The U.S. Justice Department is seeking forfeiture of more than $25 million in cryptocurrency it says is connected to romance and investment fraud investigations. Prosecutors have filed complaints in federal court for the seizure of the crypto, which federal authorities recovered through separate investigations conducted by the Secret Service. According to reporting across multiple outlets, the cases involve funds allegedly traced from thousands of victims to alleged laundering networks, including activity tied to Southeast Asia.
One outlet reports that five forfeiture cases are part of the effort, reflecting multiple fraud lanes rather than a single matter. The DOJ’s filings focus on the alleged link between scam proceeds and the movement or laundering of cryptocurrency using networks prosecutors describe as international. Another report adds that the new forfeiture effort is part of broader federal scam enforcement, including recoveries already reported as totaling more than $800 million through a dedicated task force.
Across the accounts, the central point is that prosecutors are pursuing court-ordered forfeiture of the crypto over claims it is derived from or connected to scam-related fraud and laundering.
