21/08/25

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North Wales Police has announced that a sophisticated scam involving the impersonation of law enforcement officials resulted in the theft of approximately 2.1 million British pounds ($2.8 million) in Bitcoin. The cyber crime division is actively investigating the incident, which exemplifies a rising trend targeting seasoned cryptocurrency holders who employ cold storage wallets for asset security.

The victim appears to have been selected through a data breach, indicating a highly targeted and complex scheme. Such scams are increasingly common, with offenders often exploiting familiarity with law enforcement procedures to manipulate victims into unwittingly surrendering access to their digital assets. Impersonators typically pose as police officers or government officials, fostering a sense of legitimacy and urgency to pressure victims into compliance.

In this case, the perpetrator contacted the victim claiming they had arrested an individual whose phone contained the victim’s identification documents. The scammer suggested that this situation could expose the victim to security threats. Exploiting fear, the attacker instructed the victim to access their cold wallet via a phishing website, providing a link designed to mimic official channels. Believing they were following lawful instructions, the victim entered their seed phrase, granting the attacker full access to their crypto holdings. Subsequently, the fraudsters withdrew the Bitcoin amount, leaving the victim’s assets compromised.

Authorities emphasize that genuine law enforcement agencies would never request sensitive information such as seed phrases or instruct individuals to access their crypto wallets through unverified links. Police advise the public to remain vigilant, hang up on suspicious calls, and verify identities through official channels before sharing any sensitive information.

This incident highlights the importance of continued awareness around evolving scam tactics. Law enforcement agencies worldwide have issued warnings about imposters posing as exchange representatives or government officials, often using advanced social engineering techniques or artificial intelligence tools such as deepfake voice messages to deceive victims. The proliferation of these schemes underscores the need for caution and verification in online financial interactions.