Arizona Crypto Heist: Alleged Fake Uber Driver Steals $300K

Jimmy Aki
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Authorities in Arizona have arrested a man accused of posing as an Uber driver to commit crypto theft of $300,000. The suspect, Nuruhussein Hussein, allegedly targeted two victims outside the W Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, earlier this year, exploiting their access and transferring funds from their crypto accounts.

Fake Uber Scam Leads to Crypto Theft

According to court documents and reports from Fox10 Phoenix, the incidents occurred in March and October. Hussein reportedly approached passengers waiting for their Uber ride, calling them by name to gain their trust.

After luring them into his vehicle, he allegedly requested to use their phones, citing issues with his own device. Hussein offered to troubleshoot the Uber app when the passenger questioned why the app showed no driver had arrived.

Using this pretext, he reportedly accessed the victims’ Coinbase accounts and initiated crypto transfers to cold storage wallets.

Court records reveal that Hussein not only transferred funds but also threatened one victim who became suspicious and asked for their phone back. He warned the passenger to “chill or something bad would happen.” Despite the threats, the incident was later reported to Scottsdale police, prompting an investigation.

Legal Actions and Security Measures

Hussein was arrested on December 11 by Scottsdale detectives and special agents from the U.S. Secret Service. He faces charges of theft, fraud schemes, and money laundering. Prosecutors successfully petitioned for a $200,000 secured cash bond and requested electronic monitoring should Hussein post bail.

They also secured an order barring him from using the internet or traveling abroad, particularly to Ethiopia, where he reportedly travels frequently. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 18.

Investigators are continuing to probe the case, seeking to uncover how Hussein knew the victims’ names and whether other individuals might have been involved in the scam.

According to a GitHub report, there were at least 19 recorded incidents of offline crypto theft globally in 2024. This marks an increase from 17 incidents in 2023 but a decline compared to the 32 cases recorded in 2021.

One of the earliest documented cases of offline crypto theft dates back to 2014 when an unknown caller attempted to extort 1,000 Bitcoin from cryptographer Hal Finney, worth $400,000 at the time.

Notably, crypto users are falling victim to different forms of crypto theft perpetrated by scammers, resulting in the loss of funds. This has prompted governments at various levels to take steps to mitigate the risk.

For instance, the rise in criminal use of Bitcoin ATMs in Australia has led to the government flagging Bitcoin ATMs as potential tools for financial crime. Australia has 1,302 Bitcoin ATMs- the third-largest count globally after the U.S. and Canada.

About Jimmy Aki PRO INVESTOR

Based in the UK, Jimmy is an economic researcher with outstanding hands-on and heads-on experience in Macroeconomic finance analysis, forecasting and planning. He has honed his skills having worked cross-continental as a finance analyst, which gives him inter-cultural experience. He currently has a strong passion for regulation and macroeconomic trends as it allows him peek under the global bonnet to see how the world works.