The FBI and Thai Royal Police have thrown their support behind the forfeiture, which targets scammers who gain the trust of their victims and persuade them to invest in seemingly lucrative schemes. Once convinced, victims are lured into investing in what appears to be a promising cryptocurrency opportunity, only for the scammer to vanish with their money after the transfer.
Often, the scam involves continuous pressure on the victim to invest more money before the fraudster disappears. Graves emphasized the office’s commitment to holding criminal organizations accountable, stating, “We will find them, seize their illegal proceeds, and get money back to the victims.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy condemned the increasing use of these elaborate scams, highlighting the ongoing efforts of the FBI to dismantle such criminal networks. “The rate at which bad actors are using elaborate pig-butchering scams to defraud innocent people is despicable,” said Moy.
The forfeiture action, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock, Jr., aims to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of illegally obtained property. It also seeks to recover assets to compensate victims when authorized by federal law.
