Federal prosecutors filed five civil forfeiture complaints seeking more than $25 million in cryptocurrency that investigators say came from international romances and investment scams targeting people in the United States and Canada.
The allegations, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arise from separate Secret Service investigations.
Agents traced funds through hundreds of frozen wallet and cryptocurrency addresses 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 linked to online romance schemes and $10.4 million linked to fraudulent investment platforms. Three other lawsuits seek approximately $1.23 million, $2.39 million and $285,000.
In one case, scammers cut off contact after a victim attempted to withdraw money from what appeared to be a cryptocurrency investment account. In another, scammers contacted someone who had already lost money and claimed they could recover it by paying a fee in what is 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.
