- Bitcoins worth millions of dollars have been seized by the FBI.
Scammers posing as US law enforcement personnel have been cheating people out of millions of dollars in Bitcoin in recent years. These scammers frequently call or email their victims while posing as agents of the FBI or other governmental organizations. They then inform them that they owe taxes or fines and warn them that if they do not pay, they will be arrested. The victims are told to send their bitcoin to a specified wallet address in order to avoid being arrested.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) claims to have intercepted millions of dollars worth of bitcoin from foreign scammers who target the elderly. The scammers convinced the victims to send money to them for safekeeping by assuming to be representatives of American law enforcement authorities.
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced on Friday that bitcoin and other digital assets had been taken in connection with a scam that targeted the elderly. They provided the following details: The seizure of about 151 bitcoins and other digital assets followed an inquiry into a fraud enterprise that heavily relied on defenseless victims.
The FBI, US Secret Service, and US Marshals Service are all conducting investigations into the case.
The scam which took place in or around October 2020 involves outsiders posing as agents of American law enforcement. The authorities claimed that they specifically targeted weak victims including first-generation Americans and elderly folks. They informed the individuals that their identity had been stolen over the phone. The scammers demanded transfers of money for safekeeping after earning the trust of victims promising to refund the money plus interest. The announcement’s specifics are: Once the outsiders had access to the victims’ money, they transferred it between various bank accounts and changed it to digital currency, such as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
A digital wallet containing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that had been bought with the victims’ money was found when law enforcement investigators tracked the victims’ money through numerous accounts. The police highlighted that the scammers are still at large.
According to the announcement, a civil asset forfeiture seizure warrant for the digital wallet has been granted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The digital assets constituted the proceeds of wire fraud, prompting the U.S. Attorney’s Office to use the civil asset forfeiture proceedings.
This serves as a warning that scammers will use whatever technique in their power to defraud unsuspecting individuals of their money. It is crucial to exercise caution and not to believe unauthorized phone calls or emails particularly if they pretend to be from the government. Do not send money or offer any personal information if you get a call or email like this. Contact the FBI or another law enforcement agency right away if you believe you are the victim of a scam. The FBI’s actions, in this case, show its dedication to safeguarding people from fraud and bringing victims justice.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2023/01/23/fbi-strikes-back-seizes-millions-in-bitcoin-from-overseas-scammers/