EXCLUSIVE: Feds Say Fake Central Cee Account Drew In Crypto Scam Victim

Central Cee‘s name was used to lure a crypto scam victim, a Secret Service agent alleged in a new federal case.

The British rapper was not accused of running the scheme. The agent said an account posed as him to draw a person into a private chat group.

Prosecutors filed the case in Puerto Rico on October 19. They sought 50,221.254086 USDT, a crypto token known as Tether. They said the funds were tied to wire fraud and money laundering. The suit seeks to take the funds through civil forfeiture.

Secret Service Agent Nayit Limery Gonzalez laid out the claims in a nine-page filing. The filing called the person who lost the funds Victim A. The person found Snapchat accounts that claimed to be stars, the agent wrote. Those accounts linked to Signal groups with tips on crypto prices.

One account used the name “centralceenewss” and posed as Central Cee, the filing said. Victim A then spoke on Signal with a person the agent called Subject A.

“Victim A stated that Subject A advised them that he manages a group that studies the trends of the crypto market. Subject A stated he does not want any money up front, but that he would request 15% of Victim A’s monthly earnings as a commission for the tips on the crypto market. Victim A stated that Subject A had a British accent when talking to him.”

Subject A then sent links that were passed off as crypto news apps, the filing said. He urged Victim A to use them.

“These links that appeared to be for cryptocurrency news applications were sent to Victim A directly from Subject A. Victim A clicked on all these links and downloaded the apps from the links provided.”

Gonzalez said scammers can hide harmful code in what seem to be real apps. That was not a finding that these links held such code. Nor did the agent accuse the real app firms of taking part in the scheme.

Victim A said 32,451.558669 USDT left their Trust Wallet without consent on July 12, 2024. That was not the same as the full sum sought in the case. The agent traced funds through several wallets, where some were mixed with other money.

Gonzalez signed the filing on October 1. More than two years had passed since the reported loss.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned of fake crypto deals pitched by people who pose as stars on social media. It urges people not to click links in messages they did not expect.

People can claim rights to seized funds in this type of case. The Justice Department has said those claims must be resolved first. Only then can the funds be forfeited and returned to victims.

The docket listed a request for a warrant and seizure. Responses were due November 2.