The pig slaughter invasion has begun

“What we have seen is criminal groups that are invested in this region and are looking beyond this region for similar operations,” Hofmann says of international expansion.

The wealthy, authoritarian city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has become the largest epicenter of pig slaughter outside Southeast Asia since 2021. According to the United Nations, international migrants make up more than 88 percent of the UAE’s population, providing a uniquely diverse and potentially vulnerable workforce.

“Dubai is both a destination and a country of transition,” says Mina Chiang, founder and director of Humanity Research Consultancy, a social enterprise focused on human trafficking. “We can see a lot of connections actually operating in Dubai itself.”

In July, Humanity Research Consultancy identified at least six suspected scams believed to be operating in the Dubai area. The investigation – based on statements from forced laborers, leaked data from a cyberattack and social media posts – identified potential complexes around industrial and investment parks. These operations “are, to the best of our knowledge, managed by Chinese-speaking criminals,” the investigation says, adding that they operate in a similar manner to connections in Southeast Asia.

“They call it a writing center. But a huge scam call center,” reads a one-star review for a Dubai location on Google Maps. Another says: “It’s mainly poor people from Africa who work there and most of them are imprisoned in Dubai. No matter how much they offer you, everything is a scam. I strongly recommend never going there.”

Dubai Police did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment about potential fraud hubs in the city.

In Dubai, pig slaughterhouses may have emerged due to immigration and labor dynamics, but in several African countries this activity has emerged due to an existing culture of organized fraud.

In Nigeria, where digital fraud has been a major illicit industry on numerous platforms for years, it was almost inevitable that attackers would adopt the conceits and tactics of pig slaughter. The system has become so sophisticated that there are now readily available pre-built cryptocurrency investment platforms, templates and scripts for sale online for anyone who wants to get started. A gang already used to pulling off romance scams or business email compromise maneuvers could easily get used to the premise and rhythm of pig slaughter.

“If you look at West Africa’s history of social engineering stuff, it’s a powerful mix,” says Sean Gallagher, senior threat researcher at Sophos. “There are many people who see it 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 contained fake crypto sites and scripts that appeared to be tailored to African victims.”

Nigerian law enforcement agencies are increasingly pursuing cases and even securing convictions specifically related to pig slaughter. Tokazowski of Gallagher and Intelligence for Good also say that while investigating and interacting with scammers, they have seen technical signs that attacks on pig slaughter could also be coming from Ghana. The US Embassy in Ghana has warned of the possibility of financial fraud from the country.