---
title: "US Attorney Files Civil Forfeiture Action for 456,602 Tether in Romance Scam Case"
description: "Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts seek to recover $USDT tied to fraudulent schemes conducted across Facebook and dating platforms."
url: https://basisdesk.news/news/us-prosecutors-forfeiture-action-romance-scam-tether
published: 2026-11-09T23:06:48.880Z
modified: 2026-11-09T23:06:48.880Z
section: Regulation & Policy
author: Basis Desk Newsroom (AI-generated, source-verified)
sentiment: neutral
tickers: [USDT]
tags: [tether, forfeiture, doj, fraud, stablecoins]
license: Quote with attribution to Basis Desk (basisdesk.news). Not financial advice.
---

# US Attorney Files Civil Forfeiture Action for 456,602 Tether in Romance Scam Case

Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts seek to recover $USDT tied to fraudulent schemes conducted across Facebook and dating platforms.

## At a glance

- **What happened:** The US Attorney's Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover 456,602 USDT alleged to be romance fraud proceeds.
- **Why it matters:** The action targets approximately $456,602 in stablecoin proceeds tied to fraudulent operations conducted on dating platforms and Facebook.
- **Who is affected:** Individuals targeted in Massachusetts and other locations on dating sites and Facebook.
- **What's next:** No next step announced.
- **Status:** enforcement
- **Primary source:** [United States Attorney's Office Files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Cryptocurrency Involved in Romance Fraud Schemes](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/united-states-attorneys-office-files-civil-forfeiture-action-recover-cryptocurrency-1) — U.S. Department of Justice

## Key points

- The US Attorney's Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover 456,602 USDT.
- The stablecoins have an estimated market value of approximately $456,602.
- Prosecutors allege the tokens are proceeds of romance scams operated via online dating sites and Facebook.

## Editorial remark

- **Context:** Federal prosecutors identified 456,602 USDT tied to online dating and Facebook schemes targeting Massachusetts residents and others.
- **Impact:** The civil forfeiture filing targets illicit stablecoin holdings traceable to deceptive romance schemes.
- **Watch:** Judicial review and proceedings concerning the civil forfeiture complaint filed by the US Attorney's Office.

The US Attorney's Office has filed a civil forfeiture action to recover 456,602 $USDT, according to an announcement from the Department of Justice [1]. The targeted cryptocurrency carries an estimated value of approximately $456,602 [1].

Federal prosecutors stated that the funds are alleged to be proceeds of romance fraud operations [1]. According to the US Attorney's Office, these operations targeted individuals located in Massachusetts and other jurisdictions via Facebook and online dating platforms [1].

## Romance Scheme Proceeds

The forfeiture complaint represents an effort by the government to formally secure ownership of assets linked to the alleged illicit schemes [1]. At the time of writing, USDT traded at $0.9987, reflecting broader stability across dollar-pegged stablecoin markets while overall market capitalization held near $2.50T. The filing documents the path of illicit digital assets across online platforms and identifies the specific volume of stablecoins subject to federal recovery efforts [1]. Further actions regarding the assets remain dependent on formal judicial proceedings following the civil forfeiture filing [1].

## Sources

1. [United States Attorney's Office Files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Cryptocurrency Involved in Romance Fraud Schemes](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/united-states-attorneys-office-files-civil-forfeiture-action-recover-cryptocurrency-1) — U.S. Department of Justice, 2026-11-09

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Basis Desk Newsroom · AI-generated, source-verified · https://basisdesk.news/about/how-we-use-ai