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Wired

Stop Calling Online Scams ‘Pig Butchering,’ Interpol Warns

Wired
Summary
Nutrition label

58% Informative

The phrase originated from a Chinese version of the phrase, shzhpán, in which scammers referred to victims as pigs who were being fattened for slaughter.

Interpol says it is encouraging everyone to stop using the term and replace it with more straightforward names like “romance baiting” or “investment scams” The agency says it has advised the 196 member countries it works with of the change in language.

Over the past few decades , Court says, law enforcement agencies, researchers, and those who work with various types of victims have launched similar initiatives to evolve the language used to describe other crimes, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and online child sexual exploitation. In all of these cases, he says, the goal is to reduce stigma and attempt to create a safer space for people to come forward and report crimes. “We do know that across a range of crime types, the use of language, the use of words matters a great deal,” Court says..

VR Score

59

Informative language

59

Neutral language

23

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

65

Offensive language

likely offensive

Hate speech

possibly hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

Affiliate links

no affiliate links