According to ChainCatcher, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced that victims of business email compromise (BEC) who lost millions of dollars may receive compensation due to the swift actions of the U.S. Secret Service and the asset forfeiture department of the Attorney's Office. In December 2023, a company engaged in real estate transactions reported that its system was compromised, and scammers stole over $1 million by submitting false wire transfer instructions.
Investigations revealed that at least ten other businesses or individuals were affected, with losses ranging from $75,000 to $425,000. The funds from these scams were laundered through multiple bank accounts, some of which were held by 'money mules', and were subsequently consolidated into a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by Nigerian scammers.
The law enforcement agencies acted swiftly, seizing approximately 32.68 bitcoins from the scammer's cryptocurrency wallet, which were worth about $900,000 at the time. The U.S. Attorney's Office subsequently filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit for the seized bitcoins. Since the seizure, the price of bitcoin has increased more than threefold. Due to the rise in bitcoin prices, ten victims with claims may receive full compensation.
