A scammer impersonated an Uber driver and stole more than $300,000 in cryptocurrency from passengers. How?
While cryptocurrency rates are updating historic highs, the coin industry continues to attract the attention of a lot of people – and also scammers. Nuruhussein Hussain, posing as an Uber driver, was on their list. The man was arrested on charges of stealing $300,000 worth of crypto from two passengers in Scottsdale, Arizona. Moreover, the scheme of stealing coins was as simple and unexpected as possible.
Alas, recently hackers are more and more actively hunting for other people’s crypto-assets. For example, the day before it became known about an investor who stored his crypto-assets using Ledger wallet.
And although he did not touch the device for two months, attackers still managed to get to ten bitcoins and NFT for 1.5 million dollars.
Ledger Nano S Cryptocurrency Wallet Ledger Nano S Cryptocurrency Wallet
It turned out that he signed a malicious transaction back in early 2022. Accordingly, the hackers were waiting for the right moment to carry out the attack.
How cryptocurrencies are stolen in life
According to Scottsdale police, Hussain picked up passengers outside a local hotel by pretending to be an Uber driver. And the law enforcement report doesn’t explain exactly how the suspect learned the passengers’ details and the real driver’s car information.
When the passengers got into the car, the suspect asked for their phone under the pretext of breaking his own smartphone. In another case, he offered to check the Uber app on the passenger’s side: the legend was the version that the programme allegedly did not show the client at the right boarding place.
Photo of the suspect in the theft of $ 300 thousand dollars in cryptocurrencies
After getting the phone in his hands, Hussain withdrew the victims’ funds from the Coinbase exchange app to his own address. When one of the passengers began to suspect something amiss, the scammer threatened “undesirable consequences” if anyone started blabbing.
It is important to note that such a version sounds strange. Still, to launch cryptocurrency exchanges, you need to enter a password or confirm your own identity with a facial scan or fingerprint. In addition, the withdrawal of coins involves entering a unique one-time password that comes to your email. How exactly the fraudster managed to bypass this stage is unknown.
In general, this approach to theft looks extremely stupid. Anyway, victims can immediately go to the police and give the number of the car with the fraudster. And thanks to the cameras, it will not be particularly difficult to find him with a reference to place and time.
According to Decrypt’s sources, U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Hussain last week and charged him with theft, fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors have requested and secured the setting of a $200,000 bail. If he is able to post said amount, he will be required to wear an electronic tracking bracelet.
Hussein is also banned from using the internet and from leaving the country for fear he could destroy evidence or flee to Ethiopia, where he frequently travels. The next court hearing is scheduled for 18 December, which is tomorrow.
Incidents of offline crypto theft are still a relative rarity, with only 19 such cases officially recorded worldwide in 2024 on Bitcoin enthusiast Jameson Lopp’s special list. This figure can be compared to the 2023 result, when law enforcement recorded 17 such incidents. However, it is significantly lower compared to the 32 cases in 2022.
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Crypto extortion has become the centrepiece of another court case brought against 24-year-old Katherine Kolivas. Previously, she and three accomplices kidnapped a member of the Saudi royal family and then stole $40,000 worth of bitcoins from him, threatening to cut off his fingers.
Katherine Kolivas faced a maximum sentence of 25 years at a hearing in Victoria, Australia. She pleaded guilty to kidnapping, extortion, causing bodily harm by negligence, theft and possession of a weapon. However, she was only given a sentence of community service.
Katherine Kolivas, who stole $40,000 worth of bitcoins
Victoria County Court heard how Colivas went out to dinner after chatting on a dating app, with the man giving her a lift home after the meeting. As he walked her to the door, he was attacked by three men, including Colivas’ boyfriend. The victim had his hands tied with cable ties to prevent him from escaping and was threatened with a knife. The man was told his fingers would be cut off if he did not pay the extortionists.
The victim turned out to be a cryptocurrency trader and offered to transfer bitcoins equivalent to $40,000 to the criminals. His keys were then stolen and the criminals in addition burgled his home. According to court documents, designer clothes, a PlayStation 5 console and several iPhones were stolen.
The victim was then released and immediately contacted the police, after which he spent the night in hospital with injuries to his head and wrists. Despite the seriousness of the offence to which Colivas pleaded guilty, the judge deemed a 30-month community service order sufficient punishment due to the exceptional circumstances. The judge cited her “young age, difficult childhood, mental health and prospects of rehabilitation.”
Another woman, 22-year-old Paris Kennedy, also pleaded guilty to lesser charges of theft and trespassing. After 90 days in jail, she was paroled after the judge noted Kennedy’s “sincere remorse” for the victim.
The cases listed above are a reminder of why it's best not to tell anyone about your connection to crypto. Alas, when stolen, it is most likely not possible to return the coins. Therefore, it is better to be cautious and not to take unnecessary risks.
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