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Florida Victim Gets $710K Back in Record Crypto-Fraud Refund
A Jacksonville man got back $710,000 after falling for a fake product-review scheme. Florida's attorney general called it the state's largest crypto-fraud reimbursement, but most victims never see their money.
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Victims of crypto fraud almost never see their money again. A Jacksonville man just did, receiving $710,000 in what Florida officials called the largest single reimbursement from the state's Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the return Thursday, July 16. He credited the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Chief Assistant Statewide Prosecutor John Paul for tracing the stolen deposits to a larger consolidation wallet that pooled funds from several frauds. Prosecutors pursued civil forfeiture; the scammers did not contest the case, and a default judgment returned the full amount to the victim.
The victim fell for a work-from-home scheme built around fake product reviews, according to the attorney general's office. He was told to deposit cryptocurrency matching the value of items he was supposedly reviewing, with promises of commissions and a full refund plus profit once the products sold. The bad actors kept increasing the required deposit as the products got bigger, then cut contact and told him the balance was "stuck in the blockchain" unless he paid one more fee.
"Instead of setting records, we prefer to prevent fraud but are proud to deliver justice and make this victim whole," Uthmeier said. He described the criminals as transnational.