An impersonator posing as a senior UK law enforcement officer has scammed an unsuspecting victim out of €2.1 million ($2.8 million) in a recent attack.
North Wales Police have launched an investigation into the case in a bid to track down the perpetrators.
According to reports, the scammer contacted the victim, claiming to have arrested someone in possession of the victim’s personal identification documents – a potential security threat. The impersonator then sent a phishing link to the victim, who was instructed to input their seed phrase to “secure” their wallet. Within seconds, their wallet was completely drained, and $2.8 million worth of Bitcoin was stolen.
A police spokesperson said: “The victim, worried and believing they were following police instructions, entered their seed phrase [similar to a password] into what was a sophisticated fake website.”
Authorities described the attack as highly targeted and advanced, noting that it involved draining funds from a cold storage wallet – a rare move that suggests scammers may be going after high-profile individuals.
Police Issue Strong Warning
Following the incident, North Wales Police urged the public to remain vigilant and verify the identity of anyone claiming to be law enforcement, stressing that trust alone is not enough to stay safe from scams.
Police emphasized:
“We will NEVER call you unexpectedly to discuss your crypto assets or ask you to take action on your cold storage device.”
They added that any supposed enforcement officer making such a request should be treated as an immediate red flag. Officers also warned that scammers are deploying increasingly “sophisticated social engineering schemes,” and the best way to stay safe is to verify directly with police to confirm an individual’s identity.
Rising Trend Globally
Incidents of this nature are not new, particularly in Europe, where authorities have reported a notable surge. In France, similar scams have become a trend, with one of the latest cases involving the kidnapping of a 23-year-old crypto investor.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also warned citizens to stay alert, citing a growing pattern of scammers impersonating employees of cryptocurrency exchanges. The agency noted that fraudsters are becoming more advanced, adopting artificial intelligence tools to clone voices and carry out convincing impersonation attacks.
