This story is featured in episode 1 of the Scam Inc podcast series from The Economist. Pig butchering scamming is a huge business, well worth a listen.

https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/scam-inc

Warning: podcast spoilers

In the first 3 episodes (free to listen), the podcast team pulls the thread and finds that the scammers are a highly organized system of scammers.

They are based out of Myanmar, outside of the law of the central government (basically warlord country). They trick people with English skills into coming to Thailand for a job then smuggle them across the border without their know.

Recent news update: Just in the past week, Thailand used their military to invade and free thousands of people who were being held captive in these warlord towns, meaning this scam organization likely lost their pig butchering talent.

Incredible podcast.

I got very annoyed by his portrayal in the first and especially last episodes of this podcast. Especially by the woman in the last episode who said her heart was broken for him and there was no justice in locking him up.

Shan Hanes was both a victim and a serious criminal. If he had lost just his own money I'd feel terrible for him. But as he got in deeper he was knowingly taking money first from his employer and later directly from his own customers' accounts. He took steps to cover his tracks. Shan Hanes is exactly where he belongs.

Edit - I listened back. Her name is Kathy Wilson, a mental health professional in Colorado. She called criticism of Shan "victim blaming". She compared his situation to the bank being robbed at gunpoint. She again calls his sentence "victim blaming".

I will say I think his 24 year sentence is barbaric but I often feel that way about American prison sentencing.