BE ALERT: New Pig Butchering Scam Circulating in Texas

Web users in El Paso, (everywhere really), need to know about the latest scam set up to wreak havoc with you, your computer and your money.

The web is a tricky place, loaded with useful info, work and school problem solutions, fun things to do and cool people to meet.

It's also a twisted place where people are not who they seem and things are quite often not designed in your best interest. In fact, many are straight out to get you.

Another day, another scam alert ... the FBI just released a statement warning us of a new internet setup that wants to take everything you got.

According to NBC News, it starts with online chatting on Facebook or dating sites that turns to proposed meetings which then leads to the inevitable request for money.

The defendants would cold call victims via dating apps and other social media platforms to "slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency," according to a statement by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles.

U.S. authorities call this a “pig butchering” scheme, loosely translating the crime's foreign language description of building a mark's confidence before going in for the kill of stealing money. - nbcnews.com

They present pretty real looking websites and accounts that show you what your money is doing and how it is growing to build your trust and get you to give more and more. Akin to fattening up a pig for slaughter or "butchering", hence the name.

Remember, when it comes to the internet these days, if it seems to good to be true, it's probably a scam. Learn more here.