TLDR
Europol Operation Cookie Monster (2025) dismantled networks running multilingual pig butchering rings targeting EU professionals via LinkedIn and Tinder. Victims onboarded onto fake exchanges (cloned Kraken EU, Bitpanda Pro, OKX EU). Funds...
How it works
Europol Operation Cookie Monster (2025) dismantled networks running multilingual pig butchering rings targeting EU professionals via LinkedIn and Tinder. Victims onboarded onto fake exchanges (cloned Kraken EU, Bitpanda Pro, OKX EU). Funds...
Red flags
- Urgent pressure to click, pay, or share codes immediately.
- A link or sender that does not match the official organization.
- Requests for card data, passwords, OTPs, wallet signatures, or bank transfers.
What to do
- 1Losses reported per victim: EUR 50K 2M.
- 2Indicators: 1) match insists on moving conversation off app immediately; 2) crypto 'tip' from 'uncle/aunt'; 3) platform not in MiCA register; 4) withdrawal blocked until 'tax' paid.
- 3WHAT TO DO: stop deposits, never pay withdrawal fees.
Source
FAQ
Is Europol — cross EU 'sha zhu pan' pig butchering with Tether laundering a real scam pattern?
Yes. Treat the message, call, or payment request as suspicious until you verify it through an official channel.
What are the first warning signs?
Urgent pressure to click, pay, or share codes immediately.; A link or sender that does not match the official organization.; Requests for card data, passwords, OTPs, wallet signatures, or bank transfers.
What should I do first?
Losses reported per victim: EUR 50K 2M.; Indicators: 1) match insists on moving conversation off app immediately; 2) crypto 'tip' from 'uncle/aunt'; 3) platform not in MiCA register; 4) withdrawal blocked until 'tax' paid.; WHAT TO DO: stop deposits, never pay withdrawal fees.
Can LegalAudit check my case?
Yes. Start a free chat and paste the message, link, sender, or payment details for triage.