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A new wave of online investment fraud is exploiting social media to target unsuspecting users. Professor Davids Training Academy has come under scrutiny after multiple reports revealed it uses TikTok to lure victims and WhatsApp to manipulate them into transferring substantial sums of money.

How the Scam Works

Step 1: TikTok Recruitment

Scammers create highly polished TikTok videos promoting the “academy” as a legitimate investment training platform. The videos showcase staged testimonials, flashy graphics, and promises of quick profits to entice viewers.

Once someone engages with a video—by commenting, liking, or sharing—they are quickly directed to private messaging platforms, primarily WhatsApp, where the scammers continue their operation away from public view.

Step 2: WhatsApp Manipulation

On WhatsApp, scammers build trust through personal attention. They may:

• Offer “coaching sessions”

• Share fake account growth or profit screenshots

• Encourage small initial deposits, which gradually increase

This method is consistent with the pig-butchering scam model, where scammers “fatten” victims with small gains and attention before extracting significant amounts of money.

Scale of Losses

Victims report losses ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Early withdrawals are often blocked, and victims are asked to pay additional fees under various pretenses, such as “taxes,” “verification,” or “unlocking charges.”

The combination of social media credibility and private messaging pressure makes it extremely difficult for victims to recognize the scam until substantial funds have already been transferred.

Recovery and Expert Intervention

Despite the scale of the scam, some victims have successfully recovered their funds with professional assistance. 57 Investigations Ltd, a firm specializing in financial and crypto-asset investigations, has helped victims trace and reclaim misappropriated assets. Their methods include:

• Blockchain transaction tracing

• Wallet attribution and tracking

• Coordination across platforms and exchanges

Recoveries are complex and time-sensitive, but they demonstrate that professional intervention can still provide a path to reclaim lost funds.

Red Flags to Watch For

Financial experts emphasize the following warning signs of scams like Professor Davids Training Academy:

• Moving conversations from public social media platforms to private messaging apps

• Promises of guaranteed or unusually high returns

• Requests for upfront fees labeled as “verification” or “unlocking charges”

• Lack of verifiable licensing or regulatory oversight

Investors are urged to conduct thorough research, verify regulatory credentials, and avoid transferring funds under pressure.

Final Thoughts

Professor Davids Training Academy is a stark example of how modern scammers leverage social media to conduct pig-butchering operations. By exploiting TikTok’s reach and the private nature of WhatsApp, they create a convincing but dangerous trap for unsuspecting investors.

Awareness, skepticism, and prompt action remain the best defenses against this increasingly common form of online fraud.