In simpler terms, pig butchering is a version of smishing where scammers use social media platforms for cyber theft. As the name suggests, the victim is being ‘fattened up’ through validation and friendship before ‘butchering’ i.e. stealing of funds. A simple ‘Hi/Hello’ on a social media platform from a stranger’s profile can turn into a big scam.
Also Read: ‘Pig butchering’ scams: Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath explains how these work, shares ways to remain protected
How does the pig butchering scam happen?
Receiving messages or calls from wrong numbers was a rare occurrence a few years back. However, calls, text messages and connection requests from unknown people are becoming a frequent event on social media and dating applications. As the online relationship progresses, the scammer introduces what seems like a golden investment opportunity.
This less recognized yet equally harmful tactic involves fake job offers. Here, scammers prey on job seekers by offering attractive positions, sometimes overseas. They use emotional manipulation to build trust.
Scammers often go the extra mile by creating fake apps and websites that mimic real financial institutions. Throughout the scam, there’s a heavy reliance on emotional manipulation. The scammer might act as a romantic interest or a supportive friend. This emotional connection makes it harder for the victim to doubt their intentions.
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Once trust is established and the victim is emotionally invested, significant financial transactions are initiated. Whether it’s through fake investments or fraudulent job offers, the end goal is the same: to drain as much money as possible from the victim.
Also Read: Beware of Scams: Tips for safely investing in the digital world
Important steps to protect from these scams
Stay informed: The first step in protecting yourself from financial fraud is to be aware that these scams exist. Knowing how they work can help you identify and avoid them before it’s too late. Scammers are constantly devising new and sophisticated tactics to exploit vulnerable people, so it’s important to stay vigilant.
Always double-check: If someone online suggests an investment or job, research it thoroughly. Look up the company or offer online, read reviews, and see if it’s recognized by official authorities.
Be vigilant with online friends: Always be cautious when talking to people you just started talking with, especially if they start talking about finances or investments. Avoid discussing financial matters with people online.
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Keep personal information to yourself: Never share your personal or financial details like bank account details, passwords, and other sensitive information with someone you’ve just met online. Sharing personal information makes it easier for scamsters to hack into your bank accounts, so be wary of who you share it with.
Never make rushed financial decisions: If you’re being pressured to invest quickly or pay for a job opportunity, that’s a major red flag. Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency, pushing you to act before you have time to think it over. Take the time to verify the legitimacy of any investment or job prospect.
Always check the source: Don’t just take their word for it. Do your research. Look up the company or investment platform they mention. Check for the company’s physical address, licensing information, customer reviews, and social media presence. Cross-reference details across multiple reliable sources.
Get a second option before investing: Before making any investment or sharing personal details, talk to someone you trust like a family member who knows finances, a friend or a professional financial advisor. Sometimes, just talking about it out loud can reveal red flags you might not have noticed initially.
Also Read: Shielding your digital assets: How cyber insurance can provide a safety net in the face of growing cyber threats
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Key takeaway
While scammers continue to devise new and sophisticated tactics, arming oneself with awareness, caution, and diligence is the key. By staying alert to the warning signs, verifying the legitimacy of any opportunities presented, and resisting the urge to make rushed decisions, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of becoming victims.
If a proposition or investment opportunity seems too good to be true, trust your instincts and analyse it carefully. It’s better to miss out on a potential opportunity than to lose your hard-earned money to a clever con artist.
Dhiren .V. Dedhia, Head – Enterprise Solutions, CrossFraud
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Cornell University administrator Warren Petrofsky will serve as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ new dean of administration and finance, charged with spearheading efforts to shore up the school’s finances as it faces a hefty budget deficit.
Petrofsky’s appointment, announced in a Friday email from FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra to FAS affiliates, will begin April 20 — nearly a year after former FAS dean of administration and finance Scott A. Jordan stepped down. Petrofsky will replace interim dean Mary Ann Bradley, who helped shape the early stages of FAS cost-cutting initiatives.
Petrofsky currently serves as associate dean of administration at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
As dean, he oversaw a budget cut of nearly $11 million to the institution’s College of Arts and Sciences after the federal government slashed at least $250 million in stop-work orders and frozen grants, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
He also serves on a work group established in November 2025 to streamline the school’s administrative systems.
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Earlier, at the University of Pennsylvania, Petrofsky managed capital initiatives and organizational redesigns in a number of administrative roles.
Petrofsky is poised to lead similar efforts at the FAS, which relaunched its Resources Committee in spring 2025 and created a committee to consolidate staff positions amid massive federal funding cuts.
As part of its planning process, the committee has quietly brought on external help. Over several months, consultants from McKinsey & Company have been interviewing dozens of administrators and staff across the FAS.
Petrofsky will also likely have a hand in other cost-cutting measures across the FAS, which is facing a $365 million budget deficit. The school has already announced it will keep spending flat for the 2026 fiscal year, and it has dramatically reduced Ph.D. admissions.
In her email, Hoekstra praised Petrofsky’s performance across his career.
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“Warren has emphasized transparency, clarity in communication, and investment in staff development,” she wrote. “He approaches change with steadiness and purpose, and with deep respect for the mission that unites our faculty, researchers, staff, and students. I am confident that he will be a strong partner to me and to our community.”
—Staff writer Amann S. Mahajan can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at amannsm.38. Follow her on X @amannmahajan.
My spreadsheet reviewed a WalletHub ranking of financial distress for the residents of 100 U.S. cities, including 17 in California. The analysis compared local credit scores, late bill payments, bankruptcy filings and online searches for debt or loans to quantify where individuals had the largest money challenges.
When California cities were divided into three geographic regions – Southern California, the Bay Area, and anything inland – the most challenges were often found far from the coast.
The average national ranking of the six inland cities was 39th worst for distress, the most troubled grade among the state’s slices.
Bakersfield received the inland region’s worst score, ranking No. 24 highest nationally for financial distress. That was followed by Sacramento (30th), San Bernardino (39th), Stockton (43rd), Fresno (45th), and Riverside (52nd).
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Southern California’s seven cities overall fared better, with an average national ranking of 56th largest financial problems.
However, Los Angeles had the state’s ugliest grade, ranking fifth-worst nationally for monetary distress. Then came San Diego at 22nd-worst, then Long Beach (48th), Irvine (70th), Anaheim (71st), Santa Ana (85th), and Chula Vista (89th).
Monetary challenges were limited in the Bay Area. Its four cities average rank was 69th worst nationally.
San Jose had the region’s most distressed finances, with a No. 50 worst ranking. That was followed by Oakland (69th), San Francisco (72nd), and Fremont (83rd).
The results remind us that inland California’s affordability – it’s home to the state’s cheapest housing, for example – doesn’t fully compensate for wages that typically decline the farther one works from the Pacific Ocean.
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A peek inside the scorecard’s grades shows where trouble exists within California.
Credit scores were the lowest inland, with little difference elsewhere. Late payments were also more common inland. Tardy bills were most difficult to find in Northern California.
Bankruptcy problems also were bubbling inland, but grew the slowest in Southern California. And worrisome online searches were more frequent inland, while varying only slightly closer to the Pacific.
Note: Across the state’s 17 cities in the study, the No. 53 average rank is a middle-of-the-pack grade on the 100-city national scale for monetary woes.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
The up-and-coming fintech scored a pair of fourth-quarter beats.
Diversified fintech Chime Financial(CHYM +12.88%) was playing a satisfying tune to investors on Thursday. The company’s stock flew almost 14% higher that trading session, thanks mostly to a fourth quarter that featured notably higher-than-expected revenue guidance.
Sweet music
Chime published its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results just after market close on Wednesday. For the former period, the company’s revenue was $596 million, bettering the same quarter of 2024 by 25%. The company’s strongest revenue stream, payments, rose 17% to $396 million. Its take from platform-related activity rose more precipitously, advancing 47% to $200 million.
Image source: Getty Images.
Meanwhile, Chime’s net loss under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) more than doubled. It was $45 million, or $0.12 per share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2024 deficit of $19.6 million.
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On average, analysts tracking the stock were modeling revenue below $578 million and a deeper bottom-line loss of $0.20 per share.
In its earnings release, Chime pointed to the take-up of its Chime Card as a particular catalyst for growth. Regarding the product, the company said, “Among new member cohorts, over half are adopting Chime Card, and those members are putting over 70% of their Chime spend on the product, which earns materially higher take rates compared to debit.”
Today’s Change
(12.88%) $2.72
Current Price
$23.83
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Key Data Points
Market Cap
$7.9B
Day’s Range
$22.30 – $24.63
52wk Range
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$16.17 – $44.94
Volume
562K
Avg Vol
3.3M
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Gross Margin
86.34%
Double-digit growth expected
Chime management proffered revenue and non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) guidance for full-year 2026. The company expects to post a top line of $627 million to $637 million, which would represent at least 21% growth over the 2024 result. Adjusted EBITDA should be $380 million to $400 million. No net income forecasts were provided in the earnings release.
It isn’t easy to find a niche in the financial industry, which is crowded with companies offering every imaginable type of service to clients. Yet Chime seems to be achieving that, as the Chime Card is clearly a hit among the company’s target demographic of clientele underserved by mainstream banks. This growth stock is definitely worth considering as a buy.
