A Fuquay-Varina man who lost more than $753,000 in a cryptocurrency investment scam is waiting to find out whether federal investigators can return most of his money.
Wesley Marley told WRAL Investigates that he reported the loss after falling victim to a pig-butchering scam, a long-running fraud that uses trust, fake investment gains, and repeated deposits to drain victims over time.
Marley said he was nearing retirement and had spent his life working for what he saved. Now, WRAL reported, he spends much of his time trying to find out when he might see any of the money again.
Marley said a federal agent connected to the case told him he could get about $630,000 back.
He Lost More Than $753,000 Before Reporting It
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Marley told WRAL the person who tricked him was convincing. He said he is embarrassed, but wanted to speak publicly so other people might recognize the scam before losing their own savings.
Pig-butchering scams usually unfold over time, with the scammer building trust before introducing a fake investment platform and showing fake returns.
For Marley, the damage reached more than $753,000. He contacted WRAL after seeing his initials in a federal court document tied to an online investment scam.
“It made you lose trust in people,” Marley told the station. He said many other victims may stay quiet because they are embarrassed.
A Federal Agent Told Him Most Of The Money May Come Back
WRAL reported that Marley has been told he could receive about $630,000. Marley said he would be thrilled to get that amount back, even though it would not fully cover what he lost. He has waited more than a year after reporting the scam to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, according to WRAL.
Marley said a federal agent told him that if he had waited longer, the money might have been gone within another two weeks.
Investigators Still Have To Sort Out Whose Money Is Whose
WRAL reported that scammers often move multiple victims’ money together, which can force federal investigators to determine which funds belong to which person.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson told the station that even when perpetrators are overseas, law enforcement may still be able to pursue people or companies inside the United States that helped transmit the money. Marley has already been waiting more than a year.
WRAL also reported that Justice Department numbers show federal authorities seized nearly $2.5 billion in cryptocurrency tied to cybercrimes in fiscal year 2025, compared with $248 million five years earlier.
The Fastest Step Is To Report And Preserve The Trail
The FBI tells cryptocurrency investment fraud victims to report the case to IC3 and include transaction details when possible, including wallet addresses, dates, amounts, payment type, receiving institutions, and transaction IDs.
The bureau also warns victims to be careful of anyone claiming they can recover lost crypto funds for a fee. Those recovery offers can become a second scam.