The cryptocurrency boom has not only opened up new financial opportunities but also created a fertile ground for scammers. A recent alert from the FBI highlights a troubling trend where fraudsters are specifically targeting individuals who have already fallen victim to cryptocurrency scams.
These scammers pose as law firms or lawyers who claim to specialize in recovering funds lost in crypto schemes, adding another layer of deceit to an already complex problem.
The FBI’s public service announcement, noted by BleepingComputer, explains how these scammers use social media to contact their victims.
They pretend to be legal professionals, sometimes even claiming affiliations with the FBI or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. By presenting themselves as legitimate recovery agents, they exploit the victims’ desperation and hope for recovering their lost funds.
This secondary scam operates on the principle that people who have been scammed once are more likely to be deceived again. Victims of initial crypto scams are already vulnerable, having shown susceptibility to social engineering tactics.
The fraudsters promise to take legal action against the original scammers, which acts as bait, but their real objective is to extract more money or personal information from the victims.
The methods used by these scammers vary. They might ask for personal banking information, direct payments for supposed services, or introduce complicated schemes involving fees or “back taxes.” Once they gather enough information or receive payment, they disappear, leaving the victims in an even worse situation.
According to the FBI, this kind of scam has resulted in approximately $9 million in losses from February 2023 to 2024, highlighting the ongoing risk within the broader landscape of cryptocurrency fraud.
While law enforcement can occasionally track and recover stolen cryptocurrency, and legitimate legal action is sometimes possible, it is rare for lawyers to proactively contact victims via social media.
Unfortunately, most people scammed in the crypto space either do not know their scammers’ true identities or lack viable legal recourse. This harsh reality underscores the need for heightened awareness and caution among potential and past victims of crypto scams.
