back to article Interpol wants everyone to stop saying 'pig butchering'

Interpol wants to put an end to the online scam known as "pig butchering" – through linguistic policing, rather than law enforcement. The international police agency announced it will no longer use the term because it makes victims feel bad, which in turn discourages reporting of the crime. "The term comes from fraudsters …

  1. Tron Silver badge

    Translation.

    Our AI can't cope and keeps red flagging farmers, wasting our time.

    1. wolfetone Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Translation.

      I did wonder why I kept coming across Bitcoin stuff when I was looking for pork suppliers.

      I thought, I can't eat a Bitcoin. It doesn't crisp up in the oven.

      1. john.jones.name
        WTF?

        Re: Translation.

        we edit press releases - police with no knowledge

        WTF

        do they think no system saves these ?

        1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

          Re: Translation.

          do they think no system saves these ?

          Both your complaint, and the last half of the article are bizarre. What's to criticise here?

          They've publicly announced that they've decided to change the terminology they used - because it has possible harmful effects, i.e. upsetting victims even more and putting them off reporting the crime. Who knows whether that's actually true - but it's what they've decided. They've had their change of heart, and having told everyone they've done so - they've then gone back and edited their previous statements to conform to the new language they've chosen to employ. Then put an note on the edited previous statements to say how and why they've edited them.

          What are you complaining about?

  2. Homo.Sapien.Floridanus

    Perhaps ‘Sus Scrofa Domesticus Rapid Disassembly’ sounds better.

    1. b0llchit Silver badge
      Joke

      And the correct Rapid Disassembly Follow-Up is a nice BBQ with friends.

    2. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Coat

      Sus Scrofa Domesticus

      That's pretty "sus"...

    3. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. may_i Silver badge

    Newspeak

    Coming to a news organ near you soon!

  4. Blue Shirt Guy

    Pigs in blankets?

    To be fair the new term makes it a bit easier to understand what happened, but I can't help thinking they're trying to slaughter their own horse after leaving the gate open.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Honestly, it's fine.

    The thing is, the stated purpose is to make sure that victims of the scam have an easier time reporting that they were victims, which... yeah, that's okay? Like the goal is to improve reporting rates.

    It's the same logic that they changed “monkey pox” to “mpox”, because it improved reporting rates. Which is what you want in the first place, because you can't solve the problem if you don't know it's there.

    If cutting down the stigma helps make the problem more visible, or allows more people to come forward, that's fine. You'd need to do more than just change the name of the crime, but it really is an okay first step.

    1. EricM Silver badge

      Re: Honestly, it's fine.

      Fully agree.

      Names influence strongy how humans think about a fact, thing or situation, even themselves.

      That's why name-calling used by most kids and some politicians is so frighteningly effective in giuding perception of the recipients, and this name probably was chosen with the specific intent to shame/blame the victim into not reporting the scam.

      So while I do get the references to "rewriting history" in the article, I do not see a good reason the press should (continue to) help the scammers to achieve their goal.

      1. Mast1

        Re: Honestly, it's fine.

        "Names influence strongy how humans think about a fact, thing or situation, even themselves."

        Yes, but something else has been lost in this renaming : just how devastating it often is to the victims.

        So could aspects of "romance baiting" be interpreted as a variant on "Play it mean to keep them keen" and play down the harm ?

        Just trying to widen the considerations.

        1. bonkers

          Victim Farming

          Nomenclature is important, pig-butchering is a term that many potential victims might never look-up - despite their need to know what it refers to.

          Romance fraud is too narrow, it's not necessarily through romance - and the implicit gullibility, shame, associated.

          I prefer "victim farming" scams as a cover-all term, you would look that one up if you didn't know it, and it captures the complex, deliberate multi-stage process involved.

      2. trindflo Silver badge

        Re: intent to shame/blame the victim

        "name probably was chosen with the specific intent to shame/blame the victim into not reporting the scam."

        Maybe. My guess is that it is easier to victimize someone if you dehumanize them first. The job is a lot harder if you relate to the person as a fellow human being (for the majority of non-sociopaths)

    2. An_Old_Dog Silver badge

      A More-Jaundiced View

      Chairperson: "Hi, everyone; welcome to this month's meeting of 'Interpol Managers' Roundtable.' As you all know, it's nearing the end of the year, and consequently, appropriations time is soon approaching.

      "The thing I'd like you all to think about is this: how can we raise our organisation's positive standing in the international community in general, and in our member nations' politicians in particular?"

      Manager A: "Hey, I've got an idea ..."

    3. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Honestly, it's fine.

      In order to be able to apply a term to something you've both got to know the term and what it refers to. Victims become victims because they don't recognise the latter until it's too late. If they don't recognise that they're unlikely to know the name, whatever alternative gets substituted.

      However having PR people onboard to complain to the media is probably easier than recruiting and training more investigating officers to try to get a few scum into court. A good clearing-up ratio and the possibility of redress and getting money back is likely to be the more effective at getting reporting up.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Honestly, it's fine.

        Interpol is police forces coordinating their work together, similar principal as NATO.

        recruiting/deploying investigators is the national police organisations remit.

    4. tekHedd

      PATRIOT ACT

      If we've learned anything from the last 20 years of politics, it's that you can take this "removing the stigma" thing to another level. If you were an American legislator, and you had a piece of basically nefarious legislation that took away human rights and legalized some sort of offensively evil domestic policy, you give it a happy patriotic name.

      Say, for example, you want to give police forces the right to enter any premise without a warrant at any time, effectively negating a fundamental constitutional right. You'd call it the "Personal Space And Privacy Protection Act," or "Defending And Protecting Ameraca's Homes Against Intrusion Bill."

      "Romance Baiting" is a good start, but it still has a negative spin. Maybe "Friendship Investing" or, yes... "He was a participant in Supportive Relationship Cultivation."

      "SRC: Supportive Relationship Cultivation." You're welcome.

      1. blu3b3rry

        Re: PATRIOT ACT

        Freedom Fries, anyone?

      2. Wang Cores

        Re: PATRIOT ACT

        I do love how El Reg still remembers the PATRIOT Act meanwhile in US majority forums it's fully memoryholed.

  6. Bebu sa Ware
    Windows

    An effort to rewrite history

    "And in an effort to rewrite history, the agency has gone back through old press releases and replaced the now taboo term."

    Messing with the chronicles of the past including the recent past has very grave risks if history is any guide which of course it wouldn't be any more.

    Even the most abhorrent crimes can euphemised by the criminally disingenuous and could be applied to retrospectively to history's worst perpetrators.

    Even "show respect to the victims" is a bit dubious as even the presumably unintentional use of "to" rather "for" indicates to me the futile "signalling" nature of the whole exercise. One might empathize or have sympathy for those who have succumbed to romance fraud (which is a much better description as it encompasses both the romantic deceit and financial fraud) but I am fairly sure enhanced respect for poor sod/soddess isn't in the race.

    1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

      Re: An effort to rewrite history

      ...romance fraud (which is a much better description as it encompasses both the romantic deceit and financial fraud)

      But that might then inevitably get contracted to RomFraud, causing further offence to the town that most certainly isn't in Essex.

  7. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. ComputerSays_noAbsolutelyNo Silver badge

      Re: Relationship Cultivation Fraud

      I was thinking along the same lines, there are plenty of other techniques apart from romance, which crooks can use to manipulate their victims into providing them with evermore money, e.g., getting them to "invest" into some (fake) assets. Here, there is a full spectrum ranging from the classical Ponzi-scheme to full-on fake crypto assets.

    2. Conrad Longmore

      Re: Relationship Cultivation Fraud

      Most of the examples I see are *not* romance scams, but they do involve a supposedly random person striking up a long-term friendship with the mark. The initial contact is made to look like it's a fluke.. somebody reaches out to you on WhatsApp and asks "Are you the wombat doctor?" to which you reply "No, but I *love* wombats!" which of course the bad actor already knows - and then they very slowly reel you in.

      I do agree that "pig butchering" is a pretty horrible phrase, but it does differentiate it from other types of scams including *actual* romance scams (which are typically West African in origin, rather than East Asian pig butchering). Some other phrase would be better, doesn't even have to be accurate I suppose.. BEC (businesses email compromise) fraud often involves no compromise, or even email.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Animal Farm

    So should we call it Hog-shot-to-the-back-of-the-head? Hogicide?

    Wuhan virus of unknown origin was the latest mess. Millions dead.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Wuhan virus of unknown origin was the latest mess. Millions dead.

      So much stupidity in such a small number of words.

      Well done!

      No really, well done!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Winston Smith

    Paging Winston Smith!

    Please report to your news editing cubicle.

  10. Miko

    First time I hear the term - which led to me idly thinking the "pig butchering" in the headline might have something to do with violent attacks against the police. Interpol not liking that made some sense, too, though them framing it as just a terminology issue would have been surprising.

  11. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Coat

    Yeah, I know it sounds like a nod to woke behaviour, but....

    Looking at it from the victim's PoV it is demeaning to the victims, who are feeling pretty vulnerable at this point. Facing up to the fact you have been played like a banjo at an Ozark hoedown taken advantage of is very difficult for a lot of people to accept, given that the people running the scam have taken great trouble to make it seem real.

    So yes, let's make an early New Years resolution to leave the hog butchering for barbecues at parties and family gatherings in future.

    Mines the belted raincoat for "Walking down mean streets."

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: Yeah, I know it sounds like a nod to woke behaviour, but....

      Friend of mine has been online dating on-and-off over this year. And boy - it's a mean old world out there! Although I suppose I've been getting free entertainment from all the stories...

      She's probably got past initial messages on the dating site to the chatting on Whatsapp stage of things about 20-30 times. Of which 3 have turned out to be scammers. 10-15% is a lot. Although my sample size isn't very high. Two were just after iTunes vouchers - at least at first. The other wanted £8,000 to invest in his company. Which seems a bit steep for a first offer - I'm guessing he was still learning his trade and hadn't worked out to ask for a small amount first to get the victim used to paying you.

      I know 2 people who are married to people they met online (and one more that's engaged) but all of them have some eye-opening stories to tell.

      My favourite being the guy who met a lovely woman and got on so well they went on a second date. At which they've had a nice meal, and a chat and are now on the dancefloor. Only for her to say, "don't freak out. But that's my husband over there. And he likes to watch."

      There seems to be a lot of that about as well...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Yeah, I know it sounds like a nod to woke behaviour, but....

      I hired a painter for my house a while back. He told me about his girlfriend, who he had met online... and never in person. Apparently she's the heir to some big fortune but can't quite get ahold of the money yet, just needs a bit of help, going to come to the US and marry him once she does, etc. The lawyer he talked to said it was all legit and encouraged him to (keep) sending funds.

      Pretty sure (though he didn't say) that "she" arranged the lawyer. I think he was $50,000 in the hole and counting, and I *COULD NOT* convince him it was a scam.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Already a term in use

    "In contrast, the term 'romance baiting' – which is already used by some law enforcement agencies and online safety experts – acknowledges the sophisticated tactics and emotional manipulation used by fraudsters to build trust with their victims. It places the spotlight squarely where it belongs: on the actions of the perpetrators, rather than those of the victims."

  13. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Happy

    "Romance baiting" ??

    It won't make you blind, but it might make you rich.

    Or put you in jail for a long time.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "Romance baiting" ??

      Yeah, that beats off those snorkeling safari scams, peddled in exclusive murine excursion tease, otherwise known as mouse tour baiting, that many should be monkey spanked for, with waxed carrots, on palm sunday celebrations ...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "Romance baiting" ?? -- Supporting Information

        Link to key Reference Material from 2010 (viz Sunday).

  14. headrush

    For the victims to become victims they obviously have no idea of these practices, regardless of how they're named. In fact the first time they are liable to hear the name of the offence they've been victim to is after they've reported it!

    Which renders this whole thing moot.

    1. sabroni Silver badge
      WTF?

      Which renders this whole thing moot.

      Yeah, people are happy to be referred to as pigs once they've been ripped off by someone they thought was in love with them.

      What a fucking stupid thing to say.

  15. stiine Silver badge

    I agree.

    "Pig butchering" should be reserved for the killing of American law enforcement officers.

    1. Vincent Ballard
      Headmaster

      Re: I agree.

      That's pig slaughtering. Turning a dead pig into manageable chunks is a lot more work.

  16. Henry Wertz 1 Gold badge

    inaccurate terminology

    It'd be nice if they were going to make up a term for something that already has one if they'd pick a term that's accurate,. Romance baiting? I'm not even sure if the most common scenario involves romance. I've read about victims where they just posed as a new friend, no romance involved.

    I don't expect the US media at least to change their terminology. After all people don't report 'I was in a pig butchering scam', they describe meeting someone and giving them money over time. I don't see how what term it has affects reporting the crime; and if it did, I would not want to report I was in a romance baiting when there was no romance involved.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I honestly wish she’d just taken all my money in the first place, rather than spreading it out over 20 years of marriage.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I honestly wish you'd just taken my freedom and turned me into a baby machine and housekeeper for 20 years. Oh wait, that's what you did, and now you're complaining because I believed you when you said "With all my worldly goods I thee endow".

      You lying little shit stain.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      > I honestly wish she’d just ...

      Bernard Manning, is that you?

  18. s. pam
    Headmaster

    Have they not heard of Internet Wayback machine???

    Gosh, even Katie Pricenstein has so why not them?

  19. Grinning Bandicoot

    old scams in new skins

    Gullible the avoided word, This is just an electronic version of the old lonely hearts con What's hinted at is that no one wants to take center stage as being so gullible as to fall for one of the two oldest scams (if you don't count I;'m from the government). Now must dash off I to send some money to a Nigerian refugee.

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