A 75-year-old American man became a victim of a romance scam on LinkedIn, losing his life savings and driving him to the brink of suicide. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the "pig butchering" was orchestrated by an individual posing as a wealthy young Chinese woman named Violaine Chen. Pig butchering is a type of fraud in which scammers seduce strangers online to invest in bogus investments.

Fake LinkedIn Profile of Successful Chinese Woman Seduces American Man

Violaine Chen, whose profile portrayed a life of luxury as a successful gold futures trader in San Francisco, contacted the American man by sending a message on the professional networking platform.

As their interaction progressed, the conversations switched from LinkedIn to WhatsApp, providing the scammer privacy and more opportunities to manipulate the victim.

Chen started a romantic relationship with the man, engaging in daily conversations and sharing personal details. As days passed, the American man began to trust her completely.

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How the Chinese Woman Scammed the American Man

Violaine Chen eventually suggested a joint investment opportunity on the FX6 trading platform, allegedly owned by her uncle. She enticed the victim with a promise of substantial financial gains that would be enough for him to leave his partner and marry her.

The American man eventually deposited a significant amount into the Fuex app to trade on the FX6 market but encountered problems when attempting to withdraw funds.

In less than two months, the victim had already deposited $716,212 into the Fuex account. Before he realized he had been deceived, Chen stopped responding to most of his messages despite pleading with her not to leave him. 

Sometimes, Chen still sends the victim a message asking for more money, but he stopped responding. The American man was unable to trace his lost retirement fund. The devastating consequences of the scam even drove him to the brink of suicide.

The victim said he tried to access his Fuex account daily but had no luck. After realizing he had been a victim of online scams, he submitted a complaint to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

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