According to another forfeiture complaint, al-Qaeda and affiliates used Telegram and other social media channels to solicit Bitcoin donations. In some cases, the groups allegedly pretended to act as charities. Agents uncovered 155 cryptocurrency accounts linked to that terrorism fundraising campaign.

As for ISIS, someone tied to the group allegedly ran a COVID-19 protective gear scam. Murat Cakar, who the DoJ describes as “an ISIS facilitator,” was selling phony N95 respirator masks and other protective equipment through a website, according to a complaint. One US-based customer tried to buy gear for hospitals, nursing homes and fire departments. Officials seized that site, along with four related Facebook pages.

In total, agents recouped about $2 million worth of cryptocurrency, according to the New York Times. Once the case is concluded, the Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund may receive some or all of the seized funds. Officials also blacklisted some private crypto wallets said to contain millions of dollars more in virtual currency, which will make it harder for account owners to cash out those funds through financial institutions.