Second web domain seized in cryptocurrency “pig butchering” scheme in NY
NEW YORK (WBNG) -– The U.S. Secret Service in the Northern District of New York seized a second web domain used in a recent cryptocurrency confidence crime known as “pig butchering.”
In pig butchering schemes, scammers encounter victims, often elderly, online and initiate relationships with them, slowly gaining their trust. The scammers eventually introduce the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency. Victims are then persuaded to invest money. Once the money is sent to the fake investment application, the scammer vanishes, taking the money with them, resulting in significant losses for the victim.
According to court records, between November 2023 and March 2024, scammers induced a Warren County victim to wire monies to the now-seized domain NFT-UNI.com. The scammers convinced the victim they were investing in a legitimate cryptocurrency opportunity. After the victim transferred investments into the deposit addresses the scammers provided concerning the seized domain name, the funds were immediately transferred through numerous bank accounts to conceal the fund’s source.
In total, the Warren County victim lost about $172,405.61.
Officials said other victims of the NFT-UNI.com fraud reported approximately $4,564,936.47 in losses.
In May 2024, the U.S. Secret Service seized the web domain OKEX-NFT.net, which was also used in a pig butchering scheme in Warren County.
“By seizing this website, we are able to strike a blow to a criminal organization that financially victimized numerous individuals, including a member of our community and senior citizens around the country,” said United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III.
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