If an offshore account is frozen by the USgov
 

What can happen?

If there was X amount of $$ in the account and then the US govt freezes the account,

Is there a chance that the owner will ever see the money again?

why should the US government freeze it?
how should they know it existed?

anyway, sounds like you need a lawyer / tax consultant for that

I'm rather sure that the US government has no authority over an offshore bank account. Therefore, the 'freezing' was done by that bank, at the REQUEST of the us government. This means that you should be able to get it sorted out by a good lawyer, if there's a lot of money in there. You'll get it back.

ouch
sucks beeing you
better leave the country and leave to costa rica :)

forget about the money and worry about what they are going to do to you next

sounds like you have some issues - time to get a good lawyer :2 cents:

were you the same guy asking about money laundering sentances ??

the govt just doesnt freeze an offshore account out of no where, any smalltime money they wouldnt also waste their time with.

if you have an "illegal" account offshore and they freeze it i would be running by now.

dude cmon... im interested.. some drama. i like it. b.t.w I don't think the U.S has any authority over an offshore account.

They may not have authority , but they can "advise" them to hold the funds.

If he is serious he is prob talking about the recent pharmacy busts

It's called the patriot act...changed a lot of things and gave the government much longer arms.

Don't think they have any right to freeze it, that's why Swiss accounts are so popular

Before you open an account with a bank, try to find out who owns the bank. For instance, there is a bank here in Mexico called Banamex. It has really nice blue colors, and state of the art computers for the customers, and touch screen atm's. Amazingly it is owned by Citibank, and they were reporting to the US IRS the income and deposits and things like that. Of coruse all of the americans pulled thier money out, but it was too late for some.

banamex
bananamex would haev been a cooler name :)

If you are a citizen of the United States, IRS regulations require you to report all offshore accounts. I can not think of one financial institution that would chose not to do business with the United States and not verify said accounts were reported. The days of super secret Swiss numbered accounts have been long gone. Gosh, I wonder how Yasser Arafat's $300 million in assets along with the $900 million he had stored away that was stolen from Palestinian public accounts were frozen and eventually seized and he isnt a citizen of the United States.

Perhaps you were slepping for the past 10 years.

Offshore accounts are not frozen unless illegal activity is suspected.