U.S. authorities have returned $5.4 million to victims of cryptocurrency fraud., 2026/04/16 11:18:04

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit (CFEU) of the State Attorney’s Office has returned $5.4 million to victims of cryptocurrency scams. The funds were distributed to residents of Florida and Massachusetts.

Uthmeier specified that a significant portion of the affected individuals fell victim to romance scams. In these schemes, perpetrators create fake profiles on social media or dating sites, gain trust under the guise of romantic relationships, and then persuade victims to transfer money into purported investment cryptocurrency projects. According to law enforcement, one resident of Marion County lost over $450,000 in this manner.

The CFEU successfully recovered the stolen funds: $700,000 will be allocated to victims in Florida, while another $1.3 million will go to victims from Massachusetts. Uthmeier also noted that in the first quarter of 2026, the CFEU returned $3.3 million in cryptocurrency to victims. This represents 45% of the total amount of funds returned by the unit since its establishment two and a half years ago. In total, the CFEU has returned $7.2 million. An additional $12.6 million in crypto assets has been frozen and is currently under judicial proceedings for future restitution.

“Cybercriminals often target elderly individuals, and our agency prioritizes identifying crypto offenders and returning funds to their rightful owners. We will continue our pursuit; fraudsters must face the consequences of their actions,” Uthmeier stated.

In 2024, authorities in Massachusetts returned $140,000 in cryptocurrency to a Russian-speaking elderly man who lost it in a fraudulent scheme involving SpireBit. In the same year, the Kansas police returned bitcoins to a local resident who was deceived by a crypto scammer from Nigeria.