North Wales Police have alerted cryptocurrency investors following a £2.1 million Bitcoin theft, described as a highly sophisticated scam targeting a single victim.
The scam involved perpetrators impersonating senior UK police officers who contacted the victim with a fabricated story about a security breach.
They claimed an arrested individual’s phone contained the victim’s personal identification documents.
By exploiting fear and urgency, the scammers convinced the victim to log into a fake website, where the victim entered their password, unknowingly granting access to their cryptocurrency wallet.
Police reported that the criminals used this access to rebuild the victim’s wallet and steal £2.1 million in Bitcoin within moments.
The force believes the victim was likely identified through a prior data breach, indicating a highly targeted attack.
Authorities have labeled this incident as part of a “disturbing new trend” in social engineering schemes.
These scams are designed to manipulate even cautious cryptocurrency holders by leveraging convincing narratives and fake websites.
North Wales Police emphasized that legitimate officers will never contact individuals unexpectedly about their cryptocurrency or request access to their cold storage devices.
The force is actively working to trace the stolen funds but cautioned that the incident underscores the rapid evolution of scammer tactics.
They advised the public to remain vigilant, trust their instincts, and verify any unsolicited contact by calling 101.
To prevent similar attacks, North Wales Police issued clear guidance.
They stressed that passwords should only be entered directly on cold storage devices during setup or recovery, and no legitimate entity will request a user’s seed phrase.
The force urged cryptocurrency holders to be cautious of unsolicited communications and to avoid sharing sensitive information through unverified links or platforms.
This case highlights the growing complexity of cryptocurrency scams and the importance of heightened awareness among investors to safeguard their assets.