// case comparison
romance scam vs pig butchering
both start with dating-app chat grooming — but romance scam is emotional manipulation ending in Venmo or wire transfer; pig butchering is weeks-long investment con through a fake crypto exchange.
primary tools · side by side
ordered entry points from the case-type taxonomy. highlighted rows appear in both case types' editorial tool lists.
romance scam
dating-app introduction → emotional manipulation → money request. evidence is profile screenshots, message archives, payment trails.
- 01ios dating app artifact forensic extractor (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge)drop iOS dating app database files (Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge) · auto-detect app · parse match records, messages, and profile metadata · surface match timestamps, screenshot alerts, and own location from account plist · detect confirmed real-world meetings (Hinge We Met) · runs locally
- 02iOS WhatsApp artifact forensic extractordrop iOS WhatsApp ChatStorage.sqlite and Contacts.sqlite · parse all chats, messages, groups, and media references · reconstruct conversation timelines with delivery status · surface location shares, contact cards, and deleted message placeholders · runs locally
- 03android whatsapp database forensic analyzerdrop an Android WhatsApp msgstore.db · parse all messages, chats, groups, and media metadata · reconstruct conversation timelines · surface message delivery status, forwarding metadata, location shares, and contact cards · detect deleted message gaps · runs locally
- 04ios telegram artifact forensic extractordrop cache4.db or account db · parse chats messages channels · forwarding edits tombstones · disappearing timers · mid gap analysis · runs locally
- 05android telegram database forensic extractordrop Android Telegram database files · parse messages, chats, channels, and contacts · extract forwarding metadata, edit timestamps, and media references · surface disappearing message timer settings · detect deleted message ROWID gaps · reconstruct Telegram communication timeline · runs locally
- 06ios cash app artifact forensic extractordrop iOS Cash App database files from the app container · parse transaction records, payment notes, and account artifacts · surface payment amounts, counterparty Cashtags, and timestamps · detect suspicious payment patterns and structured transactions · runs locally
- 07ios venmo artifact forensic extractordrop iOS Venmo database files from the app container · parse payment records and transaction notes · surface audience settings (public/friends/private) · surface social feed likes and comments on transactions · reconstruct Venmo financial and social activity timeline · runs locally
- 08ai generated image provenance analyzerpng tEXt chunk inventory · sd metadata · stripped metadata flag · provenance csv · runs locally
pig butchering / long-con investment scam
weeks-to-months of chat grooming → fake crypto exchange → drained wallet. evidence spans messaging apps, crypto wallets, and screenshots.
- 01iOS WhatsApp artifact forensic extractordrop iOS WhatsApp ChatStorage.sqlite and Contacts.sqlite · parse all chats, messages, groups, and media references · reconstruct conversation timelines with delivery status · surface location shares, contact cards, and deleted message placeholders · runs locally
- 02ethereum transaction decoderpaste raw ethereum transaction hex · rlp decode · from to value gas · erc20 calldata · runs locally
- 03bitcoin transaction decoderpaste raw transaction hex · decode inputs outputs scripts · fees · locktime · segwit · p2pkh p2sh p2wpkh · runs locally
- 04crypto tx graphpaste json csv btc hex · directed graph · hub peel fan patterns · ascii viz · stats · csv json export · runs locally
- 05ios dating app artifact forensic extractor (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge)drop iOS dating app database files (Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge) · auto-detect app · parse match records, messages, and profile metadata · surface match timestamps, screenshot alerts, and own location from account plist · detect confirmed real-world meetings (Hinge We Met) · runs locally
- 06ios screenshot burst forensic analyzerdrop photos.sqlite · screenshot detection · burst clustering · rapid capture flags · runs locally
- 07cryptocurrency mixer and tumbler detectordrop bitcoin transaction csv · apply statistical analysis to detect mixing service patterns · equal output detection · timing patterns · coinjoin identification · peel chain vs mixed funds · estimate mixing confidence · runs locally
- 08crypto wallet classifierpaste any crypto address · identify blockchain · validate checksum · address type · derivation format · runs locally
editorial overlap
10 tools mapped to both case types in the editorial taxonomy — useful when the investigation spans both surfaces.
android telegram database forensic extractorandroid whatsapp database forensic analyzerdomain reputation analyzerfatcousin cross export ioc hash correlatorfatcousin multi tool super timeline correlatorios dating app artifact forensic extractor (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge)ios screenshot burst forensic analyzerios telegram artifact forensic extractoriOS WhatsApp artifact forensic extractorurl redirect chain tracer
lean toward…
disambiguation signals derived from case-type descriptions and common practitioner confusion points.
lean toward romance scam if you see…
- Venmo, Cash App, or wire transfer request without crypto wallet or on-chain activity
- shorter grooming arc — emergency funds, travel money, or gift card ask, not investment coaching
- military or stolen-profile romance script — no fake exchange portal or token approval tx
lean toward pig butchering if you see…
- fake crypto exchange portal or investment platform linked from chat
- on-chain wallet deposits to scam-controlled addresses after extended grooming
- weeks-to-months investment coaching timeline — not a one-time emergency payment request