The New York State Attorney General, Letitia James, is turning to blockchain technology to fight crypto scammers who defrauded job seekers out of $2.2 million. The scammers offered fake remote job opportunities, requiring applicants to send payments in USDT and USDC stablecoins to wallets under their control.
According to the lawsuit, the scammers posed as recruiters and set up so-called “work accounts.” Victims had to deposit funds, supposedly to perform tasks, with the promise of getting that money back later. Instead, those funds went directly into the scammers’ wallets.
Victims’ losses Among those affected were New Yorkers, including a teacher from Queens and a hotel administrator from Nassau County, each losing more than $100,000. When victims tried to recover their money or expressed doubts, the scammers demanded additional payments, citing technical issues. This approach resembles the “pig-butchering” scheme, where trust is built only to extract as much money as possible.
NFT lawsuit delivery To overcome blockchain anonymity, the Attorney General’s Office used an innovative approach. The scammers were served with the lawsuit via an NFT airdropped directly to their crypto wallets. That token contains a link to the official website with the full legal documents.
Frozen funds and the lawsuit’s objective Letitia James condemned the scammers for abusing the trust of people seeking employment. She emphasized that her office’s goal is to return the stolen funds to victims and stop further criminal activities.
According to the lawsuit, the authorities aim not only to compensate victims but to create a precedent showing that blockchain anonymity does not protect criminals from accountability.
Read also: Scammers Pretending to Be HR Use Job Seekers to Mine Monero
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