DOJ acknowledges Tether’s cooperation in asset transfer and victim compensation.
U.S. Department of Justice recovers cryptocurrency from Trump inauguration committee impersonation scheme with the help of Tether.
The crypto news shows successful law enforcement cooperation in tracking blockchain transactions and compensating crypto scam victims in asset forfeiture cases.
FBI was able to trace and recover $40,300 of stolen cryptocurrency from a business email compromise scam for potential donors to Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro published the civil forfeiture complaint of 40,353 USDT.ETH cryptocurrency that was stolen from the victims, who thought they were making political donation in good faith.
The scammers had been impersonating Steve Witkoff, Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee Co-Chair, with spoofed email addresses intended to trick victims into sending crypto payments.
The crypto scheme had taken advantage of the subtle difference in email domains by employing the small “i” instead of the small “L” in @t47lnaugural.com instead of the proper @t47inaugural.com address.
On December 24, 2024, the victims received the phishing message requesting them to deposit into a cryptocurrency wallet.
Two days later, the victim deposited 250,300 USDT.ETH in anticipation that the funds were invested in financing the inaugural committee.
The stolen cryptocurrency was laundered using several wallet addresses within two hours.
The crypto news covers efficient blockchain investigation techniques that allowed law enforcers trace the movement of stolen money from one cryptocurrency wallet to another.
The Department of Justice specifically acknowledged the cooperation of Tether in facilitating the transfer of assets during the recovery process.
The Department of Justice specifically acknowledged Tether’s assistance in effectuating the transfer of recovered assets during the Trump inauguration crypto scam investigation.
This cooperation between Tether and the federal regulators is a sign of increased cooperation between government officials and cryptocurrency companies.
Tether participation in asset recovery operations follows since the company is facing competition from USDC offered by Circle in payment systems.
USDC represented 85% in stablecoin transactions done in January 2024 against 13% for Tether’s market share in the payment system, according to data from BitPay.
However, crypto news indicates Tether has gained ground throughout 2025. USDT’s transaction share increased to 43% by May 2025 while USDC dropped to 56%.
Starting in March 2025, Tether’s USDT began exceeding 70% of stablecoin volume processed by BitPay. That showed increased merchant and customer preference.
BitPay credits the transition to USDT to general growth in stablecoin payments. Current users looking to use Tether instead of USDC for payments.
This market share increase is combined with Tether’s collaboration with law enforcement agencies for cryptocurrency scam cases.
FBI Assistant Director Steven J. Jensen warned that impersonation scams cost Americans billions in losses annually.
He also emphasized the need for careful verification of email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in received messages.
The crypto scam targeting Trump inauguration donors used subtle differences in communication to deceive victims and gain their trust through fake official correspondence.
U.S. Attorney Pirro cautioned that donors should verify recipients multiple times before sending cryptocurrency.
The crypto news highlights ongoing difficulties in tracing stolen digital assets across multiple wallet addresses and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Law enforcement agencies recommend never sending money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to unknown individuals contacted only through online or phone interactions.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center also provides reporting avenues for suspected crypto scam activity in the guise of business email compromise, romance scams, investment fraud, and pig butchering schemes.
Tether’s involvement in this case shows favorable industry response towards helping victims recover stolen cryptocurrency through rightful legal processes.
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