In a troubling incident, scammers based in Nigeria have reportedly impersonated the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, resulting in the theft of $250,300 in Ethereum-based USDT from a potential donor.
On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that a complaint has been filed, categorizing the incident as a Business Email Compromise Scheme.
Prosecutors disclosed that the FBI has traced approximately 40,353 USDT.ETH involved in the transaction through blockchain analysis. The complaint aims to recover these funds for the victim.
Scammer Conned Victim Using Faint Address Typo
The fraudulent email was sent to the victim in December, masquerading as Steve Witkoff, the co-chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
The scam email used an address with a subtle change, featuring a lowercase ‘L’ instead of a lowercase ‘I’ at @t47lnaugural.com, whereas the official campaign email is @t47inaugural.com. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia emphasized that the counterfeit address closely resembled the legitimate one, particularly due to the font choice employed by the scammer.
Following the deception, the scammer directed the victim to deposit funds into a crypto wallet with an ending of 58c52. On December 26, 2024, the victim sent cryptocurrency to this wallet, under the impression it belonged to the Inaugural Committee. According to the FBI, $250,300 worth of USDT.ETH was swiftly transferred to another crypto address within a mere two hours.
United States Seeks Recovery of $40,300 in Cryptoscheme that Impersonated Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee
https://t.co/AsrtC6Xto7@USAttyPirro @FBIWFO pic.twitter.com/tUrOFl51xe
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) July 2, 2025
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen commented on the situation, stating, “Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year. To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive.”
Attorney Pirro also cautioned prospective donors to “double and triple check” the accuracy of the information before sending cryptocurrency to ensure it reaches the correct recipient.
“It can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds due to the extremely complex nature of the blockchain,” Pirro added.
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