Understanding what happened and why it matters to anyone interacting with digital finance
Who Is Jingliang Su and What Happened
In January 2026 a U.S. federal court in the Central District of California handed down a 46 month prison sentence to Jingliang Su, concluding his role in a cross border crypto scam that moved more than $36.9 million tied to a so called pig butchering investment scam targeting 174 American victims.
Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business after prosecutors detailed how he helped launder funds from U.S. bank accounts into crypto through an offshore account. Victims were enticed with promises of high returns on fake crypto investment platforms and then drained of their savings once they transferred funds.
Alongside the prison sentence, Su was ordered to pay over $26 million in restitution. Several others involved in the scheme have also pleaded guilty and been sentenced, with terms ranging from 36 to 51 months.
What Is a Pig Butchering Scam
Pig butchering scams are a type of investment fraud that combines social engineering and fake investment opportunities, usually involving cryptocurrency. The term comes from a metaphor in which the scammer “fattens up” the victim by building trust over time before “slaughtering” them financially once they have invested large sums.
These scams often begin with contact through social media, dating apps or unsolicited messages. Scammers cultivate what appears to be a genuine relationship or friendly rapport before introducing the idea of an outstanding investment opportunity. Victims are led to believe they are trading on a legitimate platform and may even see fake account balances or fabricated profits to encourage deeper investment.
The fraud is highly emotional and manipulative. It trades not just on greed but on trust and sometimes even romance. Once the scammer has convinced a victim to transfer cryptocurrency or funds, they disappear or block communication, leaving victims unable to withdraw or reclaim their money.
How Criminal Groups Operate These Schemes
Pig butchering is rarely a solo activity. In large cases the operations can involve cross border networks and sophisticated infrastructure. These can include fake corporate fronts, offshore bank accounts, fake trading platforms designed to look like real exchanges, and complex chains of laundering via stablecoins like Tether (USDT).
Law enforcement and financial intelligence entities have documented that many scam operations are run from organized criminal enterprises in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Some investigations have even uncovered forced labor operations where trafficked individuals are coerced into running scam infrastructure.