OCONEE COUNTY, GA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit has seized and returned cryptocurrency to elderly fraud victims in Oconee County. 

“Our White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit is on the forefront of this fight – disrupting crypto scams, tracing transactions and recovering stolen funds,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “Unfortunately, scammers often target older adults, and we’re determined to do whatever it takes to protect their livelihoods. These are complex investigations that wouldn’t be possible without strong partnerships, and we’re proud to work with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI to achieve this latest outcome.” 

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case and coordinated with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit to trace the stolen crypto and return it to the victims. 

“On behalf of the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, I greatly appreciate the partners that worked with Investigator Matthew Pilcher in this case,” said Oconee County Sheriff James A. Hale, Jr. “It is far too often that our most vulnerable citizens get taken advantage of in these kinds of cases with no justice served for them. I believe that this case will help establish best practices to prosecute suspects and recover funds that were fraudulently taken for all future cases of this kind. The countless hours of work, and the partnerships forged, will also assist in the outcome of future cases. Job well done by all!”

“Cyber-enabled fraud targeting the elderly and other vulnerable individuals will not be tolerated,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Those who impersonate others for financial gain, particularly those who prey on the most vulnerable, will be investigated. In many elder scams, victims are pressured to send cryptocurrency so the proceeds can be quickly liquidated. When investigations identify and seize the digital assets stolen from victims, bad actors are unable to coordinate across accounts, move stolen funds, and recruit new victims. Strong state and local law enforcement partnerships are critical to disrupting these criminal enterprises.”

Case Summary

The victims in this case were persuaded to contact the perpetrator after a computer pop-up purported to alert them to a breach of their bank account. The perpetrator pretended to be from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and instructed them to withdraw funds from their bank and deposit that money into a crypto kiosk.

The perpetrator remained on the phone with the elderly couple at the bank and instructed them on how to avoid detection by the bank teller or anyone assisting them at the crypto kiosk. The crypto was quickly moved through multiple wallets and finally landed at a crypto exchange wallet where law enforcement was able to seize the funds, and a court ordered their return to the victims.

Carr’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit, along with the Investigations Section, worked with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office to facilitate this seizure.

Avoiding & Reporting Cryptocurrency Scams

On July 1, 2026, Governor Kemp signed HB 945 into law to create several financial exploitation protections, including a provision that virtual currency kiosks display a warning that states: LOSSES DUE TO FRAUDULENT OR ACCIDENTAL TRANSACTIONS MAY NOT BE RECOVERABLE AND TRANSACTIONS IN VIRTUAL CURRENCY ARE IRRVERSIBLE.

If you are the victim of a scam and sent cryptocurrency, report the crime with as much detail as possible to the following entities:

The FTC has shared the following information to help consumers avoid cryptocurrency scams: 

  • Only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency. No legitimate business is going to demand you send cryptocurrency in advance – not to buy something, and not to protect your money. That is always a scam.
  • Only scammers will guarantee profits or big returns. Do not trust people who promise you can quickly and easily make money in the crypto markets.
  • Never mix online dating and investment advice. If you meet someone on a dating site or app, and they want to show you how to invest in crypto, or ask you to send them crypto, that is a scam.

Members of the public are also reminded that government officials will never contact you to ask you to move money out of your bank account.

For additional tips on how to recognize and avoid common elder fraud schemes, visit the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division website.