# Massachusetts prosecutors seek 456,602 USDT tied to romance fraud > By Hayley Birkin | Published: 2026-11-10T03:11:54.619795+00:00 | Section: Regulation | Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/massachusetts-prosecutors-seek-456602-usdt-romance-fraud | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) The US Attorney's Office in Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action on 9 November for about 456,602 USDT allegedly tied to romance fraud on dating sites… ## Key points - The US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture complaint on 9 November 2026 seeking about 456,602 USDT, which it values at about $456,602. - The complaint alleges the tokens are proceeds of romance and crypto-investment fraud against victims who met scammers on a dating site, Facebook and RedNote; no individual is charged. - Tether froze the two wallets around 22 January and 10 February 2025, and the tokens moved to a US government-controlled wallet around 4 November 2025, according to the complaint. - The FBI affidavit says Victim 1 sent about $1,889,223 in crypto to a fake platform after meeting a scammer on GujaratiMatrimony.com. ## Article - The US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture complaint on 9 November 2026 for about 456,602 USDT, which it values at about $456,602. - The complaint alleges the funds are proceeds of romance and "pig butchering" fraud against three victims who met scammers on a dating site, Facebook and RedNote. - Tether froze the two wallets at law enforcement's request in early 2025; the tokens moved to a US government-controlled wallet around 4 November 2025. - No individual is charged. The action is against the cryptocurrency, and third parties can still assert claims. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture complaint on 9 November seeking about 456,602 USDT (Tether), which its press release puts at roughly $456,602. It alleges the tokens are proceeds of romance and crypto-investment fraud against victims who met scammers on online dating sites and Facebook. The case is U.S. v. approximately 398,889.105675 USDT and approximately 57,703.699757 USDT, Civil Action No. 26-cv-15037. The dating link is real but narrow. The only dating site named in the complaint is GujaratiMatrimony.com, and no US dating app is named. The action is in rem, so no person is charged and the scammers appear only as unidentified "Target Subjects". All details are allegations, the office says. ### The DII Take The dating site is the first hop, not the crime scene. In the affidavit's own account, the lead victim was moved to WhatsApp, and the money went to fake trading platforms and unhosted wallets that no dating operator can see. Enforcement is following the wallet, which leaves platforms to do what they can at the point of first contact. ### How the money allegedly moved According to the FBI affidavit by Special Agent Brittany Shortall, Victim 1, a Massachusetts resident, met "Shreya Patel" on GujaratiMatrimony.com in about July 2024. According to the affidavit, Victim 1 sent about $1,889,223 in crypto to a fake 'Bitone' platform. The Boston Globe's headline says the Norwood victim lost "thousands", which the affidavit does not support. The affidavit says forensic tracing from that report identified an Ohio victim, who met "Eric" on Facebook, and a California victim, who met "Lily" on RedNote. Tether froze the first wallet at law enforcement's request around 22 January 2025 and the second around 10 February 2025. Seizure warrants followed on 29 September 2025. > According to the affidavit, Victim 1 sent about $1,889,223 in crypto to a fake 'Bitone' platform. ### Context and what comes next The office says this is one of several such actions. In March it sought 327,829.720952 USDT tied to a romance fraud that began on a dating app. Federal Trade Commission data published on 27 April show nearly 60% of people reporting a romance scam loss in 2025 said it began on social media. For wider enforcement context, see DII's report on the [Scam Center Strike Force](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/us-scam-center-strike-force-800m-recovered-romance-case). The office says third-party claims must be resolved before the funds are forfeited and returned to victims. Watch for any claimants, and for whether further actions name dating platforms. - Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts are pursuing stablecoin wallets, not platforms, but their filings show romance scams that began on dating sites and social media before moving elsewhere. - Operators should treat early migration to WhatsApp and talk of investment as detectable signals, since two of the three alleged victims in this case were moved to WhatsApp and all three were steered to fake trading platforms. - Watch for third-party claims in case 26-cv-15037 and further forfeiture filings from the same office. **Sources:** [United States Attorney's Office Files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Cryptocurrency Involved in Romance Fraud Schemes (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts)](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/united-states-attorneys-office-files-civil-forfeiture-action-recover-cryptocurrency-1); [Verified Complaint for Forfeiture In Rem and FBI affidavit, Case 1:26-cv-15037 (U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts)](https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/2026-11/complaint_for_forfeiture_and_affidavit.pdf); [US Attorney's Office Files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Cryptocurrency Involved in Money Laundering Scheme (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts)](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/united-states-attorneys-office-files-civil-forfeiture-action-recover-cryptocurrency); [New FTC Data Show People Have Lost Billions to Social Media Scams (Federal Trade Commission)](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/new-ftc-data-show-people-have-lost-billions-social-media-scams); [Norwood resident lost thousands in cryptocurrency romance scam, federal prosecutors say (The Boston Globe)](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/11/09/metro/norwood-cryptocurrency-romance-scam-forfeiture/) ## Key takeaways - Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts are targeting stablecoin wallets rather than platforms, yet their filings show romance scams that began on dating sites and social media before moving to private channels. - Dating operators can treat early migration off-platform and talk of crypto investment as detectable risk signals, since two of the three alleged victims in case 26-cv-15037 were moved to WhatsApp and all three were steered to fake trading platforms. - Third-party claims in the Massachusetts case, and further forfeiture filings from the same office, are the next developments for trust and safety teams to monitor. ## FAQ ### What is the US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts seeking to forfeit? It seeks about 456,602 USDT (Tether), valued at about $456,602, which it alleges is proceeds of romance and crypto-investment fraud. The complaint was filed on 9 November 2026 in the District of Massachusetts. ### Does the forfeiture case name a dating app? The only dating site named in the complaint is GujaratiMatrimony.com. No US dating app is named, and the complaint also involves Facebook and RedNote. ### Has anyone been charged over the romance fraud? No. The action is a civil case against the cryptocurrency itself, and the alleged scammers are unidentified in the complaint. The office says the details are allegations. ## In this story - [GujaratiMatrimony.com](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/products/gujaratimatrimony-com) --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/massachusetts-prosecutors-seek-456602-usdt-romance-fraud Citation: "Dating Industry Insights" (https://www.datingindustryinsights.com)