The U.S. Department of Justice reports on the return of 40,353 USDT stolen in a fraud scheme involving fake email addresses.
Fraud Scheme Involving Fake Emails
According to a civil forfeiture complaint filed Wednesday, scammers posed as representatives of the Trump Inaugural Committee, tricking a donor into transferring $250,300 in USDT on Ethereum, believing they were contributing to a political event. The fraud occurred on December 24, 2024, when a scammer in Nigeria impersonated Co-Chair Steve Witkoff using a deceptive email address.
Law Enforcement Actions
The FBI, led by Steven J. Jensen, reported that the funds were laundered across multiple wallets. However, on-chain analytics helped investigators track down part of the assets. The DOJ is now seeking to return those recovered funds to the victim.
Warnings for Donors
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro urges all donors to double-check that they are sending cryptocurrency to the correct address. She noted that it is extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds due to the complex nature of the blockchain. The DOJ also encouraged victims of cybercrime to report such incidents to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The incident of recovering stolen funds highlights the importance of caution when sending cryptocurrency and the need for preventive measures to avoid fraud.
