FBI Confiscates IDR 25.6 Billion Of Digital Assets In Last Months

(FBI), confiscated digital assets worth around US$1.7 million (Rp25.6 billion) (photo: twitter @fbi)

JAKARTA - In a public announcement released by the United States Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), it was reported that the law enforcement agency confiscated digital assets worth around US$1.7 million (Rp25.6 billion) from March to May 2023.

According to the report, the FBI confiscated USD 147,000 (IDR 2.1 billion) in Bitcoin, USD 800.000 (IDR 12 billion) in Ether, USD 30.000 (IDR 4.6 billion) in Tether, USD 469,000 (IDR 7 billion) in Dai, and USD 20,000 (IDR 302 million) in Monero. These assets were confiscated from various sources, including the Binance exchange wallet.

In the Eastern District of Virginia, the agency confiscated a total of 428.5 ETH, which is the largest number ever confiscated. Ether's confiscation is worth around 463,000 US dollars (Rp 6.9 billion).

In an FBI announcement released on August 16, 2023. The FBI In the report, the FBI also highlighted that the confiscation of these assets was the result of various violations in federal regulations.

"The Federal Investigation Biro (FBI) has notified that the property listed below has been confiscated for federal confiscation for federal law violations," the FBI said in its announcement.

Apart from cryptocurrencies, the FBI also lists confiscations of various items, including US dollars from bank accounts, sports cars, luxury bags, clothing, and shoes.

Meanwhile, the FBI continues to remind the crypto community of fraudsters who pretend to be legitimate individuals in non-fungible token space (NFT). On August 6, the FBI warned about account hackers taking advantage of victims by creating "a sense of urgency" and directing them to fake websites that steal their assets.

The FBI says criminals either hack official social media accounts or create new accounts similar to official ones for theft and fraud.

Apart from phishing fraud and social media hacking, the FBI also warned about advertising for crypto-related jobs earlier this year. On May 23, the agency noted that Americans should be wary of advertising for fake jobs related to job trafficking, in which victims are forced to commit crypto investment scams.