U.S. seeks forfeiture of $25 million in crypto tied to romance and investment scams

Federal prosecutors filed five civil forfeiture complaints seeking more than $25 million in cryptocurrency that investigators say came from international romance and investment scams targeting people in the U.S. and Canada.

The complaints, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, stem from separate Secret Service investigations.

Agents traced funds through hundreds of wallet addresses and frozen crypto linked to more than 270 suspected investment scam transactions, more than 200 romance scam victims and several victims in the Washington area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The two largest cases seek about $12.1 million tied to online romance schemes and $10.4 million linked to fraudulent investment platforms. Another three complaints seek roughly $1.23 million, $2.39 million and $285,000.

In one case, scammers cut off contact after a victim tried to withdraw money from what appeared to be a crypto investment account. In another, fraudsters contacted someone who had already lost money and claimed they could recover it for a fee in what’s known as a recovery scam.

The cases are part of the Scam Center Strike Force, which launched in November 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the task force has recovered more than $800 million.