuading a victim to make increasing monetary contributions—usually in cryptocurrency—to a purported investment opportunity. Once the victim has transferred the funds, the scammer disappears.

The technique, also known as romance baiting, typically unfolds over days, weeks, or months. Scammers use messaging apps, dating sites, or social‑media platforms to forge a fake romantic or social connection, then introduce a fake investment opportunity framed as a high‑yield crypto venture.

The Bergen County alert comes amid a broader trend of pig‑butchering scams reported across the United States. In 2026, the Secret Service warned that the practice is one of the fastest‑growing investment scams, citing the complexity of cryptocurrency as a factor that makes it easier for scammers to deceive.

The county’s Financial Crimes Unit is actively working to identify and shut down the websites used by the scammers. The unit also collaborates with other law‑enforcement agencies to track the fraudsters and bring them to justice.

Victims are advised to contact their local police department if they believe they have been scammed. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office has provided a link to a resource page that outlines the steps victims can take.

Pig‑butchering scams are part of a larger category of crypto‑related fraud that includes fake exchanges, wallet drainers, and deep‑fake investment promotions. In 2026, the Chainalysis Crypto Crime Report noted that impersonation scams had grown more than 1,400% compared to 2024, and the average severity of payments to these clusters had increased by over 600%.

The rise of pig‑butchering scams underscores the need for heightened vigilance among crypto investors. Because the scams rely on emotional manipulation and the perceived legitimacy of online relationships, victims often feel a strong sense of trust before the fraud is revealed.

Bergen County’s alert is a reminder that local law‑enforcement agencies are monitoring these schemes and are ready to respond. The county’s Financial Crimes Unit continues to monitor online activity and is working to disrupt the networks that facilitate pig‑butchering scams.

The broader crypto industry has seen a number of high‑profile fraud cases in recent years, including the collapse of the FTX exchange and the indictment of former FTX founder Sam Bankman‑Fried. These cases have prompted increased scrutiny from regulators and law‑enforcement agencies.

In the meantime, residents of Bergen County are encouraged to remain skeptical of unsolicited investment offers, especially those that come from strangers on dating or social‑media platforms. By staying informed and reporting suspicious activity, community members can help reduce the impact of pig‑butchering scams.

The county’s Financial Crimes Unit will continue to update the public as investigations progress and more information becomes available.