I am sharing this so others don't go through what our family is dealing with right now. A few months ago, everything felt normal and happy. Around late 2025, my dad connected with someone online who gradually built a strong emotional connection with him through constant praise and attention.
Eventually, she introduced him to crypto trading, claiming her "uncle" was an experienced trader who would handle everything. My dad initially refused, but after repeated persuasion, he agreed to try with a small amount ($100). He was able to withdraw it without any issue, which made everything seem legitimate. Although still hesitant, she kept convincing him by saying he had already seen returns, and he eventually agreed to invest more.
My dad is a very private person. He didn't tell anyone about this—not my mom, not his colleagues, not me. After investing beyond the initial $100, the so-called trader suddenly introduced a new condition. He said this was "leverage trading" and required completing 15 trading cycles before any withdrawal. This had never been mentioned earlier. When my dad said he couldn't afford it, they reduced it to 6 cycles.
When we initially asked where the money was going, he avoided giving clear answers and said he wanted to "surprise" us. As the amounts increased, my mom grew concerned and pushed for answers. He then told her a friend from his office was investing and earning good returns and that he was doing the same. We trusted him and stopped questioning, especially since he would get upset when we did.
I don't know the exact amounts, but they quickly became significant. When he finally decided to stop and withdraw, the real trap began. Every withdrawal came with a new condition:
- government taxes
- refundable deposits
- processing fees
- trading charges
There was always one more payment required before he could access his money, and by then a substantial amount was already stuck. From the outside, it seems obvious to stop, but he was trying to recover the money he'd already invested. If paying a few more lakhs felt like it could unlock everything, he was willing to do it. It became a cycle of paying more to recover more. He even took personal loans and maxed out credit cards to keep up, until the total loss reached around ₹81 lakhs.
My dad would frequently ask for money, and although we didn't fully understand, we could see the stress it was causing. My mom was constantly worried and often broke down. One day, when they asked for another ₹3.5 lakhs, I realised something was seriously wrong and started looking into it. Everything pointed to the same pattern, and that's when I understood it was a pig butchering scam.
I immediately told my dad to stop sending money, and we filed a cyber complaint. So far, around ₹2.5 lakhs has been frozen, but we don't know if anything can be recovered. What's hardest to process is that my dad is well-educated and financially aware. He now admits that something felt off, but by then he was already in too deep.