The United States Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint to recover $40,300 in cryptocurrency traced to a sophisticated email scam from Nigeria that impersonated the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, stating that the cyber fraudsters targeted unsuspecting political donors.
The US Government revealed that the cybercriminals behind the fraud scheme stole a total of $250,300 in USDT.ETH cryptocurrency from an intended donor after posing as Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
According to the complaint, the perpetrators, believed to be operating from Nigeria, used a deceptive email address that mimicked the committee’s official domain.
The complaint reads: “The imposter Steve Witkoff, a scammer located in Nigeria, instructed the victims to deposit funds into a cryptocurrency wallet ending in 58c52. On Dec. 26, 2024, the victim sent 250,300 USDT.ETH to the crypto wallet believing the funds were going to the Inaugural Committee.
“Within two hours after receiving the funds from the victim, the funds moved from the 58c52 cryptowallet to other cryptocurrency addresses.”
However, after conducting extensive blockchain analysis, US federal agents successfully traced and froze $40,300 of the stolen assets.
“Through blockchain analysis, the FBI identified and recovered 40,300 USDT.ETH, which is the property subject to forfeiture in this civil action.
“According to the complaint, on Dec. 24, 2024, the victims received an email from someone purporting to be Steve Witkoff, Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee,” the complaint added.
Instead of “@t47inaugural.com“, the fraudsters used “@t47lnaugural.com“, replacing the lowercase “i” with a lowercase “L”, a subtle trick that can easily deceive recipients due to font similarities.
The victim, thinking they were donating to a legitimate cause, wired $250,300 in crypto on December 26, 2024. Just two hours later, the funds were laundered through several crypto wallets, according to the complaint.
“Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, of the FBI Washington Field Office, which is investigating the case.
He added, “To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive. Scammers often use subtle differences to deceive you and gain your trust. Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know personally or have only interacted with online or over the phone. Report suspected scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.”
