Illinois US Rep. cites I-Team report at congressional hearing in push to stop 'pig butchering' scams
ABC 7 Chicago
[{'start': '0.100', 'end': '3.335', 'text': "KNOWLES IS HERE WITH MORE ON  THIS. JASON.  >> JUDY, ROB, OUR CHICAGO  INVESTIGATION INTO PIG  BUTCHERING WAS RECENTLY FEATURED  IN A U.S. HOUSE AND SENATE  COMMITTEE HEARING. NOW,  LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO PROTECT  PEOPLE FROM THIS HEARTBREAKING  SCAM.  >> SOME PIG BUTCHERING IS A SCAM  NAMED FOR THE WAY IT LURES  VICTIMS IN.  >> FATTENS THEM UP, GAINS THEIR  TRUST, AND THEN DRAINS THEIR  FINANCES.  >> THIS IS CONGRESSMAN RAJA  KRISHNAMOORTHI OF THE EIGHTH  DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS. RECENTLY  IN A JOINT HEARING BETWEEN THE  SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CHINESE  COMMUNIST PARTY AND THE SENATE  SELECT COMMITTEE ON AGING, HE'S  SHOWING OUR RECENT I-TEAM  INVESTIGATION ON PIG BUTCHERING  TO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND  SENATE TO PUSH FOR CHANGE AND  STOP THE SCAM.  >> IF YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO FROM  JUST OUTSIDE MY DISTRICT OF A  WOMAN WHO LOST ALMOST $1 MILLION  TO A SCAMMER USING PIG  BUTCHERING CASH, WHICH SHE TOOK  FROM HER HOME EQUITY LOAN, OUR  STORY FROM SEPTEMBER OF 2024  FEATURED ERICA DEMUS.  >> HE SAID THAT HE LOVED ME  ONCE.  >> HE SENT ME A HUGE BOUQUET OF  FLOWERS.  >> THE WIDOW WAS WOOED AND  CONVINCED BY A SCAMMER WHO SHE  MET ONLINE TO SEND NEARLY $1  MILLION. OVER TIME.  >> WHAT YOU DID WAS YOU SHINED A  LIGHT ON SOMETHING THAT IS  COMMON, FOREIGN, BUT WHEN YOU  HEAR IT, IT IS STILL, UH,  SOMETHING THAT KIND OF TAKES YOU  ABACK.  >> KRISHNAMOORTHI ECHOES. WHAT  THE FBI TOLD THE I-TEAM THAT  MANY OF THE SCAMMERS ARE VICTIMS  THEMSELVES OF SEX TRAFFICKING,  BEING FORCED TO RIP OFF OTHERS.  >> SCAM COMPOUNDS ARE BEING  OPERATED FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA.  THEY INVOLVE PEOPLE WHO ARE  ILLEGALLY TRAPPED INTO THOSE  COMPOUNDS AND BASICALLY  COMPELLED TO ENGAGE IN SCAMS.  >> THE CONGRESSMAN EVEN SET UP  HIS OWN STING OPERATION.  CONNECTING. THIS WOULD BE ONLINE  PIG BUTCHERING SCAMMER, WHO ALSO  COULD BE A HUMAN TRAFFICKING  VICTIM.  >> IS IT A SCAM? COMPOUND AND  YOUR WHOLE HOUSE IS SCAMMER?  >> SO WE HAVE TO MAKE IT CLEAR  TO THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY  AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA THAT  WE ARE NOT GOING TO TOLERATE  THEM, UM, EITHER TURNING A BLIND  EYE TO THIS OR ACTIVELY  SUPPORTING THESE SCAM  OPERATIONS.  >> THE CONGRESSMAN SAYS HE HOPES  THE HEARING AND OUR STORY CAN  CREATE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION  AND CHANGE.  >> LAWMAKERS SAY THEY ALSO HOPE  TO PARTNER WITH ALL LEVELS OF  LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STOP PIG  BUTCHERING AND EDUCATE PEOPLE  ABOUT THESE SCAMS. ROB JUDY, YOU  CAN WATCH OUR FIRST  INVESTIGATION ABOUT THE WOMAN  WHO LOST ALL OF THAT MONEY ON  OUR FREE NEWS APP. IT WAS SO SAD  HOW SHE WAS CONVINCED TO SEND SO  MUCH MONEY, $1 MILLION OVER A  LONG PERIOD OF TIME, SO MANY  CRIMES BEING COMMITTED IN"}]