Mokena, IL – A Mokena resident was scammed out of more than $150,000 in a cryptocurrency scheme that began with a fake online job ad, police said.
According to the Mokena Police Department, the resident reported the fraud on September 11, 2024, after responding to a remote work opportunity in July 2024. The job, which was advertised as commission-based and involved optimizing mobile apps, turned out to be a front for cybercriminals. The victim was instructed to open a cryptocurrency exchange account and, over the next several weeks, moved large sums of money between accounts under the scammers’ direction.
Investigators tracked the cryptocurrency to a wallet linked to a Nigerian passport holder operating from an IP address in Cambodia. With assistance from senior fraud investigators and financial institutions, Mokena detectives located more than $101,000 being held in the account.
The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office worked with federal prosecutors to freeze and seize the funds, which have since been returned to the victim, police said.
Chief Brian Benton praised Detective Darin McVicker, along with legal staff and financial crimes experts, for their efforts. While the suspect remains unidentified, officials emphasized the success in recovering a large portion of the stolen funds.
