Three Jailed for £4M Crypto Fraud Using Fake Police Websites

Three men have been sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for a cryptocurrency fraud that stole more than £4 million from at least eight victims by impersonating police officers and building fake law enforcement websites. The sentencing on 16 July 2026 followed a Met investigation launched after victims came forward in January 2025.

Contents

01

How the scam worked

02

Investigation and arrests

03

The defendants and their sentences

04

Where the money went

05

What crypto holders should know

How the scam worked

The gang obtained victims' personal details from the dark web before cold-calling them while posing as police officers, according to the Evening Standard. They told victims their cryptocurrency was at risk and directed them to fake police websites, persuading them to hand over account details or transfer funds to wallets they believed were secure police accounts. The fraudsters also posed as cryptocurrency company employees with fake technical support. One was recorded speaking to a victim while messaging a co-conspirator on Snapchat. Stolen funds were laundered through a complex network.

Investigation and arrests

Met detectives combined blockchain analysis with exchange records, financial data, and communications to link what initially appeared to be separate offences, uncovering an organised network across multiple jurisdictions. On 20 November 2025, officers executed warrants at seven addresses across London and Essex, arresting all three men and seizing 40 mobile phones, luxury goods, and cryptocurrency assets. All three were charged the next day and remanded.

The defendants and their sentences

Anthony Ikenwe, 29, of East Tilbury, and Kevin Nwamma, 25, of Watford, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering. Hamza Bashir, 23, of Wimbledon, changed his plea to guilty on the eighth day of trial. Ikenwe and Nwamma each received six years for fraud and five years for money laundering, concurrent. Bashir was sentenced to three years and nine months for fraud and three years for money laundering, also concurrent.

Despite minimal declared income, the trio holidayed in Thailand, Japan, the Maldives, and the Seychelles, and shopped at Harrods, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton. A car worth nearly £60,000 was bought with cryptocurrency, and luxury goods above £26,000 were seized.

Where the money went

Officers recovered roughly £1 million. Over £1 million in crypto was traced to Ikenwe's wallets, and about £500,000 sat in a Dubai safety deposit box. Roughly three-quarters of the funds remain missing, with international recovery efforts underway. DI Geoff Donoghue said the Met is working with UK and international partners to trace further suspects and assets.

What crypto holders should know

No legitimate law enforcement agency will ever ask anyone to transfer cryptocurrency to a safe wallet. Anyone receiving an unsolicited call claiming to be from police and requesting fund transfers should hang up and contact their local force through official channels. Cryptocurrency transactions are typically irreversible, and recovery is never guaranteed.