FORT MYERS, Fla. —

A scam known as “pig butchering,” where scammers build fake relationships to steal money, is increasingly targeting victims through texts, dating apps, and social media.

Scammers often spend weeks or months gaining their victims’ trust by showering them with attention and flaunting a lavish lifestyle to appear successful. Once trust is established, they propose investment opportunities related to cryptocurrency, guiding victims to convert their cash into crypto through publicly known exchanges, ATMs, or digital wallet services.

In some cases, scammers direct victims to fake investment websites or digital wallets that look legitimate, even…