- AI crypto scammers used WhatsApp messages to steal nearly $300K from retiree Kyle Holder.
- IRS agents traced Holder’s stolen funds from 14 wallets into five new wallets afterward.
- FBI estimates showed cyber theft losses hit $20B in 2025, with crypto forming over half.
Kyle Holder lost nearly $300,000 after AI crypto scammers used WhatsApp messages to pull her into a crypto fraud scheme. The case later reached the IRS Criminal Investigation New York Field Office, where agents traced the stolen funds.
According to a report, the 73-year-old had built her retirement and savings accounts over decades. Those savings disappeared in less than three months after people claiming to offer crypto investment support guided her through transfers.
AI Crypto Scammers Target WhatsApp Users
Around Christmas 2024, the first message arrived on WhatsApp. Holder used the app to speak with family and friends in the United States, Canada, and Israel.
That message offered coaching on crypto market investing. Holder said investing from home looked like a way to use her time and earn money for later years. She replied and asked for more information.
A person using the name Niamh then contacted her. Over time, Niamh asked about Holder’s life and built a personal bond.
Holder believed the two had become friends. Niamh described herself as a single mother and often sent caring messages before asking about transfers. Another person, described as part of a “customer service team,” also joined the process. Together, they guided Holder through opening two online crypto wallets.
At first, Holder sent a small amount to a crypto account linked to the scam. Soon after, thousands of dollars appeared in her wallet, making the operation look legitimate.
Niamh also told Holder that the team would pay taxes on funds they earned together. That assurance made Holder believe she had found a real investment opportunity. The scammer claimed the money she had lent Holder included child support for her daughter and funds from loans.
Holder then moved more funds from her crypto wallets. In total, almost $300,000 went to 14 wallets tied to the scammers. After two months, no money was returning to Holder’s wallets. Concerned, she asked Niamh to confirm that the arrangement was not a scam.
Niamh claimed the funds had gone to the wrong crypto wallet. The messages then became intimidating. In one message, Niamh told Holder she had made a “fatal mistake.”
IRS Traces Crypto Fraud Through Wallet
IRS investigators found that criminals moved cryptocurrency from the 14 wallets into five new wallets. Agents said the step made the crypto fraud harder to trace.
Harry Chavis, the special agent in charge, said the funds were later moved to an exchange. He described that stage as the off-ramp.
According to Chavis, scammers likely used tools available on the dark web. Criminals could buy lists of prior victims and use data taken from hacks or leaks.
Dark AI tools could also help criminals write scripts aimed at specific victims, Chavis said. This method allows AI crypto scammers to make messages more personal and convincing.
Investigators found Holder’s money was combined with funds from other victims. The criminals later off-ramped more than $5 million in cryptocurrency without being caught. However, FBI estimates showed Americans lost $20 billion to cyber theft in 2025. More than half of those losses involved cryptocurrency.
Related: Crypto Scam Drains $72,000 as Hackers Exploit Timing Tactics
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