Ehiremen Aigbokhan, a Lagos-based Yahoo Boy, has stolen over $250,000 in cryptocurrency by impersonating Steve Witkoff, co-chair of the Donald Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
The fraudulent scheme, described as a Business Email Compromise (BEC), tricked a donor into transferring 250,300 USDT.ETH, equivalent to $250,300, into a crypto wallet that appeared to belong to the Trump-Vance committee but was controlled by the scammer.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint on Wednesday, seeking recovery of a portion of the stolen funds.
FBI recovers partial funds, warns public of scams
According to the complaint, the scammer posed as Steve Witkoff, Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, and emailed the victims on December 24, 2024.
The scammer’s email address mimicked the official committee email by substituting a lowercase “L” for an “I” in the domain name, @t47lnaugural.com instead of the legitimate @t47inaugural.com.
“Depending on the font, the lowercase ‘L’ can look like the uppercase ‘I,’” the complaint noted, highlighting the trick used to deceive the victim.
Following the fraudulent communication, the victims were directed to send funds to a cryptocurrency wallet ending in 58c52. Two days later, on December 26, 2024 they transferred the full amount, believing it was a legitimate donation to the committee. Within hours, the funds were routed through multiple crypto addresses to conceal their origin.
Due to the advancement of blockchain analysis, the FBI successfully traced and recovered $40,300 of the stolen USDT.ETH. The recovered funds are now the subject of a civil forfeiture action to compensate the victim.
“All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient,” U.S. Attorney Pirro urged. “It can be extremely difficult for law enforcement to recoup lost funds due to the extremely complex nature of the blockchain. Nevertheless, my office and our law enforcement partners stand ready to go toe-to-toe with criminals and make victims whole.”
The FBI’s Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division, leads the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock, Jr., prosecutes the case. Authorities also credited Tether, the stablecoin issuer, with assisting in the transfer of the recovered assets.
Public urged to stay alert for email impersonation scams
Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI’s Washington Field Office emphasised the broader threat posed by impersonation scams, which cost Americans billions annually.
“To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive. Scammers often use subtle differences to deceive you and gain your trust,” Jensen said. “Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know personally or have only interacted with online or over the phone.”
Members of the public who believe they have been targeted or defrauded through business email compromise or similar schemes are encouraged to file a report at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre via [www.ic3.gov](http://www.ic3.gov).