U.S. Sanctions Cloud Provider 'Funnull' as Top Source of 'Pig Butchering' Scams
U.S. Government Cracks Down on Major "Pig Butchering" Scam Network
Here's something that's been driving me crazy lately: those crypto investment scams that are getting more sophisticated by the day. The U.S. government just dropped the hammer on a cloud provider called Funnull that's been helping these scammers look legit - and honestly, it's about time.
What the Heck is "Pig Butchering" Anyway?
First off, yes, that's a weird name. But it describes exactly what these scammers do - they "fatten up" their victims before going in for the kill. Here's how it works:
It starts with a friendly text or social media message - often claiming to be a wrong number
The scammer builds trust over weeks or months (the "fattening" phase)
They slowly introduce the idea of cryptocurrency investments
They show you fake profits to get you excited
When you try to withdraw your money... poof, it's gone
Why This Funnull Thing is a Big Deal
Think of Funnull like a sketchy apartment building that only rents to criminals. They were providing cloud hosting services that made scam websites look legitimate by routing traffic through U.S. cloud providers. According to investigators, these scams have cost Americans over $200 million. Yeah, that's million with an M.
One thing that makes these scams so effective is how they abuse legitimate services. This is why I'm always telling people to use Surfshark's antivirus features to catch suspicious websites before they can do damage. When scammers are using legitimate infrastructure, you need every layer of protection you can get.
How to Protect Yourself
Look, I know crypto can be tempting, but here's what I tell my friends and family:
Never invest through random contacts:Legitimate investment advisors don't slide into your DMs
Use strong authentication everywhere:I've started setting up all my family members with NordPass to generate unique passwords for every account
Be skeptical of "guaranteed returns":If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
Check URLs carefully:These scammers often use domains that look almost identical to legitimate sites
Never download "investment apps" from links:Only use official app stores
The Bigger Picture
Here's what keeps me up at night: These scammers are getting better at what they do. They're using AI to write convincing messages, exploiting legitimate cloud services, and playing the long game to build trust. The Funnull takedown is great news, but it's just one player in a much bigger problem.
I've started using NordVPN on all my devices because it helps block connections to known scam sites, but the real protection is between your ears. If someone's rushing you to invest, or if an opportunity seems too perfect, take a step back. No legitimate investment opportunity requires immediate action or absolute secrecy.
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