US Authorities Seek to Recover $327K USDt from Romance Fraud Scheme
US authorities filed a civil forfeiture action to recover over $327,829 in Tether's USDt linked to an online romance scam.Summary
The US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts has initiated a civil forfeiture action to seize approximately $327,829 worth of Tether's USDt stablecoins. These funds are allegedly connected to a money laundering scheme stemming from an online romance fraud perpetrated against a Massachusetts resident starting in 2024, allegedly by an individual named “Linda Brown.” Authorities traced some of the victim's funds to unhosted cryptocurrency wallets, which were seized in August 2025, asserting that all associated cryptocurrency was property involved in money laundering. This action follows a general warning issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio regarding romance scams just before Valentine’s Day. Separately, Tether recently reported freezing about $4.2 billion in USDt connected to illicit activities since 2023, demonstrating the stablecoin issuer's capability to freeze assets by blacklisting wallet addresses.
(Source：Cointelegraph)