The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned of a phishing scam that uses a token on the Tron blockchain to impersonate the agency and harvest personal information from users.
FBI New York shared an on-chain message some Tron users received via a token that displayed the bureau’s name and seal and stated the recipient’s wallet was “under investigation.” The message urged users to complete an anti-money-laundering verification online “to avoid a total block on your assets,” a typical urgent call to action used by crypto phishing schemes.
The FBI noted this tactic mirrors many scams that steal funds and credentials. In April, the bureau said it received more than 140,000 complaints referencing crypto scams in 2024, with reported losses totaling $9.3 billion — a 66% increase from the prior year.
Authorities advised Tron users to exercise caution if they encounter the fraudulent token and to avoid providing any identifying information to websites associated with it. The FBI recommended that anyone who may have already submitted information to the scammers file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Separately, in 2024 the FBI created a fake AI-related token called NexFundAI as part of a sting to catch fraudsters engaged in market manipulation. The so-called “trap token” was designed to bait those participating in pump-and-dump and other fraudulent trading schemes; at least 18 people who helped manipulate the token’s trading volume were charged in the operation.
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