The U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office has seized more than $25 million worth of cryptocurrency from criminal groups that defrauded victims in the United States and Canada, according to a July 21 announcement.
The seizures stemmed from five separate Cyber Fraud Task Force investigations, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filing five civil forfeiture complaints related to romance and investment scams. These schemes led thousands of victims worldwide to lose money after making what they believed were legitimate cryptocurrency transactions.
“This seizure is the result of months of tireless work by Washington Field Office investigators, who are among the best in the world at tracking down cyber criminals and tracing their illicit transactions,” said Tara McLeese, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office. “These investigations are far from over, and we encourage anyone who thinks they may be a victim of these scams or similar cryptocurrency crimes to contact us. I want to thank the Special Agents and Investigative Analysts who continue to work on these cases and symbolize the dual mission of the Secret Service every day.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro said, “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. Our investigators cut through complex laundering schemes, protected victims, and shut down criminal pipelines. We will continue to identify these actors, dismantle their operations, and bring them to justice.”
Investigations included cases where Canadian authorities alerted officials about suspicious wallet addresses linked to fraudulent investments totaling more than $10 million; private-sector partners flagged romance scam transactions involving over 200 victims; individual reports led agents to freeze millions tied up in fraudulent investment platforms; one case involved scammers posing as recovery agents after an initial scam; overall civil forfeiture complaints ranged from approximately $285,000 up to nearly $12 million per case.
In each investigation, launderers were predominantly located in Southeast Asia with IP addresses traced back to China, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The seized funds are part of more than $800 million recovered under recent efforts by federal authorities.