US authorities seized $25M in cryptocurrency linked to investment and romance scams, filing five forfeiture cases against Southeast Asian launderers.
Regulation & Gov ·
U.S. prosecutors seized more than $25 million in cryptocurrency across five civil forfeiture cases filed Tuesday, with funds traced to investment and romance scams that victimized thousands across the U.S. and Canada. The largest single case involved $12.1 million tied to romance schemes affecting over 200 people, while a separate complaint flagged approximately $10.4 million following Canadian victim transactions. Secret Service agents traced the illicit proceeds through hundreds of intermediary wallet addresses to launderers predominantly based in Southeast Asia, with IP addresses linked to China, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The seizure brings the Scam Center Strike Force, launched in November 2025, past $800 million in total recoveries.