Cryptocurrencies have become an increasingly common way to invest or protect savings. But their technology and operation also make their users easy targets for scammers. The states of Florida and Massachusetts dealt a blow to the criminals and recovered a total of $5.4 million.
“Cyber fraud often targets senior citizens in Florida, and our office prioritized recovering as much money as possible from cybercriminals and returning it to the victims,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier when announcing the successful operation.
“In an unprecedented collaboration with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, our Cyber Fraud Unit (CFEU) achieved a new standard in cryptocurrency recovery,” Uthmeier added.
Since taking office, Uthmeier has secured over $800 million in judgments, settlements, and foreclosures on behalf of Florida residents. This figure is in addition to a record-breaking quarter in recovering money stolen by scammers operating in the cryptocurrency market.
As is often the case, the scam in Marion County began as something romantic before morphing into an investment opportunity. Some people invested up to $450,000, which fell into the hands of fraudsters and, of course, yielded no return.
Some of the scam victims, mostly older people unfamiliar with the “crypto world,” were lucky, as the Sheriff’s Office contacted them to inform them that the money had been recovered. In some cases, they didn’t even have to file a police report.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods added, “It deeply outrages me that there are people in this world who have no qualms about defrauding the citizens of our community. Cyber scams and fraud may never disappear, but in Marion County and across Florida, we will pursue those who engage in this.”
Uthmeier also announced that the CFEU recovered $3.3 million in cryptocurrency during the first fiscal quarter of 2026. This figure represents 45% of the total recoveries made by the CFEU since its inception two and a half years ago. Since then, $7.2 million has been recovered, in addition to another $12.6 million in frozen crypto assets that are in the process of litigation and return to victims.
Of the total recovered in Florida in the latest operation, approximately $700,000 has already been returned to affected individuals, while in Massachusetts the amount reaches $1.3 million. Any remaining funds that can be returned will be used to continue funding CFEU operations. However, those who can contribute to recovering more money can contact CFEU by email.
