UK authorities are attempting to recover funds stolen from a victim by a scammer who impersonated a senior police officer, managing to steal 2.1 million British pounds ($2.8 million) in Bitcoin.
The North Wales Police Cyber Crime team reported on Tuesday that they are investigating the Bitcoin (BTC) theft, noting that the incident highlights a concerning trend among long-term crypto holders using cold storage solutions.
Authorities mentioned that the victim may have been exposed through a data breach, indicating a “highly targeted and advanced scam.”
In the UK and internationally, police have long cautioned about scammers posing as law enforcement or government officials, using various methods from simple payment requests to complex schemes that obscure the scam.
Police detail officer impersonation in crypto theft
North Wales Police revealed that the victim was reached by a scammer “posing as a senior UK law enforcement officer.”
The impersonator claimed they had arrested an individual with the victim’s identification documents on their phone, suggesting the victim could face significant security risks.
By exploiting a “sense of fear and urgency,” authorities stated that the victim was instructed to “secure their assets” by logging into their crypto cold wallet through a link provided by the fake officer.
Source: Facebook“Believing they were following police guidance, the victim entered their seed phrase (password) into what turned out to be a sophisticated, fraudulent site.”
With full access to the wallet, the scammers withdrew the $2.8 million in Bitcoin.
Police urge verification over trust
North Wales Police mentioned they are working to trace and recover the stolen funds and provided guidance for crypto holders on how to confirm they are communicating with legitimate authorities and what to expect from real police inquiries.
“Police will NEVER unexpectedly call about your crypto assets or ask you to act on your cold storage device. This should raise red flags,” the team emphasized.
They advised individuals to end suspicious calls and reach out to the police directly to confirm the legitimacy of any claims made by someone identifying as law enforcement, stressing that police would never ask for a crypto seed phrase.
Related: Crypto giants launch ‘Beacon Network’ to track and freeze stolen crypto
“Scammers are continually adapting their strategies,” stated North Wales Police. “They are not only targeting newcomers but are also developing sophisticated social engineering tactics to deceive even the most vigilant holders.”
Warnings about other impersonation scams
The US FBI cautioned earlier this month that scammers are pretending to be employees of crypto exchanges, reaching out to potential victims about alleged account issues to deceive them into providing access information.
In May, the FBI warned that criminals were leveraging AI-generated deepfakes to deliver voice messages impersonating senior US officials in a campaign primarily aimed at former or current US federal and state government employees.
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