US Prosecutors Seek $327K Crypto Forfeiture Over Romance Scam
Massachusetts federal prosecutors are seeking civil forfeiture of $327,829 in USDT, alleging the funds were laundered from a romance scam targeting a Massachusetts resident via a dating app in late 2024. The scammer, posing as “Linda Brown,” gained the victim’s trust and convinced them to invest in cryptocurrency. The victim transferred funds to wallets controlled by the scammer, later discovering it was fraudulent when attempts to withdraw failed. The funds were traced through multiple crypto wallets, converted to USDT, and some were eventually seized in August 2025. Under U.S. law, conducting financial transactions to conceal criminal proceeds is illegal. Civil forfeiture allows potential claimants to contest before assets are given to the United States and ultimately returned to victims. Authorities highlight that these “pig butchering” scams involve scammers spending weeks or months building trust before presenting fraudulent investment opportunities. The forfeiture filing follows recent warnings to the public about increasing crypto-based romance scams, particularly around Valentine’s Day, and comes after a record $225 million in similar assets were targeted for seizure by the Department of Justice last year.
