USDT Payment Fraud Case

Case Overview:
Mr. Wang is a Chinese American living in San Francisco and a freelancer who frequently uses cryptocurrency for cross-border payments. In early 2023, he purchased a high-end laptop from an online marketplace. The seller requested payment in USDT. Mr. Wang followed the seller's instructions and transferred $3,500 in USDT to the wallet address provided. However, after payment, the seller failed to ship the laptop and stopped responding to Mr. Wang's messages. A few days later, Mr. Wang discovered that the seller had blocked him and deleted his account on the platform. Realizing he might have been scammed, Mr. Wang took immediate action.
Legal Response:
Initial Communication and Investigation Mr. Wang immediately contacted our law firm. After a thorough investigation, we discovered that the wallet address used by the seller was newly registered and had conducted numerous small transactions within a short period of time, indicating potential fraud. Furthermore, the seller operated under different virtual identities on multiple platforms.
Reporting to Relevant Authorities
We recommended that Mr. Wang report the case to the FBI and provide all relevant evidence, including transaction records, communication logs, and platform screenshots. The FBI launched an investigation and collaborated with law enforcement agencies in other countries to trace the funds and identify the suspect.
Transnational Pursuit and Cooperation
Because the case involved multiple countries and jurisdictions, the FBI worked closely with law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, and other regions. With the coordination of INTERPOL, international law enforcement agencies shared intelligence and gradually narrowed down the suspect's location.
Litigation and Fund Recovery
On Mr. Wang's behalf, we promptly filed a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for his losses. Our legal team collected extensive evidence, including the platform's fraudulent marketing materials, witness testimonies from other victims, and trading records from the market.
Case Outcome:
In the civil lawsuit, the court ordered the fraudulent platform and its main operators to compensate Mr. Wang and other victims for all their losses, and to impose additional fines. In addition, several suspects were sentenced to prison for fraud, money laundering, and other related crimes.