AG James filed a lawsuit to recover $2.2 million worth of cryptocurrency held in digital wallets and stolen from New Yorkers and victims across the country in a remote job scam. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), together with the U.S. Secret Service and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, found that scammers have been sending text messages offering fake online job opportunities that were actually a scheme to entice unsuspecting people to purchase and deposit stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency, into those scammers’ digital wallets. The scammers promised victims compensation if they opened a cryptocurrency account, deposited cryptocurrency, and began reviewing products on fake websites that replicated legitimate brands. Through this action, Attorney General James is seeking to recover the frozen cryptocurrency for defrauded victims and require the scammers to pay penalties, restitution, and damages and permanently stop them from advertising or sending unsolicited text messages in New York.  

“Deceiving New Yorkers looking to take on remote work and earn money to support their families is cruel and unacceptable. Scammers sent text messages to New Yorkers promising them good-paying, flexible jobs only to trick them into purchasing cryptocurrency and then stealing it from them. The cryptocurrency that has been frozen thanks to my office will be available to help New Yorkers defrauded by this scam. I urge all New Yorkers to be cautious of text messages from unknown senders claiming to offer jobs or other opportunities, and to report any scams to my office.”- AG James

https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-stops-text-message-scam-targeting-vulnerable-new-yorkers