Three Men Jailed for Posing as Police in $5.3M UK Crypto Fraud
Three men were jailed in the UK for a £4 million crypto fraud after posing as police officers and tricking eight victims into handing over their cryptocurrency. They used fake police websites and phone calls warning victims their assets were at risk, then moved the stolen coins through a laundering network. At Southwark Crown Court, Anthony Ikenwe and Kevin Nwamma each received six years for fraud and money laundering, while Hamza Bashir received three years and nine months. Police said the group lived far beyond their apparent incomes, buying luxury cars, expensive goods, and taking trips to multiple countries. They also converted crypto into prepaid cards and held large sums in cash abroad. Investigators recovered about £1 million in assets linked to the victims. The Met said the case was solved by tracing blockchain transactions, exchange records, communications, and other digital evidence, and that further suspects and assets are still being pursued.
