Original subtitles

♪ ♪

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

John: WELCOME, WELCOME,

WELCOME TO "LAST WEEK TONIGHT!"

I'M JOHN OLIVER, THANKS FOR

JOINING US.

IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK, FROM

THE U.S. VETOING A CEASE-FIRE IN

GAZA YET AGAIN, TO THE

REVELATION THAT JOE BIDEN'S DOG

BIT SECRET SERVICE AGENTS AT

LEAST 24 DIFFERENT TIMES.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO START IN WEST

VIRGINIA, WHICH HAS SPENT THE

PAST SEVERAL WEEKS DEBATING A

BILL TO IMPOSE CRIMINAL

PENALTIES FOR EXPOSING CHILDREN

TO "OBSCENE" LITERATURE IN

SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.

THE DEBATE'S FEATURED SOME

SPECTACULAR TESTIMONY FROM

CONCERNED CITIZENS, READING OUT

MATERIAL THEY OBJECTED TO.

ARE YOU GONNA EAT HER PUSSY?

YEAH, EARL, I'M GONNA EAT HER

PUSSY.

HEY, YEAH.

DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO EAT

PUSSY?

PAPA GAINES NEVER SAT YOU DOWN,

SAID "SON, ONE DAY, YOU'RE GOING

TO HAVE TO EAT THE PUSSY?"

NO.

BUT HE DID TEACH ME HOW TO EAT A

BUTTHOLE.

John: LOOK, I ADMIT, I DON'T

REMEMBER THAT SCENE FROM "THE

GIVING TREE."

BUT IT'S BEEN A WHILE, AND IN

RETROSPECT, IT DOES MAKE SENSE

FOR THE TREE TO SIT THE BOY DOWN

AND EXPLAIN HOW TO ROCK THE BOX.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT LESSON.

BUT WHILE THAT HEARING WAS

RIDICULOUS, THE LAW ITSELF IS

SERIOUS.

VIOLATING IT COULD CARRY A

FELONY CHARGE, WITH A PENALTY OF

$25,000 AND A SENTENCE OF UP TO

5-YEARS.

MANY HAVE CALLED IT A "BOOK BAN"

ALTHOUGH THE BILL'S BACKERS

PUSHED BACK ON THAT, WITH ONE OF

THE SPEAKERS WHO SUPPORTED IT

SAYING, "WE ARE NOT BANNING OR

BURNING, WE ARE PROTECTING."

ALTHOUGH I'LL TELL YOU WHAT

YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT

PROTECTING, AND THAT'S MY EARS

FROM HEARING "EAT THE PUSSY"

FOUR TIMES OUT OF THIS WOMAN'S

MOUTH.

BUT WHILE WEST VIRGINIA MAY NOT

BE BURNING BOOKS, OBSCENITY

BILLS AND SIMILAR MORAL PANICS

ARE SPREADING AROUND THE

COUNTRY, IN PLACES LIKE

MISSOURI, WHERE A CANDIDATE FOR

OFFICE RELEASED THIS VIDEO.

THIS IS WHAT I WILL DO TO THE

GROOMING BOOKS WHEN I BECOME

SECRETARY OF STATE.

♪ ♪

THESE BOOKS COME FROM A MISSOURI

PUBLIC LIBRARY.

WHEN I'M IN OFFICE, THEY WILL

BURN.

John: OKAY.

THERE'S A LOT TO NOT LIKE THERE,

INCLUDING THAT HER FLAMETHROWER

IS APPARENTLY FUELED BY LIBERAL

TEARS.

WHICH...

WHAT?

I'M NOT SAYING THE GOP'S

MESSAGING IS IN DISARRAY, BUT...

ARE LIBERAL TEARS THE THING YOU

LOVE TO DRINK BECAUSE YOUR

ENEMIES' SADNESS TASTES SO

SWEET?

OR, IS IT THE DEADLY FUEL FOR

YOUR VERY COOL SHARK-THEMED

FLAMETHROWER?

YOU'VE GOT TO PICK A FUCKING

LANE.

BUT FOR NOW, LET'S TURN TO

ALABAMA, WHICH HAS BEEN REELING

AFTER A MAJOR DECISION FROM ITS

HIGHEST COURT.

THIS MORNING, A FIRST OF ITS

KIND DECISION BY THE ALABAMA

SUPREME COURT THAT COULD PUT

FAMILIES' ACCESS TO FERTILITY

TREATMENTS IN THE POST-ROE ERA

AT RISK.

THE COURT, DETERMINING FROZEN

EMBRYOS QUALIFY AS PEOPLE UNDER

ITS STATE LAW, RULING UNBORN

CHILDREN ARE CHILDREN WITHOUT

EXCEPTION BASED ON DEVELOPMENTAL

STAGE.

John: YEAH.

THEY RULED FROZEN EMBRYOS ARE

THE SAME AS PEOPLE, WHICH IS

WRONG FOR A BUNCH OF REASONS--

MAINLY, IF YOU FREEZE AN EMBRYO,

IT'S FINE.

IF YOU FREEZE A PERSON, YOU HAVE

SOME EXPLAINING TO DO.

THAT RULING COULD HAVE MASSIVE

IMPLICATIONS FOR ANYONE WHO

NEEDS IVF TO CONCEIVE-- AND

THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.

AROUND 2% OF BABIES BORN IN THE

US ARE FROM IVF.

ALREADY, MULTIPLE FERTILITY

CLINICS HAVE PAUSED TREATMENT IN

THE WAKE OF THE DECISION--

WHICH, AS ANYONE WHO'S EVER

UNDERGONE IVF WILL TELL YOU,

ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST DO.

IVF CYCLES TAKE WEEKS OF CAREFUL

MONITORING AND EXPENSIVE

TREATMENTS.

YOU CAN'T JUS HIT PAUSE AND

WAIT OUT A COURT CASE.

THIS IS A SEISMIC DECISION, AND

THE REASON THE COURT WAS HEARING

THIS CASE TO BEGIN WITH WAS

PRETTY WILD.

THE CASE IN QUESTION INVOLVED

A PATIENT WHO MANAGED TO ACCESS

THE FREEZER STORING FROZEN

EMBRYOS AT AN ALABAMA FERTILITY

CLINIC.

THE PATIENT PICKED UP MULTIPLE

EMBRYOS AND MISTAKENLY DROPPED

AND DESTROYED THEM.

John: YEAH-- THE COURT RULED

THAT THE CLINIC COULD BE SUED

FOR WRONGFUL DEATH.

AND WHILE THAT ACCIDENT'S

GENUINELY HORRIBLE, SOMEONE

WANDERING INTO A LAB AND

DROPPING FROZEN EMBRYOS JUST

ISN'T MURDER.

IF ANYTHING, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE

SCRIPT FOR A PRETTY TASTELESS

"MR. BEAN" SEQUEL.

AND LOOK: THE REASON CLINICS ARE

PAUSING TREATMENT RIGHT NOW IS

THAT NOBODY QUITE KNOWS WHAT IT

COULD MEAN FOR AN EMBRYO TO BE

LEGALLY EQUIVALENT TO A PERSON,

GOING FORWARD.

WHAT HAPPENS IF AN EMBRYO IS

STORED IMPROPERLY?

WHAT IF THEY'RE-- AS INEVITABLY

HAPPENS-- LEFT OVER OR

DESTROYED IN THE IMPLANTATION

PROCESS?

WHAT ABOUT GENETIC TESTING,

WHICH CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF

MISCARRIAGE, BUT DOES CARRY A

SLIGHT RISK OF DAMAGING EMBRYOS?

WOULD THAT NOW BE CONSIDERED A

WRONGFUL DEATH?

IT'S CHAOS, AND EXPERTS SAY

COURTS IN OTHER STATES COULD TRY

AND ISSUE SIMILAR RULINGS.

BUT NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE

SURPRISING.

THIS RULING IS A NATURAL

OUTGROWTH OF THE CONCEPT OF

"FETAL PERSONHOOD," LONG PUSHED

BY HARDLINE ANTI-ABORTION

GROUPS, WHICH REPUBLICANS HAVE

SPENT DECADES COURTING.

AND SOME POLITICIANS SUDDENLY

SEEM ALARMED TO HAVE TO DEAL

WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF A

MOVEMENT THEY EMPOWERED.

NIKKI HALEY, FOR INSTANCE, SPENT

THE WEEK TRYING TO RECONCILE HER

POSITION THAT "WHEN YOU'RE

TALKING ABOUT AN EMBRYO, YOU'RE

TALKING ABOUT A LIFE," WITH WHAT

THAT ACTUALLY MEANS IN LEGAL

TERMS.

MEANWHILE, WATCH AS ALABAMA

SENATOR TOMMY TUBERVILLE SEEMED

TO REALIZE THE PROBLEMS WITH HIS

POSITION IN REAL TIME.

DO YOU HAVE A REACTION TO THE

ALABAMA SUPREME COURT RULING ON

THE FACT THAT EMBRYOS ARE

CHILDREN?

YEAH, I WAS ALL FOR IT.

WE NEED TO HAVE MORE KIDS.

WE NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO DO THAT.

I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS THE

RIGHT THING TO DO.

BUT IVF IS USED TO HAVE MORE

CHILDREN, AND RIGHT NOW IVF

SERVICES ARE PAUSED AT SOME OF

THE CLINICS IN ALABAMA.

AREN'T YOU CONCERNED THAT THIS

COULD IMPACT PEOPLE WHO ARE

TRYING TO HAVE KIDS?

WELL, THAT'S FOR-- THAT'S

FOR ANOTHER CONVERSATION.

SENATOR, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO

WOMEN RIGHT NOW IN ALABAMA WHO

CAN NO LONGER ACCESS IVF AND

WILL NOT AS A RESULT OF THIS

RULING?

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

WELL, THAT'S A HARD ONE.

IT REALLY IS.

IT'S REALLY HARD.

'CAUSE AGAIN, YOU WANT PEOPLE TO

HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TELLING

HER, WE NEED MORE KIDS.

John: WELL, GUESS WHAT,

TOMMY?

I'VE GOT GREAT NEWS!

SINCE YOUR POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

SEEMS TO BEGIN AND END WITH "WE

NEED MORE KIDS," YOU'LL BE

THRILLED TO KNOW THAT THANKS TO

A JUDGE IN ALABAMA, THERE'S NOW

WHOLE FREEZERS FULL OF THEM!

GO PLAY WITH ALL THOSE FROSTY

KIDS, SENATOR!

OR MAYBE, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU

HAD IN MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF

CHILDREN, WHICH IS EXACTLY THE

FUCKING POINT.

REPUBLICANS ARE IN A TOUGH SPOT

RIGHT NOW, TRYING TO HOLD ONTO

HARDLINE ANTI-ABORTION FORCES,

WHILE NOT ALIENATING THE

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS.

AND MAYBE, THE BEST EXAMPLE OF

THAT RIGHT NOW HAS TO DO WITH

AND MAY BECOME OF THE BEST

EXAMPLE OF THIS IS DONALD TRUMP.

HE ISSUED A STATEMENT THIS WEEK

THAT HE STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE

AVAILABILITY OF IVF FOR COUPLES

WHO ARE TRYING TO HAVE A

PRECIOUS BABY-- SOMETHING HE

REFERRED TO AS "THE ULTIMATE JOY

IN LIFE," ALL CAPS, EXCLAMATION

MARK.

AND IT'S INCREDIBLE HOW EVEN

OBJECTIVELY WHOLESOME SENTENCES

TAKE ON AN AIR OF CREEPINESS

WHEN PASSED THROUGH THE CHAOTIC

TRUMP PUNCTUATION FILTER.

MEANWHILE, HE'S ALSO BEEN

PRIVATELY FLOATING A FEDERAL BAN

ON ABORTION AT THE 16-WEEK MARK,

REPORTEDLY SAYING, "KNOW WHAT I

LIKE ABOUT 16?"

"IT'S EVEN.

IT'S FOUR MONTHS."

AND I WILL SAY-- STARTING ANY

SENTENCE WITH "YOU KNOW WHAT I

LIKE ABOUT 16," SHOULD BE OFF

LIMITS FOR ANYONE WHO HAS THIS

MANY PHOTOS WITH JEFFREY

EPSTEIN.

BUT WHILE TRUMP MIGHT THINK 16

WEEKS IS THE REASONABLE OPTION

WHICH IT ISN'T--

ANTIABORTION FORCES ARE HOPING

TO USE A SECOND TRUMP TERM TO GO

MUCH, MUCH FURTHER.

ONE TOOL THEY'RE APPARENTLY

EAGER TO USE IS THE COMSTOCK

ACT, AN 1873 LAW THAT

CRIMINALIZES THE SHIPPING OF ANY

MATERIALS USED IN AN ABORTION,

INCLUDING ABORTION PILLS, WITH

ONE OF TRUMP'S LAWYERS SAYING,

"WE DON'T NEED A FEDERAL BAN

WHEN WE HAVE COMSTOCK ON THE

BOOKS."

IT WAS ONE OF THE KEY PRETEXTS

IN LAST YEAR'S MIFEPRISTONE

RULING, AND LINDSEY GRAHAM

ACTUALLY CITED COMSTOCK WHEN

DEFENDING IT.

THE IDEA OF MAILING THE

DRUG-SENDING THE DRUG THROUGH

THE MAIL RUNS INTO A STATUTE

CALLED THE COMSTOCK ACT.

IT'S A VERY OLD STATUTE ON

THE BOOKS.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE SUPREME

COURT SHOULD USE THAT AS A WAY

TO BAN THIS ABORTION PILL?

WELL, I THINK IT'S A LAW ON

THE BOOKS.

John: LOOK, I GUESS IT'S NOT

THAT SURPRISING THAT GRAHAM'S

ENDORSEMENT OF A LAW BOILS DOWN

TO "IT'S ON THE BOOKS," GIVEN

THAT "IT'S OLD AND IT'S THERE"

BASICALLY SUMS UP LINDSEY GRAHAM

AT THIS POINT.

HE SEEMS DETERMINED TO STAY IN

THE SENATE UNTIL HE CAN COMPLETE

HIS ANIMORPHS-STYLE

TRANSFORMATION INTO BEAKER.

AND, HE'S GETTING CLOSE.

HE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF STEPS

AWAY.

BUT HE'S RIGHT: THE COMSTOCK ACT

IS TECHNICALLY THERE, MEANING A

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION-- OR THE

JUDGES HE APPOINTS-- COULD TRY

USING IT TO RESTRICT ABORTION

WITHOUT GOING THROUGH CONGRESS.

WHICH IS BOTH ALARMING, AND

SOMETHING MANY PRO-LIFE FIGURES

ARE ANXIOUS TO KEEP QUIET FOR

NOW.

THAT TRUMP LAWYER I MENTIONED

EVEN SAID OF HIM, "I HOPE HE

DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE EXISTENCE

OF COMSTOCK, BECAUSE I JUST

DON'T WANT HIM TO SHOOT OFF HIS

MOUTH."

"I THINK THE PRO-LIFE GROUPS

SHOULD KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT AS

MUCH AS POSSIBLE UNTIL THE

ELECTION."

BUT WHENEVER THEY DON'T WANT TO

TALK ABOUT SOMETHING, IT'S

PROBABLY WORTH YOU KNOWING

ABOUT.

SO, FOR THE RECORD, THE COMSTOCK

ACT IS NAMED AFTER ANTHONY

COMSTOCK, A 19TH CENTURY

ANTI-SEX CRUSADER AND POSTAL

INSPECTOR WHO WAS, AND I QUOTE,

"A CHRONIC MASTURBATOR WHO

BELIEVED IT WAS PHYSICALLY

HARMFUL, SO LAUNCHED A CRUSADE

TO STAMP OUT THE TRANSMISSION

AND TRANSPORTATION OF ALL

OBSCENE MATERIAL."

AND IMAGINE JERKING OFF SO MUCH

YOU MAKE IT A MATTER OF NATIONAL

SECURITY.

THE COMSTOCK ACT FORBADE SENDING

BY MAIL "EVERY OBSCENE, LEWD,

LASCIVIOUS, INDECENT, FILTHY OR

VILE ARTICLE, MATTER, THING,

DEVICE, OR SUBSTANCE," AS WELL

AS "EVERY ARTICLE OR THING

DESIGNED, ADAPTED, OR INTENDED

FOR PRODUCING ABORTION."

THAT'S THE CLAUSE ABORTION

OPPONENTS HAVE USED ON

MIFEPRISTONE, AND THEY HOPE TO

EXPAND IT TO COVER THE SHIPPING

OF LITERALLY ANYTHING AN

ABORTION REQUIRES.

SO, THE COMSTOCK ACT IS A WILD

LAW, PUSHED FOR BY A DEEPLY

WEIRD, DANGEROUSLY HORNY MAN,

THAT MAY SOON BE DETERMINING ALL

OUR REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS.

AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT

COMSTOCK WAS ALSO A LEADER IN

"THE NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR THE

SUPPRESSION OF VICE," WHOSE SEAL

FUN FACT-- DEPICTED SOMEONE

BURNING BOOKS.

WHICH, TO BE FAIR, CONSERVATIVES

DON'T DO ANYMORE.

AS WE ALL KNOW, THEY USE FLAME

THROWERS NOW.

AND THAT'S THE THING THAT TIES

EVERYTHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT

HERE TOGETHER-- THERE ARE

POLITICIANS CURRENTLY

DESPERATELY TRYING TO DISTANCE

THEMSELVES FROM EXTREME POLICIES

THEY'VE ENABLED.

YOU CAN SAY "WE'RE NOT TRYING TO

BAN OR BURN BOOKS," BUT THAT'S

WHAT'S HAPPENING.

YOU CAN SAY "WE JUST WANT MORE

KIDS," BUT YOU'RE MAKING LIFE

INCREDIBLY HARD FOR PEOPLE,

INCLUDING THOSE WHO DESPERATELY

WANT THEM.

BURNING BOOKS AND ENDING IVF IS

THE NATURAL ENDPOINT OF THE

EXTREME POLICIES THEY'VE HELD

HANDS WITH, AND IF THEY'RE NOT

AT LEAST WILLING TO OWN THOSE

CONSEQUENCES, THEN THEY CAN, IN

THE WORDS OF WHAT I BELIEVE TO

BE THIS COUNTRY'S GREATEST

PUBLIC SPEAKER--

EAT A BUTTHOLE.

John: WELL SAID.

AND NOW, THIS.

Announcer: AND NOW, MORE

EXPLICIT READINGS FROM CONCERNED

CITIZENS AT PUBLIC MEETINGS.

THE BOY TALK TO SOFT TO HER

ABOUT HOW GOOD SHE LOOKED AND

THINGS LIKE THAT, AND SHE

GRABBED HIS PENIS WITH HER HANDS

AND STARTED MOVING IT.

IT FELT SO GOOD, SO FUCKING

GOOD.

I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE DON'T DO

ANYTHING BUT HAVE SEX IF THEY

AREN'T ADULTS OR HAVE PARENTS.

ON TOP OF THE VALENCIA WHILE

MAKING LOVE TO WORK, BILLY MADE

A NOISE LIKE A SMALL, RUSTY

HINGE PARAKEET ENTERED HIS

SEMINAL VESICLES INTO HER.

I HAD SUCKED MY PAIR OF

DICK'S, GIVEN HAND JOBS AND

JOBS, BLOW JOBS, BUT THE ONLY

BOOK BUT SEX I HAD WAS THIS

JUNIOR WHO--

AND I PULL AND I SUCK UNTIL

HE GROANS AND MAKE SOUNDS, AND I

KEEP GOING AND GOING.

AND WHEN HE SAYS "I'M GOING TO

CUM, I DON'T PULL AWAY.

SALLE--

IT TASTES LIKE THICK SWEAT.

YOU CAN PULL OUT OR FUCK HER

TOO HARD.

MY ONLY CHALLENGE WAS BRIAN

WHO WAS MY JERICHO FRIEND WHO

LIKES TO JERK ME OFF.

I HAVE 20 PUSSIES HERE THAT I

HAVE TWO NEAT.

I'M ON PUSSY DEADLINE.

IT'S WHICH IS.

IT'S ALL SO FUCKING COMPLICATED.

I JUST WANT TO MENTION, I'VE

NEVER SAID THE F-WORD EVER IN MY

LIFE BEFORE UNTIL JUST NOW.

[LAUGHTER]

PLUS TICK

John: MOVING ON.

OUR MAIN STORY TONIGHT CONCERNS

THE INTERNET.

IT CAN BE A MAGICAL PLACE, BUT

ALSO ONE WHERE THINGS AREN'T

ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM-- AS THIS

WOMAN LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

QUEEN SHAYDONNA HAYNESWORTH

THOUGHT SHE BOUGHT THIS: THE

INSTAGRAM AD DISPLAYING A TREE

THAT FITS IN A LIVING ROOM, NOT

THE PALM OF HER HAND.

YOOOOO!

THIS IS A RAINBOW CHRISTMAS

TREE?

LIKE, SERIOUSLY?

LIKE, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

THIS?

John: YEAH, IT MUST'VE BEEN

PRETTY DISAPPOINTING, TO ORDER A

FULL-SIZE TREE AND GET WHATEVER

THAT IS.

SHE MUST'VE FELT LIKE HBO DID

WHEN THEY ORDERED A COMEDY SHOW

AND GOT THIS INSTEAD.

UNFORTUNATELY, NOT EVERY MISTAKE

IS THAT BENIGN.

IT'S NOT NEWS THAT THERE ARE

SCAMMERS ON THE INTERNET, BUT

YOU MAY'VE NOTICED, ONE SCAM IN

PARTICULAR IS CURRENTLY

EVERYWHERE.

A COMMON WAY IT STARTS IS WITH A

WEIRD TEXT FROM A NUMBER YOU

DON'T RECOGNIZE, LIKE, "CHERYL,

CAN WE MOVE LUNCH TO 5:00?"

WHEN YOU'RE NOT CHERYL.

OR "DAVE, WHAT TIME IS OUR

FLIGHT?"

WHEN YOU'RE NOT DAVE AND YOU

DON'T HAVE A FLIGHT BOOKED.

EVEN AS WE WORKED ON THIS PIECE,

MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF AND THEIR

FRIENDS WERE GETTING THESE

MESSAGES, FROM "HELLO IS THIS

THE MANAGER JESSE FROM THE

FLOWER SHOP?"

TO THIS ONE, READING, "IS THIS

DR. JOHN?

I'M EMILY, IS MY HORSE

RECOVERING WELL?"

AND I'M GLAD THAT WASN'T SENT TO

ME, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE

WORKED.

YOU'RE CALLING ME DOCTOR JOHN?

INSTANTLY ON BOARD.

AND YOU'RE ASSUMING I'M AROUND A

HORSE FOR MEDICAL REASONS?

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN

SAYING!

I'M ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT LIKE

THAT.

I'M A DOCTOR!

AND I KNOW MOST PEOPLE IGNORE

MESSAGES LIKE THOSE.

BUT SOME WRITE BACK, GET SUCKED

INTO A CONVERSATION AND

EVENTUALLY-- THROUGH A PROCESS

WE'LL GET INTO-- CAN END UP

LOSING A LOT OF MONEY.

IT'S A SCAM WITH A STRIKING NAME

THAT NEWSCASTERS CAN'T SEEM TO

GET OVER.

IT'S CALLED A PIG BUTCHERING

SCAM.

AND IT MIGHT SOUND LIKE A

GRUESOME NAME, BUT THAT'S

BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY

VICTIMS ARE LOSING IS PAINFUL.

THE SCAMMERS HAVE A TERRIBLE

TERM FOR WHAT WENDY WENT

THROUGH.

THEY CALL IT PIG BUTCHERING.

THE NEW MEXICO SECURITIES

DIVISION CALLS THEM "PIG

BUTCHERING SCAMS."

I KNOW, BUT LISTEN, DON'T WORRY,

THERE ARE NO PIGS OR ANY OTHER

ANIMALS INVOLVED.

John: YES, DON'T WORRY, THERE

ARE NO PIGS HARMED IN "THIS" PIG

BUTCHERING SCAM.

ALTHOUGH, IF THE WORDS DO MAKE

YOU SQUEAMISH, IT'S WORTH NOTING

THAT THAT THERE IS A PROCESS

THROUGH WHICH PIGS ARE HARMED

EVERY DAY.

IT'S ACTUALLY HOW WE GET BACON,

PORK AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

IT'S CALLED PIG BUTCHERING, AND

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS

LIKE.

BUT THE NAME MAKES A LITTLE MORE

SENSE, ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND HOW

THE SCAM ACTUALLY WORKS.

IN THE WORLD OF CYBER AND

COUNTERTERRORISM THREATS.

SPECIAL AGENT HASSANI HAS SEEN

IT ALL.

BUT IN 2021, HE BEGAN SEEING A

NEW SCAM: PIG BUTCHERING.

BUT IT JUST REFERS TO RAISING

LITTLE PIGLETS, FATTENING THEM

UP, AND BUTCHERING THEM.

AND THEY'RE FATTENING UP THEIR

VICTIM WITH ILLUSIONS OF

GRANDEUR, OF WEALTH, OF LOVE,

BEFORE BLEEDING THEM DRY.

John: THAT'S ROUGH.

BECAUSE IMAGINE BEING A VICTIM

OF THIS SCAM, TURNING ON THE

NEWS AND SUDDENLY LEARNING THE

SHORTHAND FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR

SITUATION IS "THE PIGS."

ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY-- IT COULD

BE WORSE.

PIGS ARE AWESOME!

THEY'RE ONE OF THE MOST

INTELLIGENT ANIMALS ON THE

PLANET.

THEY'RE SMARTER THAN DOGS, MOST

3-YEAR-OLDS, AND TOM SANDOVAL.

TO USE A PHRASE THE POLICE NEVER

SEEM TO APPRECIATE: IT'S

ACTUALLY AN HONOR TO BE COMPARED

TO A PIG!

AND IF YOU'RE THINKING, "THIS

SEEMS LIKE THE KIND OF SCAM

THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES."

THAT'S PARTIALLY TRUE, BUT THE

WAY THIS ONE WORKS IS FAIRLY

NEW.

AND IN THE SHORT TIME IT'S BEEN

AROUND, IT'S BEEN MASSIVELY

SUCCESSFUL.

JUST THIS MONTH, IT WAS AT THE

CENTER OF A HUGE LOCAL NEWS

STORY IN KANSAS, WHERE IT

BROUGHT DOWN A FINANCIAL

INSTITUTION.

I WAS SURPRISED.

I WAS SHOCKED.

I WAS DISAPPOINTED.

KANSAS STATE BANK

COMMISSIONER DAVID HERNDON IS

TALKING ABOUT THE MASSIVE

CRYPTOCURRENCY SCAM AT THE

HEARTLAND TRI-STATE BANK IN

ELKHART.

IN A CRYPTOCURRENCY SCHEME

THAT THE FBI HAS NOW REFERRED TO

AS PIG BUTCHERING.

IN THIS CASE, HERNDON SAYS,

THE VICTIM WAS SHAN HANES, THE

BANK'S OWN CEO.

AND HE'S NOW FACING CHARGES OF

EMBEZZLING NEARLY $50 MILLION, A

LOSS THAT CAUSED THE BANK TO

FAIL LAST AUGUST.

John: IT'S TRUE.

ACCORDING TO PROSECUTORS, A BANK

CEO GOT PIG-BUTCHERED, SENT HIS

SCAMMER THE BANK'S HOLDINGS, AND

THE BANK WENT UNDER.

WHICH IS ALARMING FOR SEVERAL

REASONS, AMONG THEM-- IS THAT

HOW BANKS WORK?

BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THERE

SHOULD BE AT LEAST ONE STEP

BETWEEN "CEO GETS TRICKED" AND

"WHOOPS, THE BANK'S EMPTY."

IT'S ESTIMATED THAT, AS OF 2022,

THIS SCAM WAS TAKING PEOPLE FOR

MORE THAN $3 BILLION A YEAR IN

THE US ALONE.

AND THAT'S ALMOST CERTAINLY A

MASSIVE UNDERCOUNT, AS IT ONLY

INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO REPORTED

THEIR LOSSES TO THE FBI.

SO GIVEN ALL THAT, TONIGHT,

LET'S TALK ABOUT PIG BUTCHERING:

WHY IT'S EASIER TO FALL FOR THAN

YOU MIGHT THINK, WHO'S BEHIND

IT, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO

PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LIKED

ONES FROM GETTING SCAMMED IN THE

FUTURE.

AND LET'S START WITH WHERE THIS

BEGAN.

AND TO DO THAT, UNFORTUNATELY,

WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE PLACE

NO ONE WANTS TO GO: THE

BEGINNING OF COVID.

YOU REMEMBER COVID.

IT'S THE STEPHEN MILLER OF

DISEASES, IN THAT WE WERE ALL

WORRIED ABOUT IT A FEW YEARS AGO

AND HAVE SINCE MOVED ON, EVEN

THOUGH IT IS STILL VERY

DANGEROUS.

BUT THAT'S WHEN PIG BUTCHERING

TOOK OFF.

BASICALLY, AT THE START OF

COVID, MANY OF US WERE ISOLATED

AND LONELY, DESPERATELY LOOKING

FOR HUMAN CONTACT ONLINE--

WHICH MADE US RIPE TARGETS.

AT THE SAME TIME, ORGANIZED

CRIME GROUPS IN CHINA, RUNNING

CASINOS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, WERE

IN CRISIS, AS-- THANKS TO THE

PANDEMIC-- GAMBLERS WEREN'T

SHOWING UP.

SO, THEY TURNED THOSE CASINOS

INTO BASES FOR ONLINE SCAM

OPERATIONS.

AND FROM THERE, THEIR WORKERS

IDENTIFIED PEOPLE AND PREYED ON

THEIR VULNERABILITIES.

AND LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH THE

STEPS.

THE FIRST IS TO MAKE CONTACT,

AND LURE YOUR TARGET IN.

LISTEN TO THIS WOMAN EXPLAIN HOW

HER SCAMMER, WHO CALLED HIMSELF

"JIMMY," CONTACTED HER AT A

MOMENT WHEN SHE WAS DEALING WITH

CANCER, THE PANDEMIC, AND THE

END OF HER MARRIAGE.

FIRST MESSAGE, IT CAME AS A

VERY INNOCENT MESSAGE.

IS!

I SAID, "WRONG NUMBER."

HE CAME BACK, "YOU LOOK CHINESE.

ARE YOU CHINESE?"

AND I SAID YES.

HE HAD MOVED HERE JUST BEFORE

COVID, AND THEN COVID HIT, AND

SO HE'S NOT ABLE TO GO HOME.

HE WAS A LONELY MAN IN NEED OF

COMFORT.

JIMMY WOULD MESSAGE ME EVERY

DAY.

I DO REMEMBER RECEIVING THESE

EMOJIS WITH HEARTS.

♪ ♪

[HEART BEATING]

IT'S QUITE FLATTERING FOR A

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN TO MEET A

YOUNG MAN WHO FINDS YOU

ATTRACTIVE.

John: YEAH, OF COURSE THAT'S

FLATTERING.

BECAUSE SCAMMERS ARE TELLING

THEIR TARGETS WHAT THEY WANT TO

HEAR MOST IN THAT MOMENT.

WE MIGHT NOT "ALL" FALL FOR A

GIF OF A HEART-PUMPING EMOJI,

BUT IF SOMEONE SENT "ME" "NERD

WITH GLASSES" PLUS "FOOTBALL"

PLUS "LEARNING" PLUS "SAD

STATISTICS" = "FIRE EMOJI," ME

PERSONALLY?

WHY, I WOULD NUT!

AND LOOK: ONE WAY OF MAKING

CONTACT IS THROUGH THOSE "WRONG

NUMBER" TEXTS.

BUT EXPERTS WE'VE TALKED TO

ESTIMATE THEY ONLY MAKE UP ABOUT

A QUARTER OF THE INITIAL

CONTACTS FOR THIS SCAM.

THE REST CAN COME THROUGH SITES

LIKE LINKEDIN, DATING APPS,

INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK-- PLACES

SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR YOU TO

MEET PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW,

EITHER FOR LOVE, A HOOK UP OR,

IN THE CASE OF LINKEDIN, TO FIND

OUT WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS

"STILL" ON FUCKING LINKEDIN.

AND SCAMMERS OFTEN RESEARCH

THEIR TARGET USING SOCIAL MEDIA

WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF

INFORMATION ON PEOPLE-- SO THEY

CAN PRETEND TO HAVE SOMETHING IN

COMMON.

TAKE THIS WOMAN, WHO MET SOMEONE

ON A DATING APP, ONLY TO

DISCOVER THEY SHARED AN

UNEXPECTED CONNECTION.

HE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS

ABOUT MY FAMILY AND MY PAST

EXPERIENCES.

IT WAS A CONNECTION THAT FELT

EVEN STRONGER, SHE SAYS, WHEN HE

TOLD HER HE CAME FROM THE SAME

TOWN IN CHINA FROM WHERE

HUTCHINSON WAS ADOPTED.

WE KIND OF BONDED OVER THAT.

John: YEAH, I BET THEY DID!

AND I'VE GOT TO SAY, IT SAYS

SOMETHING ABOUT MEN ON DATING

APPS THAT THEY CONNECTED SO

WELL, SIMPLY BECAUSE HE DID

THINGS LIKE "ASK HER QUESTIONS

ABOUT HERSELF" AND "LISTEN TO

HER RESPONSES."

I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE BAR FOR

MEN IS LOW, BUT THAT STORY

STARTED WITH HIM ASKING HER

QUESTIONS ABOUT HER LIFE AND

ENDS WITH HER "GIVING HIM ALL OF

HER MONEY."

BUT REGARDLESS OF HOW THEY

START, SOONER OR LATER, WE MOVE

ON TO STEP TWO: TURNING THE

CONVERSATION TOWARD MONEY.

BUT EVEN THEN, THERE'S A SMART

TWIST.

BECAUSE YOU WON'T BE SUDDENLY

ASKED TO WIRE MONEY TO A

NIGERIAN PRINCE WITH AN

OBVIOUSLY FAKE EMAIL LIKE "REAL

PRINCE SPELLED WITH A ONE

INSTEAD OF AN I AT SCUM DOT

FARTS."

WITH PIG BUTCHERING, THERE'S NO

DIRECT ASK FOR MONEY AT ALL.

INSTEAD, AN OPPORTUNITY GETS

PRESENTED.

WATCH AS THIS MAN EXPLAINS THE

MOMENT WHEN A GUY HE MET ON A

DATING SITE STARTED TO REEL HIM

IN.

HE SPENT AT LEAST A MONTH

DAILY TALKING TO ME AND

CULTIVATING MY FRIENDSHIP.

INITIALLY, THE ONLY TALK

ABOUT MONEY WAS HOW MUCH HIS NEW

ONLINE FRIEND HAD MADE IN

CRYPTO.

AFTER ALL, SCOTT THOUGHT HE KNEW

HOW TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM

SCAMS.

YOU CAN INVEST WITH ME AND

I'LL MAKE YOU ALL THIS MONEY AND

I WAS LIKE "I'M NOT GIVING YOU

MONEY, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING."

SO THAT'S WHEN HE STARTED, "NO,

YOU DON'T GIVE IT TO ME.

YOU ESTABLISH YOUR OWN ACCOUNT

AND I'LL GUIDE YOU."

John: RIGHT.

THAT'S THE CLEVER HOOK HERE--

YOU'RE NOT SENDING THE SCAMMER

MONEY.

THEY'RE HELPING YOU SET UP AND

CONTROL YOUR OWN ACCOUNT.

AND EVERYTHING SEEMS MORE

LEGITIMATE WHEN THERE'S AN APP

INVOLVED.

YOU DON'T THINK SO?

WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK AN

UBER?

GET IN A NONDESCRIPT CAR WITH

SOMEONE I'VE NEVER MET?

I'D NEVER DO THAT!

BUT WAIT-- WHAT'S THIS?

I CAN DO IT FROM MY PHONE?

IN THAT CASE, HERE IS MY

ADDRESS, NOW YOU KNOW WHERE I

LIVE AND THAT I WON'T BE HOME

FOR THE EVENING.

MY NAME IS JOHN, I DON'T KNOW

YOUR LAST NAME BUT THAT DOESN'T

MATTER, BECAUSE I'M ALSO NOT

COMMITTING YOUR FACE TO MEMORY.

EVERYTHING'S SAFE, THERE'S AN

APP INVOLVED.

AND THE FACT THE INVESTMENT IS

OFTEN IN CRYPTO CAN BE

PERSUASIVE FOR MULTIPLE REASONS:

FIRST, WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW

CRYPTO WORKS?

I KNOW YOUR FRIEND'S WEIRD

HUSBAND CLAIMS HE DOES, BUT HE

SUCKS TO TALK TO, SO SADLY, IT

MUST REMAIN A MYSTERY.

BUT PEOPLE HAVE MADE MONEY ON

CRYPTO, SO IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE

TO THINK YOU MIGHT MEET ONE OF

THEM AND THEY COULD GIVE YOU

SOME TIPS.

ON TOP OF WHICH, YOU MAY NOT BE

SUPER-FAMILIAR WITH HOW A

TRADING PLATFORM OPERATES OR

EVEN WHAT ONE LOOKS LIKE.

AND SCAMMERS HAVE CREATED

INCREDIBLY PLAUSIBLE-LOOKING

APPS.

WE GOT THIS FOOTAGE OF ONE,

WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE ALL THE

DETAIL AND FUNCTIONALITY OF A

REAL APP, AND I'LL BE HONEST, I

COULD BE FOOLED BY THAT.

ALSO, SOME SCAMMERS USE

LEGITIMATE APPS THAT ALLOW

ANYONE TO BUILD A TRADING

EXCHANGE.

THE PROBLEM IS, THERE ARE TOOLS

SCAMMERS CAN USE TO SIMULATE

FAKE RESULTS ON THOSE APPS,

WHILE TAKING YOUR MONEY.

WATCH THIS JOURNALIST EXPLAIN

HOW THIS GAVE ONE VICTIM FALSE

CONFIDENCE.

IN METATRADER, IT LOOKS JUST

LIKE ANY KIND OF NORMAL TRADING

INTERFACE THAT ONE WOULD USE.

IT'S AVAILABLE IN THE GOOGLE

PLAY STORE.

IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE APPLE APP

STORE.

IT'S AN APP THAT HAS A LOT OF

GOOD RATINGS, AND THAT WAS ONE

OF THE THINGS THAT MADE CY THINK

THAT THIS WHOLE OPERATION WAS

LEGITIMATE.

HE BELIEVED THAT HIS INVESTMENT

WAS MAKING MONEY.

IF YOU'RE TRADING ON A

LEGITIMATE TRADING INTERFACE,

RIGHT, YOU SEE THE PROFITS AND

LOSSES OVER TIME.

AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HE SAW.

John: RIGHT.

IF YOUR FRIEND TOLD YOU TO

DOWNLOAD AN APP, AND YOU SAW IT

IN THE APP STORE WITH GOOD

REVIEWS, YOU MIGHT ASSUME

EVERYTHING ON IT WAS LEGITIMATE,

EVEN BEFORE YOU SAW METATRADER'S

LOGO, WHICH LOOKS LIKE THREE MEN

IN SUITS JERKING EACH OTHER OFF

UNDER A TABLE.

AN APPROPRIATE METAPHOR FOR

CRYPTOCURRENCY IF I'VE EVER SEEN

ONE.

SOME SCAMMERS EVEN SET UP

ADDITIONAL FEATURES LIKE

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION OR

CUSTOMER-SERVICE LINES.

THIS WOMAN TRIED HER BEST TO DO

DUE DILIGENCE ON THE SITE SHE

WAS SENT, AND CAME AWAY

CONVINCED IT WAS REAL.

THERE WAS A LEGAL SECRETARY

INVOLVED IN ANOTHER STATE,

VOUCHING ASSOCIATION WITH A LAW

FIRM WHERE IT WAS SENDING MONEY

TO.

SHE'S REAL.

I COULD VERIFY HER, SO IT WAS

VERY COMPLEX AND WELL-REHEARSED.

John: RIGHT.

SHE SPOKE WITH A LEGAL SECRETARY

AND A LAW FIRM BEFORE SENDING

MONEY.

AND THAT'S MORE VETTING THAN

I'VE DONE FOR MY KIDS' DAYCARE.

I LOVE THEM, AND THEY'RE VERY

PRECIOUS TO ME, BUT THEY'RE ALSO

LOUD, STICKY, AND ONE OF THEM'S

JUST GETTING STRONGER AND

STRONGER EVERY DAY, SO IF YOU

HAVE A BUILDING WITH WALLS AND A

PHONE NUMBER I CAN CALL, I TRUST

YOU, TAKE THEM FOR THE

AFTERNOON.

AND AT THIS POINT OF THE

PROCESS, THINGS MIGHT LOOK

PRETTY GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE

GETTING SCAMMED.

YOU'VE SENT A BIT OF MONEY TO A

LEGITIMATE-LOOKING SITE, THROUGH

AN ACCOUNT YOU CONTROL.

AND YOUR NEW FRIEND'S TRADING

TIPS SEEM TO BE WORKING, SO

MAYBE YOU SEND A LITTLE MORE.

PRETTY SOON, YOU MIGHT HAVE A

FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY TIED UP ON

THIS TRADING PLATFORM.

BUT WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY GO TO

WITHDRAW IT, THAT'S WHERE WE HIT

THE FINAL STEP OF THIS PROCESS.

REMEMBER THAT WOMAN YOU SAW

EARLIER, WHOSE ONLINE FRIEND

CLAIMED HE WAS FROM THE TOWN

WHERE SHE WAS BORN?

WELL, SHE'D CONVINCED HER DAD TO

INVEST AS WELL.

THEY'D SEEMINGLY MADE A BUNCH OF

MONEY, AND THEN THIS HAPPENED.

BY DECEMBER, THEIR ACCOUNTS

SHOWED A COMBINED BALANCE OF

$1.2 MILLION, AND HUTCHINSON

DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO CASH OUT.

THAT'S WHEN THE SITE TOLD HER,

BEFORE SHE COULD WITHDRAW HER

MONEY, SHE'D HAVE TO PAY A HEFTY

TAX BILL OF ROUGHLY $380,000.

THAT'S WHEN I WAS LIKE

"SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT."

IT WASN'T.

THE CRYPTOCURRENCY INVESTMENTS

WEREN'T REAL.

ALL HER AND HER FATHER'S FUNDS

HAD GONE INTO THE SCAMMER'S

POCKETS.

IN ALL, $390,000 STOLEN.

I MESSED UP MY LIFE.

I MESSED UP MY DAD'S LIFE

SHE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS ALL A

SCAM.

HUTCHINSON'S FATHER, MELVIN.

AND ALL I COULD DO WAS JUST

HUG HER AND TELL HER "IT'S OKAY.

IT'S OKAY."

IT WAS HARD.

IT WAS HARD, 'CAUSE WE LOST

EVERYTHING.

John: YEAH-- THEIR MONEY HAD

ALREADY GONE, AND THAT "TAX

BILL" WAS JUST AN ATTEMPT TO

SQUEEZE THEM ONE LAST TIME.

AND THEIRS ISN'T THE ONLY BRUTAL

STORY HERE.

THIS WOMAN LOST $350,000.

THIS GUY LOST $300,000.

AND THAT WOMAN WHO FELL FOR

"JIMMY" SENT HIM $2.5 MILLION,

AS SHE WAS DEALING WITH TERMINAL

CANCER.

IT'S TRAUMATIC AND HUMILIATING.

IT TOOK COURAGE FOR THOSE PEOPLE

TO COME FORWARD.

AND THAT'S PARTLY WHY EXPERTS

THINK THE $3 BILLION FIGURE WE

HAVE IS WAY TOO LOW: BECAUSE

MOST PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SCAMMED

LIKE THIS SIMPLY DON'T REPORT

THEIR LOSSES OUT OF

EMBARRASSMENT.

AND AT THIS POINT, YOU'RE

PROBABLY FURIOUS WITH THE PEOPLE

ON THE OTHER END OF ALL THESE

MESSAGES, AND WANT TO SEE THEM

TAKEN DOWN-- OR, AT THE VERY

LEAST, FUCKED WITH.

AND THAT HAPPENS A LOT.

PEOPLE POST SCREENGRABS MESSING

WITH SCAMMERS ALL THE TIME, LIKE

IN THIS EXCHANGE, WHERE SOMEONE

REPLIES TO A "WRONG NUMBER" TEXT

WITH "MY NAME IS INIGO

WITH "MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA"

AND "YOU DON'T BY ANY CHANCE

HAVE SIX FINGERS ON YOUR RIGHT

HAND, DO YOU?"

OR THIS ONE, WHERE A SCAMMER

WRITES "I'M SARAH, NICE TO MEET

YOU" WITH A PICTURE, AND GETS

THE REPLY "WEE WOO WEE WOO.

BONER ALERT."

AND LOOK: THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE

THE RIGHT SOUND.

I WOULD'VE GONE WITH "A-WOO-GA,

A-WOO-GA.

BONER ALERT."

BUT, REASONABLE PEOPLE CAN

DISAGREE.

ALL BODIES ARE DIFFERENT.

THERE'S NO ONE RIGHT SOUND FOR A

BONER ALERT.

BUT HERE'S THE THING: AS

CATHARTIC AS THAT MIGHT BE, THE

PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF THAT

PHONE MIGHT NOT BE THE ONE YOU

SHOULD BE MAD AT.

BECAUSE REMEMBER WHEN I SAID

THIS WAS BEING DONE IN FORMER

CASINOS BY ORGANIZED CRIME

SYNDICATES?

TURNS OUT, THEY'RE NOT GREAT

BOSSES.

THIS COMPOUND IS WHERE AN

INDIAN MAN NAMED RAKESH SAYS HE

WAS FORCED TO WORK FOR MORE THAN

11 MONTHS WITHOUT PAY FOR A

CHINESE CRIMINAL GANG.

RAKESH, WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE

IDENTIFIED, SAYS HE FIRST FLEW

TO THAILAND FOR WHAT HE THOUGHT

WAS AN IT JOB.

INSTEAD, HE SAYS HE WAS TRICKED

INTO CROSSING THE BORDER TO

MYANMAR WHERE A CHINESE GANGSTER

TOLD HIM TO WORK, OR ELSE.

HE THREATENED TO KILL YOU.

YEAH.

HE WARNED ME LIKE THAT.

AND THE JOB?

SPEND 16 HOURS A DAY ON SOCIAL

MEDIA TARGETING AMERICANS WITH A

FAKE PROFILE.

John: THAT'S AWFUL.

NO ONE SHOULD BE FORCED TO SPEND

16 HOURS A DAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

YOU SHOULD DO IT EITHER BECAUSE

YOU LOVE IT, OR BECAUSE YOU'RE

15-YEARS-OLD AND THE ALGORITHM

HAS ADDICTED YOU TO IT.

YOU KNOW.

COMPLETELY NORMAL REASONS.

A LOT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE

USING PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HUMAN

TRAFFICKED, AFTER BEING LURED TO

THE COMPOUNDS UNDER FALSE

PRETENSES.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE VICTIMS OF

A SCAM THEMSELVES.

BASICALLY, THEY MIGHT SEE JOB

ADS FOR SKILLED POSITIONS AS

TRANSLATORS, OR IT SPECIALISTS,

IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

THEY THEN GO THROUGH A WHOLE

APPLICATION PROCESS-- WITH SOME

GOING THROUGH UP TO FOUR

SEEMINGLY LEGITIMATE ONLINE

INTERVIEWS-- AND FLY TO THEIR

NEW JOB.

AT WHICH POINT, THEY SUDDENLY

LEARN THEIR NEW BOSSES HAVE

THEIR DOCUMENTS AND THEY NOW

CAN'T LEAVE.

BACK IN 2022, PROPUBLICA

ESTIMATED THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS

OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN TRICKED IN

THIS WAY.

AND A MORE RECENT UN REPORT

ESTIMATED THAT HUNDREDS OF

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

FORCIBLY ENGAGED IN THIS SCHEME.

THEY ALSO SAY "MOST VICTIMS ARE

CONFINED TO THE SCAM COMPOUND,"

AND THEIR SCREENS ARE ALWAYS

MONITORED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE

ORGANIZED CRIME GROUP.

AND ONCE THEY'RE IN, THEY'RE

PROVIDED FAKE PROFILES TO TRY

AND HOOK PEOPLE IN WITH.

HERE'S WHO RAKESH FOUND HIMSELF

BEING ALL DAY.

I GOT A RUSSIAN GIRL.

WITH USING A RUSSIAN GIRL FAKE

PROFILE, I NEED TO SCAM PEOPLE.

POSING AS A SALT LAKE

CITY-BASED INVESTOR NAMED CLARA

SIMONOV, RAKESH FLIRTED ONLINE

WITH POTENTIAL TARGETS.

70-80% FALL FOR FAKE LOVE.

John: YEAH, RAKESH WAS KLARA

SEMONOV FROM SALT LAKE CITY.

SO, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER:

ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY'RE DATING

KLARA-- I'M AFRAID YOU'RE NOT.

THE RELATIONSHIP IS OVER.

IT'S NOT YOU, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT

HER.

IT'S RAKESH.

BUT ALSO, IT ISN'T HIM.

IT'S RAKESH'S BOSS, WHO WON'T

LET HIM LEAVE.

THE WHOLE OPERATION IS HIGHLY

ORGANIZED, AND SET UP TO GET

AROUND THE USUAL WAYS YOU MIGHT

DETECT A SCAM.

FOR INSTANCE, SOME ORGANIZATIONS

GENERATE THEIR OWN PHOTOS FOR

THE PROFILES, SO THEY CAN'T BE

REVERSE-IMAGE-SEARCHED.

AND EMPLOYEES ARE GIVEN MANUALS

LIKE THESE THAT GUIDE THEM

THROUGH EVERY STEP OF THE

PROCESS.

THEY'RE TOLD TO TARGET PEOPLE

WHO LOOK WEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL.

ONE ADVISES: ON THE FIRST DAY,

TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE YOUR

NAME, AGE, OCCUPATION AND

HOBBIES.

THEN, THE NEXT DAY, TALK ABOUT

YOUR EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE, WITH

A MESSAGE DIVIDED INTO TWO

PARAGRAPHS.

AND THEN, ON THE THIRD DAY, TALK

ABOUT YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL

EXPERIENCE.

THEY'RE EVEN GIVEN TIPS ON HOW

TO BREAK DOWN PEOPLE'S DEFENSES.

WE REVIEWED SEVERAL OF THESE

MANUALS AND THEY CAREFULLY

EXPLAIN HOW TO BUILD TRUST AND

EXPLOIT WEAKNESSES IN THEIR

SO-CALLED CLIENT, SUCH AS--

BE FUNNY, MAKE CLIENTS FALL

IN LOVE WITH YOU SO DEEPLY THAT

THEY FORGET EVERYTHING.

John: THE CHILLING THING IS,

THAT'S KIND OF TRUE.

IF YOU'RE FUNNY ENOUGH, YOU CAN

MAKE PEOPLE FORGET A LOT OF

THINGS, WHETHER IT'S COMMONSENSE

INTERNET SAFEGUARDS, LESSONS

FROM PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS, OR

THAT THEY'VE BEEN ACCIDENTALLY

LEARNING ABOUT FINANCIAL FRAUD

AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING FOR THE

LAST TWENTY MINUTES.

WE ARE HAVING FUN, AREN'T WE?

AND IF YOU'RE THINKING "WHY

DON'T AUTHORITIES SHUT THESE

COMPOUNDS DOWN?"

SOMETIMES, THEY'RE IN ON IT.

HERE'S ONE MAN WHO WAS

TRAFFICKED TO A SCAM CENTER IN

CAMBODIA, EXPLAINING WHAT

HAPPENED WHEN HE DID THE OBVIOUS

THING.

ON HIS SECOND DAY IN

CAPTIVITY, LU EMAILED THE

CHINESE EMBASSY.

HE WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE

SIHANOUKVILLE POLICE.

BUT THE POLICE NEVER CAME.

THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CAME

INSTEAD.

THEY KNEW THAT I'D CALLED THE

POLICE.

LU SAYS THE MANAGERS THEN

SOLD HIM TO ANOTHER SCAMMING

COMPANY.

HE SAID BECAUSE I CALLED THE

POLICE, THEY HAD TO "TAKE CARE"

OF THE POLICE WITH AT LEAST

$4,000, AND I HAD TO PAY FOR

THAT TOO.

John: YEAH, THE AUTHORITIES

WEREN'T GOING TO HELP HIM.

WHICH ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE WHEN

YOU LEARN THAT, ACCORDING TO UN

ESTIMATES, PIG BUTCHERING IN

CAMBODIA BRINGS IN AN AMOUNT

EQUIVALENT TO HALF THE COUNTRY'S

GDP.

WHICH IS WORRISOME, BECAUSE AS

EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN SOMETHING

GENERATES THAT MUCH MONEY, YOU

DON'T SHUT IT DOWN, YOU SPIN IT

OFF AND PRAY THE MAGIC WORKS A

SECOND TIME.

, ON!

AND CONDITIONS IN THESE

COMPOUNDS CAN BE BRUTAL.

THAT MAN YOU SAW EARLIER,

RAKESH, TOOK PHOTOS OF ABUSE

LIKE THIS ONE, OF A COWORKER

WHO'D BEEN BEATEN.

AND LU, WHO MANAGED TO GET OUT,

NOW WORKS TO FREE OTHERS-- AND

THE STORIES OF WHAT HE'S SEEN

ARE, FAIR WARNING, HARD TO

WATCH.

I SAW A MAN GET BEATEN UP

VERY BADLY.

HE HAD INJURIES ALL OVER HIS

BODY.

LU CONTENDS IT WAS THIS MAN,

WHO WAS REPORTEDLY FOUND HANGING

JUST HOURS LATER.

I'M CERTAIN IT WAS HIM.

HIS PHONE IS FULL OF MESSAGES

FROM CHINESE CITIZENS DESPERATE

TO BE FREE FROM SCAM COMPANIES.

THERE'S VIDEOS OF ABUSE.

LU SAYS HE RECEIVES THEM

DIRECTLY FROM VICTIMS INSIDE THE

SCAM INDUSTRY, OR FINDS THEM

POSTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA GROUP

CHATS.

"HE'S GOT HANDCUFFS."

THEY'RE SHOCKING.

John: THAT'S HORRIFYING.

AND WHEN YOU KNOW ALL THIS, IT

KIND OF STARTS TO CHANGE WHO

EXACTLY YOU'RE MAD AT HERE.

BECAUSE SUDDENLY, THE

INDIVIDUALS ON THE OTHER END OF

THE PHONE DON'T SEEM QUITE SO

FUN TO SEND A MESSAGE OF "WEE

WOO WEE WOO, BONER ALERT" TO.

NOT THAT IT ISN'T AN EXCELLENT

TEXT.

WHO DOESN'T LOVE A BONER ALERT?

BUT THERE'S A TIME AND A PLACE,

AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE IT.

ALSO, FROM NOW ON, WHENEVER YOU

GET A SEXY TEXT FROM A NEW

STRANGER, GOOD LUCK NOT

THINKING, "IS THIS A MAN WHO WAS

JUST BEATEN IN A WORK CAMP IN

MYANMAR?"

AND THAT, IF ANYTHING, IS THE

JOHN OLIVER EFFECT.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

AND LOOK: I CAN'T SAY THAT EVERY

SCAMMER IS SOMEONE WHO WAS

KIDNAPPED, TORTURED AND FORCED

TO DO IT.

BUT EVEN IF NOT EVERYONE WHO'S

DOING THIS IS TRAPPED OR

COERCED, THE FACT THAT MANY ARE,

IS STILL A HUGE PROBLEM.

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE

IMPRISONED IN THESE COMPOUNDS,

THAT'S GOING TO TAKE

COLLABORATION BETWEEN

INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

SO UNLESS YOU'RE THE HEAD OF

INTERPOL, WHICH, I'M GUESSING,

YOU'RE NOT, THERE'S NOT MUCH

YOU, PERSONALLY, CAN DO.

IN THIS COUNTRY, I'D ARGUE

PLATFORMS LIKE THESE SHOULD BE

DOING WAY MORE TO PREVENT PEOPLE

FROM MAKING FAKE ACCOUNTS AND

TARGETING PEOPLE, BECAUSE IT'S

HAPPENING ON THEIR WATCH.

BUT THE TRUTH IS, PERHAPS THE

MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO STOP THIS

FROM HAPPENING, IS TO MAKE IT

LESS LUCRATIVE BY HAVING FEWER

PEOPLE FALL FOR IT.

AND THAT'S WHERE AWARENESS OF

THIS SCAM IS KEY.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE CASES

WHERE RAISING AWARENESS IS, IN

ITSELF, GENUINELY USEFUL.

BECAUSE HOPEFULLY, YOU'VE SEEN

TONIGHT-- THIS COULD HAPPEN TO

SOMEONE YOU KNOW.

THIS HASN'T JUST SUCKED IN OLD

PEOPLE, OR THOSE WHO AREN'T

TECH-SAVVY.

IT MANAGED TO REEL IN A BANK

CEO.

EVERYONE HAS AN IMAGE OF THE

TYPE OF PERSON WHO'S SUSCEPTIBLE

TO GETTING SCAMMED IN THEIR

HEADS, BUT UNLESS THAT IMAGE IS

A MIRROR, YOU MIGHT BE WRONG.

SO: AS A GENERAL RULE, WHEN A

STRANGER ON A DATING APP SAYS

EITHER "I LOVE YOU" OR "CRYPTO"

WITHIN A MONTH OF TALKING TO

YOU: WORRY.

HONESTLY, EVEN IF THEY DON'T

TURN OUT TO BE SCAMMERS, THOSE

ARE PRETTY GOOD RED FLAGS TO BE

LOOKING FOR, PERSONALITY-WISE.

AND IT'S WORTH TELLING YOUR

FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT PIG

BUTCHERING, TOO.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A BIG

LECTURE OR ANYTHING.

YOU CAN JUST SEND THEM A LINK TO

THIS SHOW.

AND IF THEY SAY, "I HATE THAT

GUY," SAY, "YEAH, ME TOO, HE'S

THE WORST, JUST SKIP PAST THE

JOKES."

AND IF THEY SAY, "I'LL WATCH IT,

BUT HE LOOKS LIKE A LEGO

ACCOUNTANT.

WAIT, NO-- HE LOOKS LIKE CHAT

GPT'S ANSWER TO 'SHOW ME A

VIRGIN.'

WAIT, NO.

HE LOOKS LIKE HARRY POTTER IF HE

JUST STAYED UNDER THE STAIRS."

JUST LEAVE THEM ON READ.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMPLETELY

SELL ME OUT.

MAYBE DROP A THUMBS-UP EMJOI,

BUT LEAVE IT AT THAT.

AND LOOK: IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE

WHO'S BEEN SCAMMED LIKE THIS, BE

KIND.

IT'S HUMAN TO WANT

COMPANIONSHIP.

AND IT'S ACTUALLY A NICE QUALITY

TO BE TRUSTING.

AND IT SUCKS THAT THE INTERNET,

WHICH SHOULD BE A WAY TO

ALLEVIATE LONELINESS, CAN BE

TURNED INTO A TOOL TO EXPLOIT

IT.

BUT MAYBE, IF WE ALL LOOK OUT

FOR ONE ANOTHER, WE CAN ENSURE

THAT THE WORST MISTAKE ANYONE

EVER MAKES ON THE INTERNET IS

INADVERTENTLY BUYING AN

EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS TREE FOR GAY

MICE.

BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NOT THAT BAD

A PURCHASE.

BELIEVE ME, I KNOW.

AND NOW, THIS.

Announcer: AND NOW, LOSING

IT OVER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S NEW PANTS.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTRODUCED NEW UNIFORMS THIS

YEAR, BUT THERE'S PROBLEMS.

THE PANTS ARE MADE OF THINNER

FABRIC, MAKING THEM ALMOST

SEE-THROUGH, CHRIS.

YOU'VE GOT MY ATTENTION, I'M

LISTENING.

SHIRTS KEEPING THINGS

COVERED.

LOOK AT HIS HANDS.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY

SEE-THROUGH.

YOU CAN SEE IT.

OH.

[LAUGHTER]

STEVE!

WOW.

WE CAN GO TO THE WEATHER NOW.

DOES HE LOOK HAPPY WEARING

THEM?

NO.

HE LOOKS HAPPY WEARING THEM.

DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM?

I DON'T THINK GIRLS ARE

SAYING THERE'S A PROBLEM.

PLAYERS, I THINK, HAVE AN

ISSUE WITH IT.

PATENS AND BOXER BRIEFS,

EVERYONE IS GOING TO SEE THAT?

I'M SUDDENLY INTERESTED IN

BASEBALL.

CAN WE ZOOM IN TO THESE

PHOTOS A LITTLE MORE?

I CAN'T TELL BECAUSE I'VE GOT

BAD EYES.

YOU CAN SEE THE SHIRT TUCKED

IN.

MAY BECOME OF THE UNIFORMS,

MORE WOMEN ARE WATCHING

BASEBALL, RUNNING TO WATCH

BASEBALL.

YOU'VE GOT ERIKA'S INTEREST.

SHE IS GOOGLING OVER HERE.

THAT'S A GOOD RECRUITING

DEVICE.

NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PANTS.

I THINK THEY ARE FINE.

I WAS INSPECTING THEM.

OKAY.

THIS MAY MAKE YOU--

[LAUGHTER]

WHO PUT THE ORDER OF THE

STORIES THIS WAY?

John: THAT'S OUR SHOW.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK,

GOOD NIGHT.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

♪ ♪