• US seizes $61M in USDT linked to ‘pig butchering’ crypto fraud scheme The $61 million USDT seizure in North Carolina shows how US authorities can trace and freeze stablecoin flows tied to pig butchering scams, as AI‑driven impersonation schemes surge. • Cointelegraph in your social feed US Federal agents in North Carolina seized more than $61 million worth of USDt tied to a large‑scale “pig butchering” crypto investment scam that preyed on victims through fake online relationships and fraudulent trading platforms. • According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina in Raleigh on Tuesday, the scammersposedas romantic partners and claimed to have special trading expertise. • They then steered their victims toward convincing but fake crypto sites that displayed fictitious investment portfolios showing unusually high returns that enticed them to invest more, before the scammers blocked their withdrawals and demanded extra fees when victims tried to get their money back. • Investigators from Homeland Security Investigations traced the victims’ funds across multiple wallets used to launder the proceeds before identifying several addresses that still held substantial amounts, which were then seized and made subject to forfeiture. • Prosecutors noted that Tether cooperated in the investigation: “The Department of Justice and HSI acknowledges Tether for its assistance in transferring these assets,” the release states, in the latest example of stablecoin issuers working with authorities to freeze and recover funds flowing through US dollar‑pegged tokens like Tether’s USDt (USDT).

Article Summaries:

  • US Federal agents in North Carolina seized more than $61 million worth of USDt tied to a large‑scale “pig butchering” crypto investment scam that preyed on victims through fake online relationships and fraudulent trading platforms. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina in Raleigh on Tuesday, the scammers posed as romantic partners and claimed to have special trading expertise. They then steered their victims toward convincing but fake crypto sites that displayed fictitious investment portfolios showing unusually high returns that enticed them to inves

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