The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning about a cryptocurrency scam which targets Tron network users by having attackers impersonate the agency to obtain personal data.
The FBI’s New York office released a notice which states that scammers use a token that contains the agency’s name and branding to send messages directly to users’ wallets.
Fake FBI token used in phishing scam
The message claims that the recipient’s wallet is “under investigation” and urges them to complete a fake Anti-Money Laundering verification to avoid having their assets blocked.
Authorities said the tactic relies on urgency and fear, a common method used in phishing attacks across the crypto industry.
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The FBI advised users not to interact with the token or provide any personal information through linked websites.
Rising crypto scam activity
The warning exists because there has been a significant rise in cryptocurrency fraud cases.
The FBI reported that it received over 140000 complaints about crypto scams during 2024 which resulted in $9.3 billion in reported losses and this amount represented a 66 percent rise from the previous year.
The users who have potentially given their personal information to scammers should report the incident through the FBI’s online complaint system.
FBI previously used token in sting operation
The FBI launched its own token during an undercover operation to catch fraudsters who were committing illegal activities.
The token known as NexFundAI helped law enforcement identify market manipulators who operated their schemes through pump-and-dump activities, which resulted in multiple arrests.
Scammers use blockchain technology to create fake accounts that imitate trusted organizations to steal cryptocurrency from their victims.
