According to a recent FBI warning, a new type of scam is gaining popularity online that targets people who have already fallen victim to crypto-criminal schemes. Criminals pose as lawyers who specialize in recovering stolen funds. To find victims, scammers use social media, claiming to be working with the FBI or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Fonte da imagem: Pixabay
The criminals’ choice of people who have already fallen for crypto-fraudsters’ bait is understandable from a “commercial point of view”. They have already shown their susceptibility to social engineering and neuro-linguistic programming. Moreover, the criminals who deceive the victim again may well be the organizers of the original scam.
The FBI report says the “repeat” scam is on the rise, with victims scammed out of nearly $9 million between February 2023 and early 2024. In rare cases, law enforcement is able to track down and recover the cryptocurrency to recoup losses. And it takes lawyers to bring a lawsuit, but they don’t usually look to social media for clients.
The sad truth is that most people who fall victim to cryptocurrency scams either don’t know the real identities of the scammers or have no real legal recourse against them.