Investigations into Cryptocurrency Scams Result in Seizure of More Than $25 Million

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, together with the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office announced today that multiple investigations conducted by its Cyber Fraud Task Force have resulted in the seizure of more than $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to international fraud schemes targeting residents of the United States and Canada. The seizures represent part of the more than $800 million recovered through the Scam Center Strike Force, launched in 2025 by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

"This $25 million seizure is a direct result of the Scam Center Strike Force I launched in November 2025, and it demonstrates the power of aggressively targeting these international fraud networks," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "Our investigators cut through complex laundering schemes, protected victims, and shut down criminal pipelines. We will continue to identify these actors, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice."

On July 21, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia filed five civil forfeiture complaints in U.S. District Court seeking forfeiture of more than $25 million in cryptocurrency recovered during separate fraud investigations conducted by Secret Service Washington Field Office agents. As part of these investigations, agents identified multiple laundering networks and confirmed thousands of victims worldwide who were misled into believing they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments.

"This seizure is the result of months of tireless work by Washington Field Office investigators, who are among the best in the world at tracking down cyber criminals and tracing their illicit transactions," said Special Agent in Charge Tara McLeese of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office. "These investigations are far from over and we encourage anyone who thinks they may be a victim of these scams, or similar cryptocurrency crimes, to contact us. I want to thank the Special Agents and Investigative Analysts who continue to work on these cases and symbolize the dual mission of the Secret Service every day."

The complete list of investigations is as follows:

• Investigation 1: In late 2024, Canadian authorities alerted Secret Service agents to a large network of virtual currency wallet addresses suspected of transferring illicit proceeds. Investigators froze the identified addresses and traced more than 270 suspected victim transactions involving fraudulent investment platforms. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $10,400,913.

• Investigation 2: A private sector partner alerted the U.S. Secret Service's Cyber Fraud Task Force to multiple suspicious transactions. Investigators determined that more than 200 victims had been defrauded through online romance schemes. The illicit proceeds had been laundered through hundreds of intermediary addresses and commingled with funds from other victims. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $12,086,914.

• Investigation 3: In May 2026, a victim in the National Capital Region reported a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme. After the victim attempted to withdraw funds, the perpetrators cut off contact. Investigators traced the victim's investments across multiple cryptocurrency addresses. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $1,230,900.

• Investigation 4: In March 2026, another victim in the National Capital Region transferred millions of dollars' worth of cryptocurrency to what they believed was a legitimate investment account. Investigators identified a second victim linked to the same fraudulent platform. A portion of the funds was traced to six cryptocurrency addresses and subsequently frozen. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $2,392,231.

• Investigation 5: The victim of an unrelated fraud was contacted by scammers claiming to have recovered previously stolen funds. The victim was persuaded to pay a fee in order to retrieve the money and made a series of transactions to the new scammers. Investigators have traced some of these transactions and continue working to recover additional funds. The civil forfeiture complaint seeks approximately $285,000.

These five investigations are ongoing and Secret Service investigators continue to work to identify the suspects behind these scamming networks and will work with our law enforcement partners to hold them accountable.

In each of these five cases, launderers were predominantly located in Southeast Asia, with IP addresses located in China, Malaysia, and Cambodia. These funds are the latest in the more than $800 million recovered as part of the Scam Center Strike Force

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force, in consultation with Associate Counsel Richard Goldberg of the Department's Criminal Division. These matters are handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock from the District of Columbia and Jehiel Baer from the Western District of Washington.

Individuals who believe they may be victims of cryptocurrency fraud are encouraged to contact their local U.S. Secret Service field office at www.secretservice.gov/contactLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. and submit a report through www.ic3.gov.

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