U.S. DOJ Recovers $40,300 in Cryptocurrency from Trump-Vance Scam
U.S. federal prosecutors have recovered $40,300 in cryptocurrency related to a scam involving the Trump-Vance inaugural committee. The scam utilized an email phishing scheme where the perpetrator impersonated committee co-chair Steve Witkoff.
Key Points
- The scammer executed a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme, convincing a donor to transfer $250,300 in crypto.
- On December 24, 2024, a deceptive email was sent from a look-alike domain, resulting in the victim transferring funds two days later.
- The scammer, believed to be based in Nigeria, laundered the funds through multiple wallets.
- FBI agents successfully recovered $40,300 from the fraudster.
- The DOJ credited Tether for assisting in the recovery process.
- Increased vigilance is advised; scammers exploit subtle differences in email addresses.
- Crypto scams are escalating, with over $2.1 billion reported stolen in 75+ hacks in 2025.
Law enforcement continues to work on tracking criminals and compensating victims.