Pa. woman targeted in ‘pig butchering' gold scam, loses $25K. Here's 3 red flags

A wrong-number text turned into daily conversations, promises of romance and a $25K loss. Now, a Lehigh County woman is warning others.

The Details

• By
• Valeria Aponte Feliciano
• Published November 13, 2026
• Updated on
• November 13, 2026 at

A Lehigh County woman thought she was building a friendship with someone she met through an unexpected text message. Instead, she says she was manipulated into sending about $25,000 in what the FBI identifies as a type of investment scam known as "pig butchering."

Kathleen Rickert says the ordeal began last summer when she received a text from someone who appeared to have the wrong number.

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"'I've been trying to get a hold of you.' And I responded, 'I don't know who this is.' And he said, 'Isn't this Dave?' I said, 'No,'" Rickert said.

But the conversation didn't end there.

"He just started chatting with me," Rickert said.

What started as a seemingly innocent exchange quickly turned into daily conversations.

"We talked from morning till night," Rickert said.

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Driver gets speeding citation for car she doesn't own After about a month, the man introduced a new topic: Investing in gold.

"He asked me if I knew about gold. And I said not much. I know it's expensive," Rickert said.

Rickert says the man claimed he was trading gold and offered to help her make money, too.

"I thought about it and we started with a small amount," Rickert said.

But the conversations weren't just about investments. Rickert says the man also began talking about a romantic future together.

"He's talking to me you know 'I'd like to build a life with you' and you know I fell for all the nice talk that he was saying, you know," Rickert said.

Trusting the man and his promises, Rickert decided to invest more.

"Like a fool, I did. I sent more money," she said.

In total, Rickert says she sent about $25,000.

Her supposed gold investment account appeared to be growing, but when she tried to withdraw her profits, she was met with another demand.

"You pay $47,000 in taxes before we release any of your profits," Rickert said she was told.

That's when Rickert remembered a coworker describing a similar scheme and began to realize what was happening.

"I called them out as it being a scam," she said.

FBI warns about 'pig butchering' scams

The warning signs Rickert described are consistent with a type of investment fraud known as "pig butchering," according to the FBI.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicole Sinegar says scammers can spend weeks or even months building relationships and gaining someone's trust before convincing them to hand over their money.

"They then 'butcher the pig' for their, again, finances, for their assets," Sinegar said.

The consequences can be devastating. Sinegar says these scams can wipe out victims' savings and retirement accounts.

And anyone can become a target.

"What they look for is someone who is vulnerable, someone who may have the means to actually give them the amount of money that they're looking for," Sinegar said.

3 red flags that could help you spot an investment scam The FBI says there are three warning signs people should watch for when communicating with someone online:

An unexpected message from a stranger.

Be cautious of unsolicited texts or social media messages from someone trying to start a conversation, even if they claim to innocently have the wrong number.

Investment advice from someone you've never met.

Watch for people who build a personal or romantic connection before encouraging you to put money into an investment.

Demands for upfront taxes or fees.

Be suspicious if someone tells you that you must pay additional money before withdrawing supposed investment profits.

Sinegar also emphasizes the importance of reporting these scams.

For Rickert, sharing her experience is about helping others recognize the warning signs and encouraging victims to come forward.

"I thought I was a lot smarter than this, and I fell for it. So I know there's a lot of people that this is happening to that aren't gonna come forward. I just want them to know to come forward and let people know," Rickert said. "I'm embarrassed that I fell for this."

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.