Retired journalist loses $270,000 to ‘pig-butchering’ scam after online romance turns into fake gold investment scheme

Retired journalist loses $270,000 to ‘pig-butchering’ scam after online romance turns into fake gold investment scheme

Monique Danao

6 min read

An 82-year-old retired sportswriter says he lost nearly $300,000 — his entire life savings — in just 10 weeks after falling victim to a sophisticated online scam that began with a simple text message.

Al Levine, a former journalist with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, claimed a stranger posing as a woman named Daisy Miller slowly built trust before steering him into a fraudulent investment scheme.

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The scam started innocently enough. In a first-person account on AARP (1), Levine says he received a text message out of nowhere inviting him to a cookout. When the sender realized she had the wrong number, the conversation could have ended there — but it didn't. "Daisy" started asking him friendly questions, including about his age.

Levine admits he lied about his age, making himself 10 years younger, and continued engaging, eventually forming what he described as a flirtatious relationship with a woman who claimed to run a jewelry business in Los Angeles.

"She was young and gorgeous," Levine wrote. "A flirtation broke out."

From romance to 'investment opportunity'

Like many scams of its kind, the relationship evolved over time.

"Daisy" began sharing updates about her daily life, and they even started cooking meals "together" over text.

Soon, the conversation shifted to investing. "Daisy" introduced Levine to what she claimed was a lucrative opportunity: short-term gold trading on a platform called SunX. SunX.io is a legitimate platform that has been infiltrated by scammers “imitating our social media communities to carry out illegal fundraising, investment scams and Ponzi-like activities,” per the company.

At first, the investment seemed to be going well.

Levine invested $20,000 and quickly saw what appeared to be a $1,920 profit. Encouraged by the early returns, he added more — first $70,000, then the rest of his $133,000 investment portfolio.

Despite warnings from his daughters and lingering doubts of his own, Levine continued.

He admitted he was lonely.

"I believed her despite all the red flags waving in my face," he wrote.

The illusion of success kept growing. By early October, Levine's account showed a balance of $1.3 million.

But it was all fake.

When he attempted to withdraw funds, he was told he needed to pay $216,000 in taxes first — a common tactic used by scammers to extract even more money from victims.

By then, the damage was done. Levine had already emptied his savings and even taken out a $20,000 loan after being promised bigger returns. A relative later confirmed the trading platform was fraudulent and that the money had been funneled overseas.

In total, he lost $271,000 — all of his savings. As is common in these cases, he has not been able to recover any of his losses.

Now, Levine says he's living on Social Security and a pension, and has been forced to sell personal belongings, including a never-worn Rolex watch, to make ends meet.

A calculated and long-term scam

Pig-butchering scams (2) — named after the idea of "fattening up" a victim over time and gaining their trust before taking everything — have become increasingly common.

They typically follow a predictable pattern: scammers initiate contact, build a relationship and then introduce a seemingly legitimate investment opportunity.

Former cybercriminal Brett Johnson (3), once known by the U.S. Secret Service as the "Internet Godfather” and now working on the other side as a security consultant, says trust is the foundation of these schemes.

"For me to defraud you … I have to get you to trust me," he said in an interview (4) with The New York Post.

"It doesn't start with, 'Send me money,'" Johnson explained. "He's not looking for one payday; he's looking for everything that you've got."

In Levine's case, even basic precautions weren't enough. He conducted a reverse image search and even contacted local police, but found no immediate evidence of fraud.

Some people may believe they are too educated or experienced to fall for such a scam, but it can happen to anyone. Nelson Wang, a business journalist, wrote last year about how he was led on for more than a month by a scammer who pushed a cryptocurrency scheme (5) – even though he writes professionally about crypto.

How to avoid being a pig-butchering victim

Here are clear warning signs to watch for when it comes to pig butchering:

1. Be skeptical of unsolicited messages: If someone you don't know contacts you out of the blue — especially with a "wrong number" that turns into a conversation — treat it as a red flag.

2. Don't trust online relationships: Scammers often use flattery and conduct frequent check-ins. They want to make the connection feel real before making a financial request.

3. Ignore "profits" that seem too good to be true: The rapid gains in these fake investment platforms are the early signs of a scam. Early "wins" are designed to lure you into investing more.

4. Never pay fees to withdraw your own money: Requests for taxes, fees or deposits to unlock funds are almost always fraudulent.

5. Listen to family or advisors: In many cases, loved ones spot the scam before the victim does. Don't dismiss their concerns.

Ultimately, the safest rule is to never send money to someone you've only met online.

As Levine's story shows, these scams don't just drain bank accounts — they can also leave lasting emotional and personal damage.