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

Odaily Planet Daily News A UK gang posed as police officers and created a fake police website, using phone calls to impersonate police and persuade cryptocurrency holders to transfer funds to so-called "safe accounts," stealing $5.4 million worth of cryptocurrency. The group was 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, trips to Thailand and Japan, and branded goods from Harrods, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, and more. Police also found £500,000 in cash in a safe and determined that most of the stolen cryptocurrency had been converted to payment cards. Gang members also falsely reported their annual income, with one declaring just £444.