British police have charged sprinter CJ Ujah in connection with an alleged crypto fraud operation that involved stealing wallet seed phrases through impersonation calls. The case adds a high-profile name to the growing list of athletes entangled in digital-asset crimes.
The allegations
Ujah, who won an Olympic silver medal in the 4x100m relay before a doping ban, was charged this week by U.K. authorities. Police say the scheme centered on tricking victims into handing over their crypto wallet seed phrases — the master keys that control digital assets. The thefts were carried out via impersonation calls, though details of who the callers pretended to be haven't been released.
How seed-phrase theft works
Seed phrases are the 12- or 24-word strings that restore access to a crypto wallet. Anyone who obtains them can drain the wallet instantly, often with little chance of recovery. In this case, police allege the fraudsters used social engineering — not technical hacking — to get victims to volunteer their phrases over the phone.
The 32-year-old sprinter is due in court next month. If convicted, he faces a potential prison sentence. The case is a reminder that even well-known figures are being drawn into crypto scams, from promoting dodgy tokens to, allegedly, helping execute them.
