Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts are asking a court for permission to keep nearly $47,000 in cryptocurrency recovered from an online fraud scheme that preyed on local residents through fake tech-support calls.

The case centers on a tech-support scam that began when a woman’s computer in Ware froze and displayed a pop-up message directing her to contact “customer support.” The person who answered the call claimed her bank account had been compromised. The scammer then instructed her to withdraw cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM located at a gas station in Ludlow as a way to “protect” her funds.

Investigators later traced those funds to a specific cryptocurrency wallet. In March, agents determined that money from at least four additional victims had also been directed into the same wallet through nearly identical schemes.

Court Action and Victim Recovery

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is now seeking judicial approval to retain the seized cryptocurrency. Officials say the goal is to preserve the assets so they can eventually be returned to the people who lost money.

Prosecutors are also encouraging anyone who believes they may have been targeted by similar tech-support or cryptocurrency scams to contact authorities. The office notes that these schemes often follow a common pattern: a sudden computer problem, a convincing phone conversation, and urgent instructions to convert cash into digital assets that are difficult to recover once transferred.

The recovered amount totals almost $47,000. While that figure represents only a portion of the losses suffered by the known victims, prosecutors view the seizure as a step toward restitution.

How the Scams Operated

According to investigators, the Ware resident’s experience followed a familiar script used by tech-support fraudsters. After the computer locked up and the pop-up appeared, the caller created a sense of urgency by claiming the victim’s financial accounts were at immediate risk. The recommended “solution” involved converting cash into Bitcoin at a public ATM, a step that effectively transferred control of the money to the scammers.

Once the funds entered the blockchain, agents were able to follow the transaction trail to a common wallet that had received deposits from several other people in the state. The discovery of multiple victims linked to the same destination strengthened the case for forfeiture.

Federal officials have not released the names of the additional victims or the precise dates of their losses. They have, however, confirmed that the schemes shared the same core tactics and the same cryptocurrency endpoint.

Call for Additional Victims

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is urging anyone who has encountered similar pop-up warnings, unexpected computer freezes, or phone instructions to move money into cryptocurrency to come forward. Officials say timely reports can help expand the investigation and increase the chances of recovering additional assets.

Tech-support scams remain a persistent threat, particularly for people who receive unsolicited messages claiming their devices or accounts are compromised. Authorities continue to advise the public never to follow instructions from unexpected callers or pop-ups that demand immediate financial action, especially when those instructions involve cash withdrawals or cryptocurrency transfers.

The court filing represents the latest effort by federal prosecutors in Massachusetts to disrupt these fraud networks and return money to those who were targeted.