The New York Attorney General’s Office says text scammers stole $2 million in cryptocurrency from victims

New York — Scammers have stolen millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from people looking for remote work opportunities as part of an elaborate scheme, according to the New York Attorney General.

Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday that she has filed a lawsuit to recover more than $2 million that she says was stolen from New Yorkers and others across the country.

James said the unknown network of scammers used unsolicited text messages to target people looking for remote work.

James’ office said they told the victims the job involved reviewing products online in order to help generate “market data.” But in order to start making money, victims were told they had to open accounts in cryptocurrency and had to maintain a balance equal to or greater than the price of the products they were reviewing.

James’ office said victims were assured they would receive their investment plus a commission, but the money simply went into the scammers’ cryptocurrency wallets. Product reviews were also conducted on a website set up as part of the scheme.

The lawsuit cites seven victims, identified by aliases, who reside in New York, Virginia and Florida. One New York victim lost more than $100,000, according to the lawsuit. A Florida woman lost more than $300,000.

“Defrauding New Yorkers looking to work remotely and earn money to support their families is cruel and unacceptable,” she said in a statement. “Scammers sent text messages to New Yorkers promising them flexible, well-paying jobs only to trick them into buying cryptocurrencies and then stealing them from them.”

James’ lawsuit seeks the return of the stolen funds.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said her office’s cryptocurrency unit tracked more than $2 million in stolen cryptocurrencies and identified the digital wallets in which the coins were kept. Then, working with James’ office, they were able to freeze the currency so it could be returned to the victims.

“Employment scams that exploit those looking for legitimate work not only rob victims of their hard-earned money, but also shatter their confidence in the job market,” she added.