In July this year, the US government seized approximately R$90,000 worth of cryptocurrencies, claiming the amount was related to a crime. What should have been a common case among many others ended up having an unusual outcome.
In a court document published last Wednesday (8), the scammer asks the FBI to return “his” cryptocurrencies. In his defense, the man states that he has never committed a crime and that the amount is the result of his work in the insurance industry.
The American authorities did not fall for it. In response, they noted that the scammer’s claim is false and the amount should not be refunded to him.
Scammers victimize older women and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars
According to the lawsuit, the scammers contacted a 63-year-old victim via email and stated that her device was infected with pornography. In what appeared to be an extortion scheme, the victim was duped into sending money to the scammers using gift cards and cryptocurrencies.
The amounts are said to include approximately $12,000 (R$58,000) in Walmart gift cards and more than 3 bitcoins (R$530,000). With the support of broker Paxful, the FBI was able to track these transactions and find other details about the scammers.
“Further analysis of the blockchain revealed that the 1M4D…MRsu address was associated with Binance”the lawsuit continues, noting that Binance also assisted with the investigation and revealed details about the owner of this account. “The FBI has attempted an administrative seizure of seized funds [usuário] specifically valued at approximately US$18,469.31 (R$90,000).
The lawsuit then notes that the scammer contacted the FBI to request the release of his money, which makes this story unlike any other.
Scammer asks FBI to return his cryptocurrencies
In September, one of the scammers attempted to retrieve cryptocurrencies seized by the FBI from his Binance account. In the text, he identifies himself as an insurance professional and notes that the money in question was the result of his investments and not a scam.
“Hello Sir/Madam, my name is Vishal Gautam, I live in India, I am a part-time cryptocurrency investor and trader and a full-time health insurer in my country, I have been a cryptocurrency investor and trader for four years now”begins the scammer’s letter.
“In the month of July 2023, my cryptocurrencies suddenly disappeared from Binance. I don’t know how it happened, but then I heard that the FBI suspended my funds. It’s been three months since my funds were frozen”the scammer continues. “I am asking you to release my assets from your custody, I have had these assets in my Binance account for 1.5 years, I am not involved in anything illegal and never will be, I will not do anything that will harm your could harm country or your people Anyway, I am a hard worker and take care of a family of four here in India.”
“The money you have in custody is a very large amount for me and my family. I ask that you please release it from your custody. Thank you, kind regards.”
In response, those responsible for the case note that the scammer’s accusations are “false or inaccurate”. As a highlight, they state that the disputed cryptocurrencies were not in their accounts before the aforementioned period of one and a half years.
As it turns out, US authorities have only recovered a fraction of the amount involved in the scam. Finally, this case reminds us that we should not work with scammers. Bank employees even tried to warn the 63-year-old woman that she was falling for a scam, but the victim did not listen to them.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
