U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office Investigations Result in Seizure of more than $25 million taken in Cryptocurrency Scams

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office has seized more than $25 million worth of cryptocurrency from criminal groups that defrauded victims in the United States and Canada.

The seizures were the result of five different Washington Field Office Cyber Fraud Task Force investigations. On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia filed five civil forfeiture complaints stemming from investigations into romance and investment scams in which thousands of victims worldwide lost money after making cryptocurrency transactions they thought were legitimate.

"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 Tara McLeese, Special Agent in Charge 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."

"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 for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris 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."

The following is a summary of each investigation:

• Investigation 1: Canadian authorities alerted the WFO Cyber Fraud Task Force Team in late-2024 to a large network of virtual currency wallet addresses believed to be transferring illicit proceeds. Investigators froze the addresses and traced them to more than 270 suspected fraudulent transactions. Victims largely reported being tricked into depositing money into phony investment platforms that promised large returns. The civil forfeiture complaint in this case totals more than $10.4 million.

• Investigation 2: A private-sector partner alerted the WFO Cyber Fraud Task Force Team to multiple suspicious transactions. Investigators traced the transactions and determined more than 200 victims were defrauded of funds through romance schemes. These victims' funds were determined to have been laundered using hundreds of intermediary addresses and comingled with funds from other suspected victims. The civil forfeiture complaint in this case totals nearly $12.1 million.

• Investigation 3: In May 2026, a victim in the National Capital Region reported a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scam. Several months after investing their funds, the victim requested to make a withdrawal after noting significant gains. The scammers then ceased all communication with the victim. Investigators traced the victim's funds to multiple cryptocurrency addresses. The civil forfeiture complaint in this case totals more than $1.2 million.

• Investigation 4: In March 2026, a victim in the National Capital Region reported a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scam. The victim transferred millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency to what they believed was a legitimate investment account. The investigation revealed a second victim also was scammed using this fraudulent site. Investigators traced a portion of these funds to six cryptocurrency addresses, where they were subsequently frozen. The civil forfeiture complaint in this case totals nearly $2.4 million.

• Investigation 5: The victim of a previous unrelated scam was contacted by scammers claiming to have recovered the originally stolen funds. The victim was scammed into paying a fee to recover that money. The victim completed a series of transactions to the new scammers. Investigators were able to trace some of those transactions and continue to work to recover additional funds. The civil forfeiture complaint in this case totals approximately $285,000.

The investigations are ongoing. Secret Service WFO 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 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.

If you are the victim of a cryptocurrency crime, please locate your local Secret Service field office at www.secretservice.gov/contact and also file a complaint at ic3.gov.