Nigerian Scammer Poses As Trump-Vance Official, Steals $250,300 In Crypto
A Nigeria-based scammer has stolen $250, 300 worth of cryptocurrency after impersonating the Donald Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia disclosed the large-scale fraud on Wednesday via its official website, following a complaint filed by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“According to the complaint, one or more perpetrators impersonated the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, fraudulently stole $250,300 worth of cryptocurrency from an intended donor, and then laundered the funds through other wallets,” the report read.
It stated that on December 24, 2024, the victims received an email from someone purporting to be Steve Witkoff, Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
“Legitimate emails from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee are @t47inaugural.com; the email received by victim was from @t47lnaugural.com with the lowercase ‘I’ was replaced by a lowercase ‘L.’ Depending on the font, the lowercase ‘L’ can look like the uppercase ‘I’.”
The scammer, located in Nigeria, instructed the victim to deposit the funds into a crypto wallet ending in 58c52.
Two days later, on December 26, 2024, the victim sent 250,300 USDT.ETH to the address, believing it belonged to the committee. However, “within two hours after receiving the funds from the victim, the money moved from the 58c52 cryptowallet to other cryptocurrency addresses.”
The FBI used blockchain analysis to trace and recover a portion of the funds. “According to the US Attorney’s Office, through blockchain analysis, the FBI identified and recovered 40,300 USDT.ETH, which is the property subject to forfeiture in this civil action.”
The Bureau is seeking the recovery of the recovered amount to compensate the victim.
“Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, of the FBI Washington Field Office, which is investigating the case.
“To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive. Scammers often use subtle differences to deceive you and gain your trust.
“Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know personally or have only interacted with online or over the phone. Report suspected scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
