The United States has seized 32.68 bitcoins from BEC scammers, and victims may receive full compensation
ChainCatcher News: U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced that victims of business email compromise (BEC) who lost millions of dollars may be compensated due to the swift actions of the U.S. Secret Service and the asset forfeiture division of the U.S. Attorney's Office. In December 2023, a company engaged in real estate transactions reported that its system had been breached, with scammers stealing over $1 million by submitting fraudulent wire transfer instructions.Investigations revealed that at least ten other businesses or individuals were also victimized, with losses ranging from $75,000 to $425,000. The funds obtained 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.Law enforcement acted quickly, seizing approximately 32.68 bitcoins from the scammers' cryptocurrency wallet, valued at around $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 more than tripled. Due to the increase in bitcoin prices, ten victims who have filed claims may receive full compensation.