What looked like a promising investment opportunity turned into a nearly $1 million loss.  

In this episode, host Adrienna Hines sits down with Commissioner James Brown and criminal detective James Gunderson to break down the case of “R.P.,” a Montana man who was targeted by a sophisticated “pig butchering” scheme.

The scammers posed as representatives of a well-known investment firm, built R.P.’s trust and directed him to send money through wire transfers, Cash App and cryptocurrency. Fake investment websites showed his account growing to more than $3 million, but when he tried to withdraw his money, the story changed. His account was supposedly frozen, and the scammers demanded even more money to release it.

By the time it was over, R.P. had lost nearly $1 million, with hundreds of thousands of dollars moving through the account of another scam victim being used as a money mule.

Commissioner Brown and Detective Gunderson walk through how these schemes work, the warning signs that can reveal an investment scam, and what investigators are doing to help protect victims.

The lesson in this episode is clear: Stop. Drop. Report. If something doesn't feel right, stop what you're doing, drop communication and report it to authorities.