Muse Shield · daily scam letter

The "Wrong Number" Text That Isn't a Wrong Number

September 27, 2026

First edition — one scam, plain English, every morning.

Hi, it's Eli.

It starts with a text from a number you don't know: "Hi! Is this David? Haven't talked in forever!" You write back "wrong number." They apologize — but they don't go away. They're friendly. Funny. Easy to talk to. A few weeks later they casually mention the money they're making in crypto. They show you screenshots. They walk you through "investing" a little yourself. It grows! So you put in more. Then one day the money is gone — and so is your new friend.

This has a name: pig butchering. They fatten you up before the slaughter. It's run by organized crime outfits, and it always starts the same way — a "wrong number" text to a total stranger.

The red flags

• A stranger keeps texting after the "wrong number" — real wrong numbers say sorry and disappear.
• Talk of crypto investing from someone you never met in person.
• They point you to a website or app to "invest" through.
• They get romantic, or pushy, the moment you hesitate.

What to do instead

Don't reply at all — not even "wrong number." Delete the thread, block the number, report it as spam. Real investors don't cold-text strangers.

Stay sharp out there.

— Eli