Shreya Datta, 37, tells AFP of feeling like her brain had been “hacked” by the fable she was presented with and the use of video tricks apparently aided by artificial intelligence. (Photo: Bastien Inzaurralde/Getty Images)
Philadelphia – The lover appeared as a smiling French wine merchant and a clever investor. But when Shreya Datta went to get her share back, the American only saw that she was ruined: $450,000 ($US) stolen in an extremely sophisticated cryptocurrency scam.
At 37, she told AFP of feeling that her “brain” had been hacked by the fable she was presented with and by the use of video tricks apparently aided by artificial intelligence (AI).
This is by no means an isolated case: tens of thousands of victims of similar scams were reported in the US alone last year.
A dating application, a long-distance relationship, investment proposals and then nothing: the plan, nicknamed the “pig slaughterhouse” in English, is said to have come from organized crime in Southeast Asia.
But Shreya Datta's first steps began in Philadelphia. After meeting through an application of a certain “Ancel”, their discussion moves to WhatsApp. There they exchange selfies, cheeky emoticons and even short video calls.
In reality, they were “deepfakes,” those artificial videos that scream realism.
“Even more”
When he only refuses a meeting in the flesh, the one who says he is French persuades him to send her flowers for Valentine's Day, the recently divorced woman.
And then, during the conversation seen by AFP, “Ancel” told him that the investments he had made would allow him to retire early. “He said to me, ‘I accumulated all this money through investments. Do you really want to work until you're 65?'” says this immigrant from India who works in the tech industry.
After sending him a link to download an application for investing in cryptocurrencies – which is actually corrupted – he shows him tips and tricks on how he can easily make profits. Shreya Datta then pays a portion of her savings and transfers them to cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase.
First, the profits start pouring in. “When you make astronomical profits on these trades, it disrupts your perception of risk,” she says now. “You think: 'Wow, I can do more!'”
Then she puts all her savings into it, borrows money and even liquidates her pension. This total investment – $450,000 – seemed theoretical for a while, as if he had doubled online, just three months after the discussion with “Ancel” began.
When he wanted to withdraw this amount, he noticed something: the system required a “tax”. Her brother from London is searching the Internet for a photo of his lover: he is actually a German fitness influencer.
“When I realized it was all a scam and that all the money was gone, I started having symptoms of post-traumatic stress. I couldn’t sleep or eat… I wasn’t really there anymore,” she says.
“brainwashing”
This type of scam seems to be on the rise. In 2023, more than 40,000 people reported such cryptocurrency scams to the FBI, with a total loss of more than $3.5 billion, according to figures provided to AFP by federal police.
Undoubtedly underestimated amounts, as victims overwhelmed by shame rarely report their stories.
Their ordeal continues as some of them come across fake agents who claim to help the victims. Faced with a trial that has a negative impact on the victims' mental health, Shreya Datta is accompanied by a psychologist.
Without much hope for the proceedings initiated with the authorities, she also moved to cheaper accommodation in order to pay off her new debts.
The worst thing for them is the judgment of others who consider them very naive.
“There should be no shame in being the victim of such a psychologically sophisticated fraud,” responded Erin West, a prosecutor in California who says she receives “an avalanche of victims every day.”
The judge summarized that they had “suffered real brainwashing.”
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