The New York Attorney General’s office is pursuing legal action to retrieve $2.2 million in bitcoin stolen from victims of a remote labor scam. This fraudulent plan enticed people with promises of high-paying, flexible employment opportunities, only to ensnare them in a web of deception.
Victims received unsolicited text messages saying they could earn money as product reviewers. They instructed the victims to create cryptocurrency accounts, deposit funds, and maintain balances equivalent to the value of the products they were “reviewing” in order to participate. They portrayed these deposits as necessary to “legitimize” market data, promising to repay their money and fees.
However, after the victims transferred cryptocurrencies to wallets controlled by the scammers, the monies vanished. Some victims were also required to pay additional fraudulent fees, such as “credit score improvement” or “blockchain verification” costs, which exacerbated their losses.
The hoax was clever, using bogus websites and companies to create the appearance of validity. Demands for additional payments confronted victims who attempted to withdraw funds, resulting in many losing thousands of dollars, and one losing more than $100,000.
A partnership with the United States Secret Service has blocked the stolen monies. The attorney general stressed the cruelty of targeting those wanting to sustain their families through remote labor and advised the public to be wary of unsolicited job offers.
The action seeks to recover stolen monies for the victims, impose fines on the fraudsters, and prevent future scams. This measure is an important step in protecting New Yorkers from increasingly sophisticated cybercrimes.
