Someone you met online built a relationship with you, then introduced a fake crypto investment platform. You deposited USDT to a Bitfinex deposit address. The fake platform showed fake profits, encouraging more deposits. Bitfinex shares ownership with Tether (USDT issuer) — creating a unique dual-path recovery strategy: we can freeze funds on Bitfinex AND blacklist the USDT through Tether simultaneously. If the scammer withdrew USDT to an external wallet, we can still freeze it on-chain.
Pig butchering (sha you zhu in Chinese) is a long-term scam where the attacker builds a romantic or friendship relationship with the victim over weeks or months, then introduces a fake crypto investment platform. Unlike a romance scam (where the scammer asks for money directly), pig butchering introduces a fake trading platform that shows fake profits. The victim deposits crypto, sees fake gains, and is encouraged to deposit more — until the platform disappears.
Why Bitfinex is used in pig butchering scams: Bitfinex has deep USDT liquidity and shares ownership with Tether. If the scammer received USDT deposits on Bitfinex, we can freeze the funds on the exchange AND request Tether to blacklist the USDT on-chain — a dual-path strategy unique to Bitfinex cases. Bitfinex deposit addresses are tied to verified identities (KYC mandatory since 2018).
The fake USDT arbitrage platform: In a Bitfinex pig butchering scam, the scammer introduces a fake USDT arbitrage platform that claims to exploit price differences between Bitfinex and other exchanges. The victim deposits USDT to a Bitfinex deposit address. The platform shows fake arbitrage profits, encouraging more deposits. When the victim tries to withdraw, the platform demands a withdrawal fee. The deposit address is a Bitfinex address controlled by the scammer.
Regulatory structure: Bitfinex is registered in the BVI. Response times: 7-14 business days. Bitfinex is moderately responsive. The key advantage: in parallel with the Bitfinex freeze request, we file a Tether blacklist request (3-7 days).
Freeze capability: Bitfinex can freeze the scammer receiving account. Requires a police report or court order. In parallel, we request Tether to blacklist the USDT on-chain. The dual-path strategy maximizes freeze coverage.
KYC disclosure: Bitfinex discloses account holder information to law enforcement or through a court order. Bitfinex KYC has been mandatory since 2018 — one of the earliest among major exchanges.
The Tether dual-path in pig butchering cases: If the scammer withdrew USDT from Bitfinex to an external wallet before we froze the account, we file a Tether blacklist request to freeze the USDT at the smart contract level. Once blacklisted, the USDT cannot be transferred or used — regardless of which wallet holds it. This is the strongest freeze mechanism for pig butchering cases involving USDT on Bitfinex.
A client met someone on a dating app who claimed to be a USDT arbitrage trader. Over 3 months, the scammer introduced a fake arbitrage platform that claimed 1.5% daily returns from USDT price differences between Bitfinex and other exchanges. The client deposited €40,000 in USDT to a Bitfinex deposit address. The platform showed the balance growing to €52,000. When the client tried to withdraw, the platform demanded a €6,000 withdrawal fee. The client contacted us instead.
Our response: We traced the transfers on-chain, identified the destination addresses, and filed freeze requests with the receiving exchanges. We also filed a police report and coordinated with law enforcement.
Outcome: 55% recovery (€22,000 of €40,000). We filed parallel requests: Bitfinex froze the account (8 business days) — it held €15,000 in USDT. The scammer had withdrawn €25,000 in USDT to an external Tron wallet. We filed a Tether blacklist request — Tether blacklisted the USDT in 5 business days. The €25,000 was frozen on-chain and returned to the client. Total recovery: €15,000 (Bitfinex) + €7,000 (Tether blacklist return) = €22,000. The scammer KYC revealed a resident of China. Higher recovery due to the Tether dual-path — the withdrawn USDT would have been unrecoverable on any other exchange.
Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Swiss professional secrecy applies.
How does pig butchering differ from a romance scam? Pig butchering introduces a fake investment platform. Romance scams ask for money directly. See romance scam on Bitfinex →
Warning: After pig butchering, fake "recovery services" may contact you. Read our recovery scam warning.
Pig butchering introduces a fake investment platform that shows fake profits. Romance scams ask for money directly. See romance scam on Bitfinex
If the scammer withdrew USDT from Bitfinex to an external wallet before we froze the account, a normal freeze cannot recover it. However, Bitfinex shares ownership with Tether. We file a Tether blacklist request, which freezes the USDT at the smart contract level — regardless of which wallet holds it. Once blacklisted, the USDT cannot be transferred or used. This is the strongest freeze mechanism for pig butchering cases involving USDT on Bitfinex.
USDT arbitrage between exchanges is a real strategy, but it requires sophisticated trading infrastructure and offers very small margins (0.01-0.1% per trade). Any platform claiming 1.5% daily returns from USDT arbitrage is a scam. Real arbitrage opportunities are tiny and exploited by institutional traders within milliseconds. Never deposit to platforms found through dating apps.
Yes — this is the key advantage of the Tether dual-path. If the scammer withdrew USDT to an external wallet, we file a Tether blacklist request, which freezes the USDT at the smart contract level. The blacklisted USDT cannot be transferred or used. We then coordinate with Tether to return the USDT to you. This recovery path is only available for USDT on Bitfinex.
7-14 business days for Bitfinex. The Tether blacklist request can be processed in 3-7 days — providing faster on-chain protection. We file both requests simultaneously. For pig butchering cases involving USDT, the Tether blacklist is the faster and more effective freeze.
Real USDT arbitrage does not offer 1.5% daily returns. Never deposit to platforms found through dating apps. Bitfinex will never ask you to use a third-party arbitrage platform. Verify all investment opportunities through official Bitfinex channels. Use the official Bitfinex app/website only.
Describe what happened. Include the scammer profile, the fake investment platform, Bitfinex deposit addresses, transaction hashes, and total amount lost. We respond within 6 hours.