New Scam Targets Victims of Crypto Scams

The announcement was released by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center on Monday and outlines how scammers posing as law firms are targeting crypto-scam victims

Crypto scams on the rise, with FBI reporting a 50% increase in crypto-investment fraud from 2022 to 2023, reaching $3.96 billion. Now, the FBI is warning about a new scam targeting victims of crypto scams.

Scammers are posing as law firms and targeting crypto-scam victims via social media, claiming to be able to recover their stolen money. They may contact victims directly through fake websites or claim to be working with government agencies that have shared the victim's details.

The scammers often request personal identifying information from victims, opening the door to identity theft. They may also ask for a portion of their fees to be paid up front, with the rest paid when the funds are recovered, or they claim the funds have already been recovered and request a fee to release them.

The FBI advises crypto-scam victims to be wary of any entity offering recovery services with a small online footprint or that makes promises about being able to get their money back. They also caution against providing personal or financial information to anyone who cold calls promising financial recompensation.

If you have been scammed, it is important to gather all the information you can, such as how you were contacted, the names used, and the date it occurred. You can then file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.