The Justice Department announced Wednesday the largest-ever U.S. seizure of cryptocurrency linked to so-called "pig butchering" scams that have cost victims billions globally.
Federal prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture action targeting more than $225 million in cryptocurrency traced to a sprawling web of fraudulent investment platforms. Victims were tricked into believing they were investing in legitimate crypto ventures, only to be scammed by criminal networks often operating overseas.
"This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service history," said Shawn Bradstreet, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service's San Francisco Field Office, in a statement.
Authorities said the network was connected to at least 400 suspected victims worldwide, including dozens in the U.S. Crypto fraud was responsible for more than $5.8 billion in reported losses last year, according to FBI data.