The US Justice Department has initiated a civil forfeiture action to reclaim approximately $327,829 in stablecoins linked to a purported money laundering operation related to an online romance scam. This action was announced by the US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts on Monday, highlighting that the funds in question are associated with Tether's USDt (USDT).
The alleged scam, carried out by an individual identified as “Linda Brown,” targeted a resident of Massachusetts beginning in 2024. Authorities noted that some of the victim's assets were traced to various unhosted cryptocurrency wallets, which were seized in August 2025, and claimed that all cryptocurrency linked to these wallets was involved in money laundering activities.
This announcement follows a warning issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio prior to Valentine’s Day, advising the public against sending money or gifts to individuals they have not met in person. Meanwhile, Tether has previously frozen around $4.2 billion in USDt over the last three years due to illicit activities, showcasing its capability to blacklist wallet addresses linked to suspicious transactions.