Kent residents lost £1M in a crypto scam after a data leak. Scammers posed as police and security officers to steal funds.
They made fake fraud reports next, and victims then received phone calls. The caller pretended he was a police officer, said they started an investigation, and warned them to expect another call.
The next call came quickly, and someone posed as a security officer. This person requested a seed phrase, which is a 12 or 24 word key that recovers crypto wallets.
Armed with the seed phrase, they stole everything. The thieves rebuilt the wallet easily and moved funds to untraceable locations. Police are investigating the complex scam.
A detective urged caution with crypto calls and warned never to give personal details to anyone. Scammers are devising clever new tricks, and they create artificial urgency, too.
Reporting scams helps everyone. It’s easy to get distracted and tricked, so don’t feel ashamed if it happens. Your report helps others avoid similar losses.