US federal agents have seized more than $61 million worth of Tether (USDT) linked to a crypto romance scam. Authorities talked about one of USDT’s largest fraud-related recoveries. As a result, enforcement reflects increasing efforts to combat crimes against digital assets.
Federal authorities track and freeze fraud-linked cryptocurrencies
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the scammers had a massive pig slaughter scheme. In particular, criminals disguised themselves as romantic partners and portrayed fake crypto trading expertise. Therefore, the victims sent money to fraudulent investment platforms.
Related literature: Trader Loses Six Figures in One Click Due to Google Ad Scam | Live Bitcoin News
Homeland Security Investigations investigators were able to trace the victim’s money using blockchain transactions and wallet networks. In addition, officials went after accounts with large balances that could be subject to seizure and forfeiture. As a result, agents have successfully frozen and recovered illegal digital assets.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle emphasized the impact of the enforcement actions. He said criminals will not keep their profits from cryptocurrency fraud. Consequently, asset forfeiture was emphasized by authorities as a powerful anti-fraud strategy.
Officials confirmed that the seizure amounted to more than $61 million in USDT, which was directly linked to scam-related wallets. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Investigations, the Justice Department and federal prosecutors were all involved. Thanks to the coordination between the agencies, investigation and enforcement could therefore be carried out quickly.
Importantly, Tether helped authorities identify and freeze suspicious addresses during the investigation. Furthermore, the collaboration supported the secure transfer of recovery funds through legal proceedings. Therefore, stablecoin issuers still play a role in financial crime prevention.
Pig slaughter scam involving emotional and technical deception
Authorities explained that pig slaughter scams are a combination of both emotional manipulation and bogus investment tactics. First, scammers build trust through online conversations and form relationships. Then, victims are invited to participate in the trading activities on convincing but fraudulent crypto trading platforms.
These fake platforms show fake portfolios with abnormally high and fake investment returns. Furthermore, manufactured profits cause victims to deposit many times more money. However, subsequent withdrawal attempts will result in demands for false taxes or processing fees.
Ultimately, scammers block account access and disappear with the victims’ belongings. Meanwhile, criminals are transferring stolen funds between a number of crypto wallets to disguise sources.
Law enforcement agencies have begun to target portfolio networks of organized organizations crypto fraud operations around the world. As a result, asset seizure actions interrupt the cash flow of criminal organizations and destroy money laundering routes. That is why authorities continue to expand the possibilities of blockchain research.
This seizure follows other major enforcement actions against digital asset crimes earlier in 2026. For example, federal authorities seized $400 million tied to darknet-related money laundering services.
Ultimately, regulators and researchers emphasize vigilance as online romance and investment scams continue to rise. Additionally, authorities are urging users to verify platforms before transferring digital assets. Currently, agencies are reaffirming their commitments to locate and recover stolen cryptocurrency funds.
#Agents #Seize #Million #USDT #Crypto #Romance #Scam