The cryptocurrency scam known as "pig-butchering" is escalating into a national security concern, according to Chainalysis. Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis, and Erin West, founder of Operation Shamrock, highlighted the threat in a recent podcast. Pig-butchering involves criminals building trust with victims through romance or friendship before luring them into fake crypto investments. The U.S. Department of Justice seized $112 million in crypto linked to these scams in 2023, with revenues from such scams increasing by nearly 40% in 2024. Authorities are intensifying efforts to combat these scams, which have evolved into complex transnational crimes involving human trafficking and money laundering. The DOJ has established a "Scam Center Strike Force" to target Chinese-linked criminal organizations behind these frauds. Additionally, law enforcement in the Asia Pacific region, in collaboration with Chainalysis and major crypto exchanges, has frozen $47 million in related funds. The strategy focuses on disrupting scam operations and building public-private partnerships to tackle the issue effectively.