Erik Bergman, the co-founder of Great.com, has become the target of a highly sophisticated “pig butchering” scam that utilized impersonators of prominent figures like MrBeast, Mark Rober, billionaire Ed Craven, and streamer Adin Ross.
The criminals established fraudulent group chats to cultivate trust before persuading their targets to invest in a fake cryptocurrency project. Bergman was targeted after it was publicly announced he had donated $1 million to fund clean water initiatives through MrBeast.
The entrepreneur and philanthropist, who operates the world’s only nonprofit gambling affiliate, has since published all pertinent chat logs, phone numbers, and cryptocurrency transaction details in an effort to apprehend the criminals.
A $100,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information that leads to the perpetrators, and an online form has been set up on Bergman’s website, Great.com, where individuals can submit evidence.
The complex scheme employed multiple, simultaneous chat conversations to manufacture social pressure and an air of legitimacy. In one particularly cunning tactic, the fake Ed Craven was initially denied an investment opportunity, only to be permitted to invest later at an inflated price.
This maneuver successfully convinced Bergman to make a second investment.
Initially consumed by shame and embarrassment, Bergman has since channeled his experience into a campaign to raise public awareness. He was moved to action after his post on Twitter garnered 5 million views, convincing him that sharing his ordeal could assist others in comparable situations.
The gambling philanthropist, who has contributed $6.2 million to various charities, posits that scammers intentionally leverage their victims’ shame to stop them from reporting the crimes or alerting others.
Support has come from several sources, including the security team at Coinbase, whose brand was exploited in the scam. However, Bergman conveyed his disappointment with the reaction from Swedish police, remarking that the authorities demonstrated minimal interest despite the seven-figure sum involved.
The evidence that has been released contains the full chat logs from both group and private messages, six phone numbers used by the culprits, and blockchain transaction hashes for the two payments of $750,000 and $500,000.
Additionally, MrBeast’s team has pledged further support that goes beyond the monetary reward.
Commentary from Erik Bergman:
- “I feel so stupid, and so ashamed. At the same time it feels important to share my story.”
- Regarding the manipulation involving a fake Ed Craven: “They rejected him. Then after they had rejected them, they said, ‘okay, the price is up now, but you can invest again if you want’. And then he invested on that price, after being rejected and still going in. After that everyone else followed him.”
- On the impact of going public: “There was one guy who wrote to me and said that he had attempted suicide two times after being scammed — and that he felt so supported reading my message which helped him in so many ways. So I see this story can help someone who is suicidal, someone who is at that level of shame and regret that they want to end their life.”
- On the psychology of the scam: “The scammers live off our shame. There is so much shame connected to being cheated. The shame keeps us quiet — and in the silence the scammers thrive.”
- A call to action: “The more people that read about this, the harder it is for scammers to succeed.”
