New York Attorney General Files Lawsuit to Recover Stolen Cryptocurrency

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit aimed at recovering $2.2 million in cryptocurrency stolen through a scam targeting job seekers. This fraudulent scheme involved false promises of remote work opportunities that lured victims into creating cryptocurrency accounts.

Victims were contacted via text messages and instructed to deposit funds under the pretense of reviewing products on websites that mimicked legitimate brands. They were assured that these deposits were necessary to “legitimize” the process, and that they would not actually be purchasing products. However, the promised reimbursements and commissions never materialized. Instead, the cryptocurrency deposited was funneled into wallets controlled by the scammers.

Victims were often pressured to maintain cryptocurrency balances to access more tasks, further exacerbating their losses. James' office, in collaboration with the U.S. Secret Service, has managed to freeze nearly $2.2 million in stolen cryptocurrency, primarily in stablecoins like USDC and Tether.

The lawsuit brings to light the plight of victims, including a hotel receptionist and a teacher from New York, each losing over $100,000, and a tech worker from Florida who was defrauded of more than $300,000.

In a novel legal strategy, the Attorney General’s office plans to notify the scammers via NFTs airdropped to the cryptocurrency wallets used by the fraudsters. These NFTs will contain links to legal documents on a government website, ensuring that the scammers are notified despite their anonymity. This approach marks a first for U.S. regulators in tackling crypto-related fraud.

The lawsuit outlines tactics akin to **