- U.S. authorities moved to seize over $25 million in crypto tied to global investment and romance scams.
- Investigators traced stolen crypto through blockchain, exposing laundering networks spanning multiple countries.
- The Secret Service says its Scam Center Strike Force has recovered more than $800 million since 2025.
U.S. authorities have moved to seize more than $25 million in cryptocurrency tied to international fraud schemes that allegedly tricked thousands of victims in the United States, Canada and other countries into fake crypto investments. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the action on Tuesday after the Justice Department filed five civil forfeiture complaints stemming from U.S. Secret Service investigations.
Investigators traced the stolen cryptocurrency through blockchain transactions, identifying laundering networks that moved funds across multiple jurisdictions. The investigations are part of the Secret Service’s Scam Center Strike Force, which officials said has recovered more than $800 million since its launch in 2025. Authorities said efforts to identify additional suspects and recover more stolen funds are continuing.
Five Investigations Reveal Global Scam Networks
The Justice Department said the five cases uncovered separate fraud operations that used similar methods to launder stolen cryptocurrency. In one investigation, Canadian authorities alerted U.S. officials in late 2024 to suspicious cryptocurrency wallets linked to illicit transfers. Investigators later traced more than 270 victim transactions and are seeking to forfeit about $10.4 million.
A separate investigation focused on online romance scams that allegedly targeted more than 200 victims. Prosecutors said the scammers built relationships with victims before persuading them to invest in fake cryptocurrency platforms, then moved the proceeds through hundreds of digital wallets. Authorities are seeking to recover about $12.1 million tied to the scheme.
Investigations Highlight Individual Victim Losses
Investigators also examined several investment scams reported in 2026. In one case, a victim lost more than $1.2 million after fraudsters stopped responding when the victim tried to withdraw funds from what was presented as a cryptocurrency investment platform. Authorities later linked another victim to the same scheme and froze cryptocurrency worth about $2.39 million.
In a separate case, investigators said a victim fell for a recovery scam after being promised help retrieving cryptocurrency lost in an earlier fraud. Instead, the scammers demanded additional payments before cutting off contact. Prosecutors are seeking to forfeit about $285,000 tied to that scheme.
Authorities Expand Crypto Enforcement
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the seizures reflected the work of the department’s Scam Center Strike Force. “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,” she said.
Investigators said many of the laundering operations were based in Southeast Asia and used internet addresses linked to China, Malaysia and Cambodia. The Justice Department also pointed to other enforcement actions this year, including the seizure of about $61 million in USDT and sanctions targeting cryptocurrency networks tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
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