UK fake police gang sentenced for stealing $5.4 million in cryptocurrency

According to Odaily, a gang in the UK disguised themselves as police officers and created a fake police website. By impersonating police via phone calls, they convinced cryptocurrency holders to transfer funds into so-called "safe accounts," stealing $5.4 million worth of cryptocurrency. They were sentenced this week. Hamza Bashir (23), Kevin Nwamma (25), and Anthony Ikenwe (29) were sentenced to six years and nine months, eleven years, and eleven years in prison, respectively. The stolen funds were used to purchase luxury items, including a £60,000 car, vacations to Thailand and Japan, and products from brands such as Harrods, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex. Police also discovered £500,000 in cash in a safe and determined that most of the stolen cryptocurrency had been converted to payment cards. Gang members also falsified their annual income, with one declaring only £444.