US authorities dismantle crypto scam network that stole tens of millions

Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI seized 112 servers and shut down 241 websites linked to investment scams that targeted Russian-speaking Americans.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have disrupted an Eastern European cryptocurrency scam network accused of stealing tens of millions of dollars from Americans, primarily Russian-speakers.

The operation, carried out last week and announced on Wednesday, resulted in the shutdown of 241 websites and the seizure of 112 servers hosted by companies in Eastern Europe and the United States, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. No arrests were made.

“These criminals stole many millions of dollars from Russian-speaking victims through an elaborate investment scheme, then tried to exploit them again with false promises to recover their money,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. He credited the office’s Virtual Currency Unit and the FBI with uncovering the network’s infrastructure.

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