(Salem, OR) -- The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is warning about a romance scam called 'pig butchering.' It often starts with a text or direct message from a stranger that builds into a romantic relationship. After gaining the victim's trust, the scammer convinces them to send money for phony investments. They send claims the investment is making money and then disappear with the victim's investment. The FBI says that in 2023, investment scams cost Americans more than four-and-a-half-billion dollars.