Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
The United States Attorney’s Office in Boston has initiated a civil forfeiture action to recover more than 200,000 USDT (Tether), which is believed to be the proceeds of an online cryptocurrency investment fraud. The digital assets are valued at approximately $200,000.
According to court documents, the investigation began in April 2025 after a Massachusetts resident reported being defrauded by an individual using the name “Nino Martin” on Tinder. After moving their conversation to WhatsApp, Martin claimed to be a financial advisor and encouraged the victim to invest in cryptocurrency through what law enforcement now believes was a fraudulent trading platform. The victim followed instructions and transferred about $504,353 before contacting authorities.
The scheme fits a pattern known as “pig-butchering,” where scammers build trust with victims online and persuade them to make investments that ultimately result in financial loss. In this case, representatives from the fraudulent platform also provided instructions on how the victim could bypass restrictions after some transfers were flagged as suspicious.
Authorities traced some of the stolen funds to a cryptocurrency account, which was seized in June 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office explained that under federal law it is illegal to use wire communications for schemes involving false or fraudulent pretenses or for transactions designed to hide criminal proceeds. Civil forfeiture actions allow third parties with claims on property involved in such cases an opportunity for resolution before assets can be permanently taken by the government and returned to victims.
“This is one of several civil forfeiture actions the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed seeking to forfeit cryptocurrency traced to fraud schemes targeting Massachusetts victims,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons from the Asset Recovery Unit is leading this case.
Members of the public who suspect they have been targeted by cybercrimes—including romance scams or business email compromise—are encouraged to contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov.
Officials noted that all allegations described are part of ongoing legal proceedings and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
