Fraudulent Scheme Targets Donors Using Cryptocurrency Scam
Federal prosecutors have uncovered a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam involving impersonators of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. These fraudsters manipulated victims by sending emails disguised as official committee communications, successfully tricking them into sending over $250,000 in USDT stablecoin.
How the Scam Worked
The scammers used counterfeit email addresses remarkably similar to the legitimate ones but with subtle differences, such as replacing a lowercase “i” with a lowercase “l” in the domain part (e.g., @t47lnaugural.com instead of @t47inaugural.com).
Recipients believed these emails came directly from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, in one instance purporting to be from the then co-chair of the committee. This deception led victims to contribute donations to the fraudsters’ wallets.
Legal Actions and Asset Recovery
The U.S. government is pursuing the permanent seizure of nearly 40,400 USDT from the stolen funds, aiming to both penalize the criminals and recover assets that could compensate victims. Approximately half of the recovered funds were traced to a cryptocurrency account linked to an individual in Nigeria named Ehiremen Aigbokhan.
Shortly after the initial transfers, approximately 215,000 USDT moved through various other crypto wallets, complicating recovery efforts. Still, cryptocurrency exchange Binance cooperated fully and complied with a freeze request to assist authorities.
The Broader Implications
This case highlights how fraudsters increasingly exploit digital currencies and sophisticated email spoofing to conduct high-value scams. It serves as a stark reminder for donors and the general public to verify the authenticity of requests before transferring funds, especially when cryptocurrency is involved.
Authorities continue to investigate and pursue those responsible to protect future donors from similar schemes.
