The FBI has issued a warning about a fake token on the Tron blockchain that is impersonating the agency to trick users in a crypto phishing scam.
Summary
- FBI warns of fake Tron tokens impersonating the agency and claiming wallets are under investigation.
- Users are directed to fraudulent websites demanding AML verification to avoid asset freezes.
- Token has reached at least 728 wallets, with some holding over $1 million in USDT.
FBI’s New York Field Office issued a message on Thursday warning that scammers were sending tokens to users to siphon personal information under the pretence that the recipient’s wallet was “under investigation.”
Recipients of the token are redirected to a website where they are asked to complete an anti money laundering verification online “to avoid a total block on your assets.”
“FBI New York encourages users of the Tron blockchain network to exercise caution if they encounter a token purported to be from the FBI,” the agency said, advising users not to provide “any identifying information to any website associated with such [a] token.”
The token also comes with warnings that a user could face “a total block” on their assets if they fail to clear the verification process.
Once on the malicious website, victims are told that “current sanctions” can be avoided if users immediately comply with the request.
Similar tactics are common across other phishing scams where bad actors prey on urgency to extract sensitive information.
Scammers may be targeting users who are concerned about potential regulatory scrutiny and fear enforcement action.
According to data from Tronscan, the token was sent to at least 728 digital wallets, and many of these wallets held more than $1 million in USDT.
Those who have already shared information have been urged to file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
FBI developed their own crypto to bust scammers
While the FBI has confirmed that it has no involvement with the fake token, in the past, the agency developed a token to take down a market manipulation network.
As previously reported by crypto.news, the FBI launched NexFundAI during a sting called “Operation Token Mirrors.” The token was used to expose a wash trading ring involved in artificially inflating prices.
Meanwhile, phishing remains a consistent threat and has become one of the leading attack vectors in recent years, resulting in multi-million dollar losses across incidents.
