“What we have seen is criminal groups that are invested in this region and are looking beyond this region to establish similar operations,” Hofmann says of international expansion.
The rich, authoritarian city of Dubai, within the United Arab Emirates, arose from 2021 as the largest epicenter of pig slaughter outside of Southeast Asia. According to the UN, international migrants represent more than 88 percent of the UAE population, making a uniquely diverse and potentially vulnerable workforce available.
“Dubai is both a destination and a country in transition,” says Mina Chiang, founder and director of Humanity Research Consultancy, a social enterprise focused on human trafficking. “We can see a lot of compounds that are actually working in Dubai itself.”
In July, Humanity Research Consultancy identified at least six suspected Fraudulent compounds believed to be operating in Dubai. He investigation—based on testimonies from forced laborers, leaked data from a cyberattack, and social media posts—identified potential compounds around industrial and investment parks. These operations “as far as we know, are run by Chinese-speaking criminals,” the investigation says, adding that they operate similarly to complexes in Southeast Asia.
“They call it a typing center. But it is a huge scam call center,” reads a one-star review left on Google Maps for a location in Dubai. Another says: “Mostly poor people from Africa working there and mostly imprisoned in Dubai. No matter how much they offer you, everything is a scam. “I strongly suggest you never go there.”
Dubai Police did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment on possible scam centers located in the city.
Pig slaughter operations may have emerged in Dubai due to immigration and workforce dynamics, but in several African countries the activity has begun to appear due to an existing culture of organized scamming.
In Nigeria, where digital scamming has been a prominent illicit industry for years on numerous platforms, it was almost inevitable that attackers would adopt the conceits and tactics of pig slaughter. The scheme is mature enough that there are now pre-made cryptocurrency investment platforms, templates and scripts available for sale online for anyone who wants to get started. A gang already accustomed to running romance scams or commercial email breach schemes could easily adapt to the premise and cadence of pig slaughter.
“If you look at West Africa’s history of social engineering, it’s a powerful combination,” said Sean Gallagher, senior threat researcher at Sophos. “There are many people who have seen this as a way to make a living, especially in Nigeria. And the technology is easily transferable. “We have seen pig slaughter packages for sale that include fake scripts and crypto sites that appear to be designed to target African victims.”
Nigerian law enforcement agencies have been investigating more and more cases and even secure convictions specifically related to pig slaughter. Intelligence for Good’s Gallagher and Tokazowski also say that by studying and interacting with scammers, they have seen technical indicators that pig slaughter attacks may also be coming out of Ghana. The United States embassy in Ghana has warned about the potential for financial scams originating in the country.
