The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is restoring nearly $500,000 stolen from two Mainers via a cryptocurrency investment scam.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the victims, who were not named, transferred over $800,000 to cryptocurrency wallets owned by scammers in 2022.
The FBI was able to seize $470,773 from those scammers in USDT (Tether)—a form of cryptocurrency equivalent in value to the dollar that was traced to the Maine victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the proceeds, claiming that the funds were traceable to wire fraud and involved in money laundering.
The court ordered the funds to be paid to the U.S. government, which had decided to pay the money back to the victims.
While the FBI was able to recover a substantial amount of money, it was significantly less than the amount stolen by the scammers.
The Attorney’s Office warned that in typical crypto scams, the scammers attempt to use a fake identity to reach out to the victim.
Scammers then claim to have contacted the wrong number but try to build an online relationship with the victim. Eventually, once they gain the victim’s trust, scammers will propose a fake investment opportunity.
