FBI to return $500 000 worth of stolen bitcoins to owner

An American pensioner has fallen victim to phone scammers

17.03.2022 - 12:30

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What’s new? The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will return nearly $500 000 worth of stolen bitcoins (12,16 BTC) to a pensioner. A statement of the North Carolina District Attorney’s Office said that the States citizen became the victim of phone scammers who tricked him into transferring a large amount of cryptocurrency to them. The law enforcement authorities were able to trace and freeze the criminals’ wallet.

Statement of the District Attorney’s Office

What are the details of what happened? In August 2021, the criminals, allegedly from abroad, called the pensioner and introduced themselves as employees of the “office of the chief inspector.” They informed the elderly man that his savings could be linked to criminal activity and demanded that they be transferred to a “secure government account.”

The pensioner bought 12б16 BTC worth $574 000 on the Coinbase exchange (worth $494 000 at the exchange rate on March 17) and transferred them to the attackers. After contacting the police, the FBI cooperated with Coinbase to trace the transaction and froze the criminals’ wallet. The law enforcers promised to return the stolen funds to the pensioner.

Blackpooltech had previously managed to recover $1,8 million in stolen cryptocurrency to another elderly US citizen who had also fallen victim to phone scammers.

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