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Tech-savvy scammers have stolen $2.2 million worth of cryptocurrency from New Yorkers in a new job scam. The perpetrators sent text messages claiming to help find remote jobs, asking job seekers to deposit dollars into crypto accounts.
According to New York Attorney General Letitia James, unsuspecting victims were targeted to buy and deposit stablecoins into scammers’ wallets.
The Office of the Attorney General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
AG James filed a lawsuit on Thursday to recover the lost cryptos held in digital wallets. She is seeking to retrieve frozen cryptos for defrauded victims and wants the scammers to pay penalties and restitution.
“Deceiving New Yorkers trying to secure remote work and earn money to support their families is cruel and unacceptable,” AG James wrote.
“The cryptocurrency that has been frozen, due to my office, will be accessible to help residents defrauded by this scam. I urge all New Yorkers to be cautious of text messages from unknown senders claiming to offer jobs or other opportunities, and to report any scams to my office.”
Scammers Requested Victims to Buy USDT, USDC
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Initially, the scammers told victims to purchase Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) stablecoins. They were asked to buy using clean purchases on registered, licensed platforms, including Coinbase, Gemini, and Crypto.com.
However, the victims were then tricked into sending their crypto to unhosted digital wallets.
Further investigations found that this scam operated across multiple jurisdictions. Scammers apparently targeted people desperately searching for remote jobs.
The perpetrators allegedly promised victims compensation plus fees if they opened a cryptocurrency account, deposited cryptos and wrote reviews of legitimate-looking fake products on websites. Moreover, the message to victims read that these reviews would help generate “market data” that could lead to sales.
The victims were assured that they were not buying the products but helping to “legitimize” their generated data.
“In this case, the perpetrators used advanced technology to lure victims into depositing cryptocurrency and stole millions of dollars in the form of stablecoins,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
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