US prosecutors seek $327K Tether forfeiture

US prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of $327,829 in Tether’s USDT stablecoin tied to a 2024 crypto romance scam targeting a Massachusetts resident.

The Massachusetts District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil action alleging the funds were laundered through multiple digital wallets before being converted into USDT, as authorities attempt to recover assets for the victim.

“It is a violation of federal law to conduct a financial transaction knowing that the transaction is designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of criminal proceeds,”

Said the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts.

According to the complaint, the victim was contacted in November 2024 by an individual using the alias “Linda Brown” on an online dating application and was persuaded to transfer funds into wallets purportedly linked to a cryptocurrency investment opportunity.

The funds were later moved across several wallets and converted into USDT, the dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Tether, before at least a portion was traced to wallets seized by authorities in August 2025.

“A civil forfeiture action allows third-parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims,”

The U.S. Attorney's Office added.

The filing comes weeks after federal prosecutors warned that so-called “pig butchering” scams, which build emotional trust before introducing fraudulent crypto investments, remain a growing threat, with the US Department of Justice having moved to seize a record $225 million linked to similar schemes last year.