Three men from the UK have been sentenced to up to six years in prison for a £4 million cryptocurrency fraud that involved impersonating police officers. The scheme used fake websites to trick victims into handing over their digital assets, the Metropolitan Police confirmed this week.
How the fraud worked
The men set up convincing fake websites that mimicked legitimate platforms. They then contacted victims, pretending to be police officers investigating fraud. Under that guise, they convinced people to transfer cryptocurrency into wallets they controlled. The total haul came to about £4 million.
The sentences
Each of the three men received prison terms of up to six years. The Met Police did not name the individuals but said the sentences were handed down at a UK court. The force described the operation as sophisticated and warned the public to be wary of unsolicited calls claiming to be from law enforcement.
Police response
The Met Police urged anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be a police officer asking for cryptocurrency to hang up and report it. The investigation took months and involved tracing digital transactions across multiple wallets. The force said it was satisfied with the outcome and hoped the sentences would deter others.
The case is now closed. No further arrests are expected.
