Crypto▼ Bearish
Three jailed for £4M crypto fraud using police impersonation
Three men who posed as UK police to steal £4M in crypto were jailed 11 years. Blockchain analysis cracked the case. A warning for holders: police never cold-call.
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Three men who impersonated police officers to steal over £4 million in cryptocurrency were sentenced July 16 at Southwark Crown Court. Anthony Ikenwe and Kevin Nwamma each got 11 years. Hamza Bashir received 7 years and 9 months for his role in the fraud and money laundering scheme.
The Metropolitan Police’s Cryptocurrency Team uncovered a social engineering operation that preyed on crypto holders’ fears. The trio cold-called victims, claimed to be law enforcement, and warned that their digital assets were at risk. They built convincing fake websites that mimicked police portals and legitimate crypto platforms. Victims were directed to those sites, where they entered wallet credentials. The fraudsters then drained the wallets.
At least eight known victims were targeted. Investigators believe the actual number is higher. The gang sourced personal information from the dark web and coordinated their calls through Snapchat.