DOJ Recovers 16% of $250,300 in Crypto Scam Targeting Trump-Vance Donor

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated efforts to recover $40,300 in stolen cryptocurrency following a sophisticated scam that impersonated the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. The scam targeted a donor, who was tricked into transferring over $250,000 in USDT.ETH to a fraudulent crypto wallet. The scammers used a deceptive email address that closely resembled the legitimate one, swapping an “I” for an “L” to mimic the real inaugural committee address.

The scheme began on December 24, 2024, when the victim received an email purportedly from Steve Witkoff, a figure associated with the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. The email instructed the donor to send funds to a crypto wallet ending in “58c52.” Believing the message to be genuine, the donor complied and transferred 250,300 USDT.ETH. Within two hours, the funds were divided into smaller amounts and moved to various addresses in an attempt to obscure the trail.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office employed blockchain tracing techniques to follow the digital trail of the stolen funds. Investigators were able to trace and freeze $40,300 of the laundered assets, which are now the focus of a civil forfeiture action. The remaining funds have been dispersed, making recovery more challenging. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock Jr. is leading the case, with the FBI’s Criminal and Cyber Division actively pursuing additional leads.

Officials have identified the perpetrator behind the spoofed email as being based in Nigeria, although no formal charges have been announced. The DOJ has credited Tether for assisting in the freezing and recovery of part of the stolen cryptocurrency, highlighting the importance of collaboration between law enforcement and cryptocurrency companies in combating digital fraud.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro advised the public to verify crypto wallet addresses before sending digital funds, emphasizing the difficulty of reversing crypto scams due to the decentralized and irreversible nature of blockchain transactions. She stated that her office would continue to work 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.