Three UK Men Jailed Over £4 Million Crypto Scam Using Fake Police Websites

Three men have been sentenced to prison in the UK for orchestrating a £4m cryptocurrency fraud that saw victims deceived through fake police websites and impersonation calls, in a case highlighting the growing sophistication of authority impersonation scams.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the group posed as police officers and convinced at least eight victims that their crypto assets were at risk. Victims were directed to convincing fake law enforcement websites and instructed to transfer or provide access to their cryptocurrency, believing they were protecting their funds. Instead, the assets were stolen and laundered through a complex network of crypto wallets and financial accounts.

The investigation began in January 2025 after multiple victims reported the fraud. Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Cryptocurrency Team combined blockchain analysis with exchange records, financial data, communications, and internet records to identify the suspects and link what initially appeared to be separate incidents into a coordinated criminal operation.

At Southwark Crown Court, Anthony Ikenwe and Kevin Nwamma were each sentenced to six years' imprisonment for conspiracy to commit fraud, alongside concurrent five-year sentences for money laundering. Hamza Bashir received three years and nine months for conspiracy to commit fraud and a concurrent three-year sentence for money laundering.

Investigators said the trio used the proceeds to fund a luxury lifestyle, purchasing high-end vehicles, designer goods, and luxury watches while taking overseas trips to destinations including Thailand, Japan, the Maldives, and the Seychelles. Police also traced more than £1 million in cryptocurrency linked to wallets controlled by one of the defendants and uncovered approximately £500,000 in cash held in a Dubai safety deposit box.

Authorities have recovered around £1 million in stolen assets, while efforts continue to trace and recover the remaining funds. The Metropolitan Police said investigations remain ongoing to identify additional individuals connected to the fraud and pursue further asset recovery through cooperation with domestic and international partners.