A Cobb County resident who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to a fake cryptocurrency trading platform has gotten their money back.

Attorney General Chris Carr announced Tuesday, Aug. 25 that his White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit seized and returned the stolen cryptocurrency to the victim. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) traced a significant portion of the funds to a crypto exchange, and Carr's office secured a court order to return them.

The scam began on social media. The perpetrator contacted the victim claiming to have mutual acquaintances, according to the attorney general's office. After building trust over time, the perpetrator steered the victim toward a fake crypto trading platform made to look legitimate.

The platform showed fabricated returns and even allowed a small withdrawal to appear credible. Once the victim deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars, the platform indicated all funds had been lost.

The GBI investigated the case alongside Operation Shamrock, a nonprofit that assists cryptocurrency scam victims. Neither the victim nor the perpetrator has been publicly identified. Officials have not disclosed the exact amount recovered or announced any arrests, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

Carr said his office is working with the GBI to dismantle crypto schemes. "Most importantly, we're returning stolen funds to hardworking Georgians," he said in the announcement. "Our team is on the frontlines of this fight, and we're not letting up anytime soon."

The Cobb County case marks the second crypto recovery Carr's office has announced in two weeks. On Aug. 17, the office returned cryptocurrency to elderly fraud victims in Oconee County who were tricked by a scammer impersonating the Federal Trade Commission.

GBI Director Chris Hosey said partnerships across local and state law enforcement play a critical role in tracing stolen assets and urged victims to report incidents to local police.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 945 into law on July 1, creating new financial exploitation protections. The law requires virtual currency kiosks to display a warning that transactions are irreversible and losses from fraud may not be recoverable.

The FTC advises that only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency, only scammers guarantee profits, and consumers should never mix online dating with investment advice.

Residents who believe they are victims of a crypto scam can report to local law enforcement, Operation Shamrock at operationshamrock.org, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov, or the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.