Washington, DC, US – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has uncovered a cryptocurrency scam allegedly perpetrated by a Nigerian fraudster that targeted political donors intending to support the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee in the United States.
The scam involved a Business Email Compromise (BEC) operation that resulted in the theft of $250,300 (approximately ₦460 million).
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro revealed that part of the stolen funds, $40,300, was successfully traced and recovered through blockchain analysis.
As contained in a document by the US Attorney’s office, the funds, originally intended as a political donation, had been laundered through a series of crypto wallets after being diverted by the suspect using a fake email address.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, the fraud was executed on December 24, 2024, when the victims received an email purporting to be from Steve Witkoff, the Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
The deceptive email appeared authentic, but closer inspection revealed that the domain name had been subtly altered, replacing an uppercase “I” with a lowercase “L.”
The scammer, believed to be based in Lagos, Nigeria, instructed the victims to transfer the funds to a crypto wallet ending in 58c52.
Believing the message to be genuine, the victims transferred 250,300 USDT (a stablecoin) to the wallet on December 26, 2024.
Within just two hours, the stolen cryptocurrency was moved across several wallet addresses in an attempt to hide its origin.
However, using sophisticated blockchain analysis, the FBI was able to recover a portion of the funds, amounting to $40,300.
Attorney Jeanine Pirro emphasised the importance of verifying donation channels before sending digital currency.
“All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient,” she said.
She added:
“It can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds due to the complex nature of blockchain technology.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen described the case as a stark reminder of the growing threat of impersonation scams, which cost Americans billions each year.
He urged individuals and organisations to scrutinise email addresses, website URLs, and suspicious messages.
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