According to Hofmann, criminal groups invested in the region are expanding their operations internationally. The affluent city of Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates, has surfaced since 2021 as a significant center for pig butchering activities outside Southeast Asia. The UN reports that over 88 percent of the UAE’s population consists of international migrants, forming a diverse and possibly susceptible workforce.
Mina Chiang, the founder and director of Humanity Research Consultancy, highlighted that Dubai is both a destination and a transition country. She noted the presence of numerous compounds in Dubai operating these scams. In July, Humanity Research Consultancy identified at least six suspected scam compounds in Dubai, based on testimonies from forced laborers, leaked data from a cyberattack, and social media evidence. The research indicates that these compounds, predominantly managed by Chinese-speaking criminals, operate similarly to those in Southeast Asia.
Reviews on Google Maps describe certain locations in Dubai as “typing centers,” which are actually scam call centers. One review pointed out that poor individuals from Africa are employed and often jailed in Dubai, urging others not to accept any offers from such places.
Dubai’s police force did not respond to WIRED’s request for comments on the scam centers in the city. The emergence of pig butchering operations in Dubai may be linked to immigration and workforce dynamics. However, in several African countries, the activity is appearing due to an existing culture of organized scams.
In Nigeria, digital scamming has been a notable illicit industry for years, spanning multiple platforms. Consequently, it was expected that attackers would adopt the tactics of pig butchering. The scheme has developed to the extent that prefab cryptocurrency investment platforms, templates, and scripts are available for purchase online. Gangs experienced in romance scams or business email compromise schemes can easily adapt to pig butchering methods.
Sean Gallagher, a senior threat researcher at Sophos, noted West Africa’s history with social engineering, emphasizing Nigeria’s familiarity with such activities and the easy transferability of technology. Packages for pig butchering, including fake crypto sites and tailored scripts, are available for targeting African victims.
Nigerian law enforcement agencies are increasingly pursuing and securing convictions related to pig butchering scams. Gallagher and Intelligence for Good’s Tokazowski have observed technical indicators suggesting that pig butchering attacks may also be originating from Ghana. The US Embassy in Ghana has issued warnings about potential financial scams from the country.
