Key Points
- A fraudster impersonating Steve Witkoff has stolen $250,000 in cryptocurrency from a donor linked to Trump.
- The FBI has tracked and frozen $40,300 of the stolen money, found in a Binance account associated with Ehiremen Aigbokhan, based in Lagos.
Details: A Nigerian scammer masquerading as Witkoff, a prominent ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, allegedly swindled a political donor out of $250,000 worth of cryptocurrency, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
In a bid to deceive, the scammer crafted an email similar to that of Witkoff’s official Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee address, misleading at least one donor into transferring cryptocurrency into his wallet. Despite employing tactics to launder the stolen money, the FBI successfully recovered and froze a portion of the funds.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working to return the recovered assets to the victim. Over $210,000 sent to the conman still remains unreturned.
“All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. She emphasized the complexity of blockchain recovery efforts for lost funds but assured that law enforcement remains committed to assisting victims.
Looking Ahead: U.S. officials are seeking a judicial warrant for Aigbokhan. Notably, Witkoff and his son, Zach, have strong connections to a cryptocurrency initiative called World Liberty Financial.
Collaboration between Binance and Tether has been vital in supporting the ongoing governmental investigation.
