Scammers are using AI to craft well-written, plausible sounding emails to Berkeley Lab employees. These emails look like polite messages from someone who admires your work, which makes them hard for email filters to catch. Gone are the days of obvious typos and broken grammar; instead, these AI-generated scams are so polished and friendly that dozens of staff members have already been tricked into engaging.
The goal of these emails is to gain your trust over several weeks or months. Once you feel comfortable with them, the scammer will try to trick you into downloading something, logging into a phishing website, “investing” money, or sending them a payment. This is called a “Pig Butchering” scam. The name comes from the idea of fattening up a pig before the slaughter.
We recognize that researchers regularly receive legitimate correspondence from people they don’t know including students, potential collaborators, and other interested parties. We do not want you to disrupt these important communications. At the same time, we want you to be aware of the characteristics of illegitimate outreach. The key is to maintain a healthy skepticism: while a genuine inquiry will focus on the science, a scammer will eventually pivot the conversation toward personal topics, urgent financial opportunities, or requests to move the conversation to un-monitored messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.
If you get an unexpected email praising your research from someone you don’t know, do not reply and report it to the Cyber Security team at security@lbl.gov.
Tell-Tale Signs of this Scam
- They mention your research (using public information), and ask specific questions
- If you respond to them, they start to include personal details about themselves or personal questions to you that a professional interaction would not (though this may change as attackers shift tactics)
- They will encourage you to move the conversation from your work email into personal email or other personal messaging platforms (SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)
- They’re often well-written and no longer include spelling or grammar mistakes
Please watch out for these messages and stay alert when you get emails from people outside the Lab. Be careful if someone you don’t know seems too nice, too curious, or too helpful. You might be talking to a scammer. To help you spot these attacks, we have included examples of the senders, subject lines, and types of conversations they use.
Example senders
Notice that these emails come from addresses that look like they belong to real people. Gmail seems to be preferred at the moment, but that could change.
- dorothyradcliffe.pyt@gmail.com
- dianecarter9668@gmail.com
- lilliangbriger6445@gmail.com
- lauragilbertmc440@gmail.com
Example subjects
These subject lines are designed to look like normal academic or professional outreach. They use specific topics related to your research or mention future meetings to make the email feel urgent and real.
- A question on community trust in renewable energy development
- Understanding Microbial Communities in Complex Environments
- Question About Your Work in Geophysics and Earth Systems
- hope we can catch up during my visit next month
Example messages
Example 1:
My name is Vanessa I currently lead a team of about 30 people in the United States where my work focuses on designing international education pathways for young members of royal families and high net worth households In this role I not only consider academic systems and school placements but also place significant emphasis on the development of values moral judgment and a broader understanding of social responsibility as these young people grow.
I recently came across your work in…
Example 2:
I came across your profile at Berkeley Lab and noticed your work on accelerator magnet systems, where superconducting magnets seem to shape how particle beams are guided and controlled.
When beam behavior depends that much on magnet design, I’d expect it to stay stable rather than vary with small changes. Does it actually affect how consistently beams perform?
Because of your article, I did not back down like I used to. My friend was a bit unhappy. And for the first time, I felt that what I said really held up.
Example 3:
My name is Amy. I am a private collection curator working with long horizon projects across cultural assets, where I focus on how complex systems are structured, interpreted, and adapted across different regulatory environments over time.
I was reading your work on…
Example 4:
My name is Lillian G. Briger. I work in cross-cultural education consulting and long-term family development planning. Much of my work involves observing how complex systems maintain balance while responding to changing conditions.
While reading about your work in…
What to do if you suspect a message
If you think you have received one of these emails, or if you are already talking to someone who might be a scammer, stop replying immediately. Do not send any more messages. Report the email and your conversation to security@lbl.gov. We will help you with the next steps.
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