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.
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 a civil forfeiture action.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock Jr. is leading the case. The investigation remains ongoing, with the FBI’s Criminal and Cyber Division pursuing additional leads.
Officials say the perpetrator behind the spoofed email is based in Nigeria, although no formal charges have been announced.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro advised the public to verify crypto wallet addresses before sending digital funds.
She emphasized that crypto scams are difficult to reverse due to the decentralized and irreversible nature of blockchain transactions. Pirro stated her office would continue working to hold cybercriminals accountable and recover assets when possible.
Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, echoed the call for vigilance. He urged users to inspect sender details, domain names, and unexpected requests for crypto or gift cards. The FBI encourages victims of digital fraud to report cases at ic3.gov.
The Department of Justice also acknowledged assistance from Tether, which helped facilitate the asset freeze and transfer process.
