US seeks forfeiture of $25 million in crypto tied to global fraud investigations

The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to forfeit more than $25 million in cryptocurrency recovered through five separate investigations into international fraud networks that allegedly targeted residents in the U.S. and Canada. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement on Tuesday that Secret Service Washington Field Office agents, working through the Cyber Fraud Task Force, identified multiple laundering networks and thousands of victims worldwide who were misled into believing they were making legitimate crypto investments.

According to the statement, the first investigation, flagged by Canadian authorities in late 2024, traced more than 270 suspected victim transactions and seeks roughly $10.4 million. The second, involving online romance schemes with more than 200 victims, seeks approximately $12.1 million.

The third and fourth investigations — reported in May 2026 and March 2026 respectively by victims in the National Capital Region — seek about $1.2 million and $2.4 million. The fifth investigation, involving a fee-based recovery fraud, seeks approximately $285,000.

In each of the five cases, launderers were predominantly located in Southeast Asia, with IP addresses in China, Malaysia, and Cambodia, per the statement.

Prosecutors said the funds are the latest in the more than $800 million recovered as part of the Scam Center Strike Force, an initiative launched in November 2025 by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

"This $25 million seizure is a direct result of the Scam Center Strike Force I launched in November 2025, and it demonstrates the power of aggressively targeting these international fraud networks," Pirro said. "Our investigators cut through complex laundering schemes, protected victims, and shut down criminal pipelines."