STOLEN MONEY. KEN DILANIAN HAS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SOME OF THE VICTIMS AND THE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THIS OPERATION. >> Reporter: THE FIRST CONTACT CAME THROUGH A MESSAGE ON TWITTER. >> TALKING ABOUT SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO MY RESEARCH. CASUAL CONVERSATION. >> Reporter: SOON, THE WOMAN'S CHAT WITH THE MAN TURNED TO INVESTING IN CRYPTO-CURRENCY. HE ASKED US TO DISGUISE HIS IDENTITY. URGED ON BY HIS NEW FRIEND, HE BEGAN WIRING MONEY TO A WEBSITE THAT LOOKED IDENTICAL TO A REAL LIFE ONLINE INVESTING PLATFORM. IT SEEMS LIKE HE WAS MAKING A FORTUNE, BUT WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO ON — HE REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AT THAT POINT HOW MUCH HAD YOU INVESTED? >> ABOUT $560,000. >> WOW, WHAT PORTION OF YOUR WEALTH DID THAT REPRESENT? >> ABOUT HALF. >> HE WAS ONE OF THEM VICTIMS KNOWN AS PIG BUTCHERING. THE GAINS THAT CARRY OUT THIS SCHEME ARE LARGELY BASED OVERSEAS MAINLY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. THE FBI SAYS AMERICANS HAVE LOST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THESE CONS, AND USUALLY THE MONEY IS NOT RECOVERABLE. TONIGHT, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS ANNOUNCING THE SEIZURE OF MORE THAN $100 MILLION.
POSSIBLY INCLUDING SOME OF HIS MONEY. IT'S THE FIRST SEIZURE OF ITS KIND. THE RESULT OF A NEW FOCUS BY FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ON TRACKING CRYPTO-CURRENCY. >> WE FIGURED OUT WHERE THESE ATTACKS WERE, AND THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT WENT THROUGH VARIOUS STOPS. WE TOOK THE ACCOUNTS FROM THE INSTITUTIONS WHERE THEY WERE BEING HELD. >> Reporter: THIS PERSON DIRECTS THE CRYPTO ENFORCEMENT UNIT. SHE SAYS THE DOJ HAS LEARNED HOW TO USE SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE TO TRACK THE MONEY AND GRAB IT.
>> THAT'S A BAD DAY FOR THE CRUX. >> IT IS A BAD DAY FOR THE CRUX. WE ARE RAISING THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS. >> Reporter: ANOTHER VICTIM WAS LURED INTO THEON BY A REAL PERSON, SOMEONE HE KNEW FROM GRADUATE SCHOOL. THE SCAMMERS GOING HIM ALONG SLOWLY SHOWING STATEMENTS WITH HUGE GAINS AND EVEN LETTING HIM WITHDRAW THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. HE AND HIS WIFE QUIT THEIR JOB, LIQUIDATED THEIR RETIREMENT FUNDS, AND BARRED FROM FRIENDS. EVENTUALLY FORKING OVER MORE THAN $5.2 MILLION. >> MY WEIGHT DROPPED MORE THAN 40 POUNDS. >> Reporter: THEN HE GOT AMAZING NEWS. >> FBI AGENTS IN CHARGE OF MY CASE TRACED THE MONEY AND CHECKED ON THE MONEY.
THEY FIND THE MONEY. >> Reporter: THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS NOW WORKING TO RETURN THE MONEY. >> WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH VICTIMS TO TRY TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK. >> Reporter: AUTHORITIES SAY THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING IMPROVE IF VICTIMS REPORT IT RIGHT AWAY. WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE A VICTIM WHO FEEL SO EMBARRASSED BY THIS THEY DON'T WANT TO TELL ANYONE? >> YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF YOU OUT THERE. YOU MIGHT THINK HOW COULD I HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS, BUT WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN. >> Reporter: IT'S A REMINDER OF THE AGE OLD TRUISM — >> IF AN INVESTMENT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT PROBABLY IS. >> KEN DILANIAN JOINS US LIVE FROM WASHINGTON. I WANT TO START WITH THIS PIG BUTCHERING PROCESS. THE PROCESS WHERE THE SCAMMERS QUOTE UNQUOTE FATTEN UP THE VICTIM BY TAKING MORE THEIR MONEY. IS THIS DONE OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME? >> Reporter: THIS IS A LONG CON. TYPICALLY IT BEGINS WITH SOMEONE REACHING OUT OVER SOCIAL MEDIA. OFTEN AN ATTRACTIVE POTENTIAL ROMANCE PARTNER. THE NEW FRIEND WILL SLOWLY INTRODUCE THE VICTIM TO WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN AMAZING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY IN CRYPTO-CURRENCY.
USUALLY THE TARGET START SMALL AND THEY ARE ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW SOME OF THEIR EARNINGS AT FIRST AND THAT CONVINCES THEM THAT THIS INVESTMENT IS REAL AND THEY SHOULD SPEND MORE MONEY. OFTEN TIMES VICTIMS ARE PICKED BECAUSE THEY'RE IN A VULNERABLE TIME IN THEIR LIVES. THE SCAMMERS USE FAKE WEBSITES MADE TO LOOK LIKE REAL PLATFORMS. THE VICTIMS USUALLY WAIT FOR MONTHS AND BELIEVE THEY HAVE MADE A FORTUNE UNTIL THE DAY THEY REALIZE THEY CAN'T GET ACCESS TO THE MONEY. >> IN THE REPORT YOU MENTIONED THE START OVERSEAS. SOMETIMES THERE IS A LANGUAGE BARRIER OR A TELL. SOMETHING IS WRITTEN IN A STRANGE MANNER, USUALLY IT TELLS THE PERSON WAIT A MINUTE, THIS IS STRANGE. IS THIS MORE SOPHISTICATED? ARE THEY GETTING THE LANGUAGE PART RIGHT AND THEY ARE OFF TO THE RACES? >> Reporter: IT'S A LITTLE OF BOTH. SOMETIMES THE PITCHES ARE CLEAR BECAUSE THE SCAMMERS ARE USING LANGUAGE TRANSLATION PROGRAMS. SOME OF THE PEOPLE MAKING THESE PITCHES ARE BEING FORCED TO DO IT BY AN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GANG.
THAT CAN BE A TELL BUT SOMETIMES IT IS IMMIGRANTS WHOSE THE LANGUAGE IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. THEY MAY NOT DETECT THOSE GRAMMAR MISTAKES, AND OTHER TIMES THE SCAMMERS ARE VERY SOPHISTICATED AND SPEAK ENGLISH PERFECTLY. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE ENORMOUS SUMS OF MONEY THEY ARE STEALING, THEY HAVE A LOT OF.
