Head of the Criminal Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, Delivers Remarks in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Forfeiture Announcement

Thank you, United States Attorney Pirro. My name is Matthew Galeotti, and I am the Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, which is over the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).

Today’s civil forfeiture complaint against over $225 million worth of cryptocurrency is the Department’s latest action in our ongoing fight against cryptocurrency fraud schemes, which the FBI estimates caused more than $9.3 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone. And $5.8 billion of those reported losses can be attributed to cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, specifically.

The criminal scheme alleged in the complaint laundered millions of dollars in cryptocurrency taken by fraud and deceit from over four hundred suspected victims who were misled to believe that they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments. These scammers tried to conceal their actions, executing thousands of transactions across an extensive network of wallets and accounts to launder their ill-gotten gains.

This is not the first action we’ve taken to hold cryptocurrency scammers to account—and it will not be the last. These schemes harm American victims and undermine investor confidence in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Just last week, the Department announced the guilty pleas of five men who laundered over $36 million from victims of a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme that operated out of Cambodia. These defendants face maximum penalties of between five and 20 years in prison.

And last month, a federal District Court here in D.C. ordered the forfeiture of approximately $2.5 million worth of cryptocurrency associated with one of these schemes. And we also announced the seizure of an additional $868,247 worth of cryptocurrency from scammers.

You’ve just heard from United States Attorney Pirro about why today’s announcement matters, and how you can protect yourself from falling victim to these schemes. But it bears emphasizing the points she made here today.

The impact of these schemes on their victims can be devastating—both financially and personally—and this impact is compounded many times over by the sheer scale of these schemes.

The FBI estimates that cryptocurrency investment fraud led to roughly $9.3 billion in losses in 2024 alone. Individuals over the age of 60 were the most affected, with roughly $2.8 billion in losses.

To put it plainly, these are con artists. Protect yourselves by educating yourselves. Before considering any investment involving cryptocurrency, read the FBI’s web page about Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud and check if you see any of the “red flags” identified there. For example, if an unknown individual contacts you, do not release any financial or personal identifying information (PII) and do not send any money; verify the validity of any investment opportunity from strangers or long-lost contacts on social media websites; and if an investment opportunity sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

There are additional red flags on the FBI’s page and I encourage the public to review them carefully. 

Today, I’m here to underscore the Department’s commitment to protecting the American public from these transnational criminal organizations—and to securing justice for victims. You are not alone. Our skilled investigators and prosecutors are working relentlessly to identify and hold to account those who seek to profit from harming our citizens. We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that these crimes do not pay and to bring these perpetrators to justice.