A Nigeria-based scammer is now facing U.S. scrutiny after allegedly defrauding an American donor of \$250,300 in cryptocurrency, impersonating the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
The criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC, reveals that the scam took place on December 24, 2024.
Victims received an email from someone impersonating Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the Trump-Vance committee.
“Legitimate emails from the Trump‑Vance Inaugural Committee are @t47inaugural.com; the email received by the victim was from @t47lnaugural.com, with the lowercase ‘I’ replaced by a lowercase ‘L.’”
Two days later, the intended donor transferred 250,300 USDT.ETH crypto into a wallet ending in 58c52, believing they were supporting Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
However, the funds were quickly laundered through several other wallets.
The FBI’s blockchain analysis led to the recovery of 40,300 USDT.ETH, equivalent to around \$40,300.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro emphasized caution:
“All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient. It can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds due to the extremely complex nature of the blockchain.”
FBI Assistant Director Steven J. Jensen warned about the seriousness of such scams:
“Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year.” He added an urgent security tip:
“To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive… Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know personally…”
This type of Business Email Compromise (BEC)is growing more sophisticated.
The targeted impersonation of political fundraising dollars for a president’s inauguration is head-turning and deeply unsettling.
Therefore, officials are requesting the remaining crypto to be seized and returned to victims.
Meanwhile, investigations continue into the Lagos-based scammer. U.S. agents are likely turning up pressure with subpoenaed blockchain data and international legal cooperation.
How You Can Stay Safe
- Think twice before sending any crypto or money.
- Double-check email domains (i.e., t47inaugural.com vs t47lnaugural.com).
- Verify requests with known contacts through phone or official channels.
- Report anything suspicious to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)at ic3.gov.
- Stay informed—the FBI is actively tracking, recovering, and stopping these frauds.
However, while part of the stolen money has been recovered, a large sum remains missing.
