Prosecutors seek forfeiture of $327K in Tether after alleged dating app crypto fraud

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston has filed a civil forfeiture action to recover $327,829.720952 USDT, which was allegedly obtained through an online romance fraud scheme. The investigation began in late 2024 after a Massachusetts resident was contacted by an individual named "Linda Brown" on a dating app who then pitched a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment opportunity. The victim was tricked into sending funds to wallets controlled by Brown or co-conspirators, only realizing it was a scam when they couldn't withdraw their money. The stolen funds were reportedly laundered through multiple crypto wallets and converted to USDT. This action occurs amid heightened federal warnings regarding romance-related crypto scams, often termed "pig butchering" schemes, which have resulted in over $1 billion in losses in a single year according to the FTC.

(Source：The Block)