DOJ Tracks $40K of $250K Stolen in Crypto Scam Linked to Trump Fundraiser
The post DOJ Tracks $40K of $250K Stolen in Crypto Scam Linked to Trump Fundraiser appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
TLDR: DOJ tracks scammers who spoofed a Trump-Vance email to steal over $250K in USDT from a single donor. The phishing domain swapped an “I” for an “L” to mimic the real inaugural committee address. The FBI traced $40K in laundered funds and initiated a civil forfeiture to recover the assets. DOJ credits Tether for helping freeze and recover part of the stolen cryptocurrency. The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the recovery of $40,300 in stolen cryptocurrency after scammers impersonated the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. Federal officials say cybercriminals targeted a donor using a deceptive email address and requested a large crypto donation. The victim, believing the message was authentic, transferred more than $250,000 in USDT.ETH. The funds were then moved across several wallets in a laundering attempt. Federal investigators traced and froze a portion of the stolen assets and filed a formal complaint for recovery. Crypto Scam Used Inaugural Committee Impersonation According to court documents filed in Washington, D.C., the scheme began on December 24, 2024. A donor received an email that appeared to come from Steve Witkoff, who is publicly linked with the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. However, the email address contained a subtle misspelling. Instead of “@t47inaugural.com,” the scammer used “@t47lnaugural.com,” swapping an “I” for an “L,” a difference barely visible in common fonts. The fake Witkoff instructed the victim to send funds to a crypto wallet ending in “58c52.” Believing the message was legitimate, the donor transferred 250,300 USDT.ETH two days later. Within two hours, the funds were broken into smaller amounts and moved to other addresses to conceal the trail. The FBI’s Washington Field Office used blockchain tracing techniques to follow the digital trail. Investigators discovered $40,300 still accessible from the transaction, despite most funds being dispersed. The remaining amount has now become the focus of…
