NORWICH — Detectives from the Connecticut State Police have successfully recovered and returned a portion of stolen cryptocurrency to a victim of theft, authorities announced Thursday.
On March 15, the Norwich Police Department contacted the State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime unit and the Bureau of Special Investigations/Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force, both part of the Cryptocurrency Working Group, to report a significant cryptocurrency theft.
The victim’s cold storage wallet had been compromised, with around $159,712.26 in Bitcoin and Ethereum illegally siphoned off in an attack known as a “wallet drainer.”
Investigating detectives traced the stolen digital assets to two compliant cryptocurrency exchanges.
They swiftly issued freeze requests and secured search warrants from the New London Superior Court for asset seizure.
After months of investigation and legal proceedings, on Oct. 1, detectives returned 0.28993293 Bitcoin (BTC) and 24,051.40 USDT, equivalent to $42,129.95 USD, to the victim.
In light of this incident, the Connecticut State Police are advising residents on how to secure their cryptocurrency:
– Enable Two-factor Authentication (2FA) wherever possible.
– Safeguard private keys for cold storage devices and do not share them.
– Use strong, unique passwords for accounts.
– Stay vigilant against Phishing or Smishing, verifying URLs and email addresses, and avoiding suspicious links or unknown attachments.
– Regularly update software.
The State Police Cryptocurrency Working Group continues its commitment to addressing the challenges posed by digital asset crimes and protecting Connecticut’s citizens in the digital economy.
The State Police urge anyone who suspects they have fallen prey to a cryptocurrency scam to report it to local or state law enforcement, the Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3), and via email at [email protected].
