Just saw some pretty crazy news — American authorities just seized over $61 million in USDT in a major crypto romance scam case. It was announced by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations.

For those unfamiliar, these romance scams ( known as pig butchering ) are really insidious. The scammers create fake romantic relationships to lure you into high-yield crypto investments. They show you fake profits, build your trust, and then either block your withdrawals or ask you to pay ridiculous taxes. Victims end up completely drained.

What’s interesting here is that authorities were able to trace the funds by following the blockchain to multiple wallets used to launder the stolen money. It shows that even in crypto, you can’t really disappear if you leave traces. This seizure adds to other actions against fraud — they had already confiscated $400 million earlier this year related to darknet mixing services.

It’s a good reminder that romance scams remain a real problem in the crypto space. Stay vigilant with anyone you don’t know who offers you miracle investments.