Bitget App
Trade smarter
Buy cryptoMarketsTradeFuturesEarnWeb3SquareMore
Trade
Spot
Buy and sell crypto with ease
Margin
Amplify your capital and maximize fund efficiency
Onchain
Going Onchain, without going Onchain!
Convert & block trade
Convert crypto with one click and zero fees
Explore
Launchhub
Gain the edge early and start winning
Copy
Copy elite trader with one click
Bots
Simple, fast, and reliable AI trading bot
Trade
USDT-M Futures
Futures settled in USDT
USDC-M Futures
Futures settled in USDC
Coin-M Futures
Futures settled in cryptocurrencies
Explore
Futures guide
A beginner-to-advanced journey in futures trading
Futures promotions
Generous rewards await
Overview
A variety of products to grow your assets
Simple Earn
Deposit and withdraw anytime to earn flexible returns with zero risk
On-chain Earn
Earn profits daily without risking principal
Structured Earn
Robust financial innovation to navigate market swings
VIP and Wealth Management
Premium services for smart wealth management
Loans
Flexible borrowing with high fund security
Scammer impersonates UK police officer to steal $2.8 million in bitcoin via social engineering

Scammer impersonates UK police officer to steal $2.8 million in bitcoin via social engineering

The BlockThe Block2025/08/20 16:00
By:By Naga Avan-Nomayo

Quick Take North Wales Police say a victim lost about $2.8 million in bitcoin after being tricked into entering a seed phrase on a phishing site by a caller impersonating a senior UK officer. Blockchain security firms like TRM Labs have highlighted social engineering attacks as a major attack vector, with private key theft and wallet compromises accounting for over 80% of stolen funds in H1 2025.

Scammer impersonates UK police officer to steal $2.8 million in bitcoin via social engineering image 0

Attacks on European crypto holders continue to escalate, as a bad actor impersonated a police agent to steal assets using social engineering tactics.

North Wales Police are investigating a theft of roughly 2.1 million euros ($2.8 million) in bitcoin after a scammer posing as a senior UK law-enforcement officer convinced a victim to reveal their wallet seed phrase through a phishing link, the force said in a public warning.

A seed phrase—typically 12 to 24 words—is the master key to a self-custodied crypto wallet. Anyone who obtains it can control the associated assets.

According to the notice , the culprit claimed an arrested suspect’s phone contained the victim’s identification documents and urged them to “secure” their assets. The victim then entered their recovery phrase on a sophisticated spoof website, allowing thieves to access the wallet and withdraw the funds within minutes.

Police cautioned that officers will not contact the public to discuss crypto holdings or instruct them to take action on cold-storage devices. They also emphasized that no legitimate company or agency will ever ask for a seed phrase. The alert urged anyone receiving such calls to hang up and verify by dialing the non-emergency 101 number. 

Such social engineering attacks, where cybercriminals trick victims into providing critical wallet credentials, are common in the crypto industry. Blockchain security firm TRM Labs noted that private key theft and seed phrase exploits comprised 80% of stolen funds in the first half of 2025 .

Europe also faces a wave of physical attempts to steal crypto assets. France alone has been hit with at least 10 “wrench attacks” with cases of attempted kidnappings and crypto ransoms reported .


0

Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

PoolX: Earn new token airdrops
Lock your assets and earn 10%+ APR
Lock now!