Two Nigerian nationals and a third accomplice have been jailed for a combined 28 years and nine months after defrauding victims of nearly £5 million through a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam.
Anthony Ikenwe, 29, Kevin Nwamma, 25, and Hamza Bashir, 23, were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court after being convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
According to investigators, the trio posed as police officers and falsely claimed victims’ cryptocurrency accounts had been compromised. They persuaded them to hand over sensitive account details or transfer their digital assets into wallets they believed were secure but were actually controlled by the fraudsters.
Police said the suspects obtained victims’ personal information from the dark web, created fake cryptocurrency websites and impersonated employees of crypto companies while operating bogus technical support services to make the scam appear genuine.
Detectives also uncovered a video showing one suspect speaking to a victim while receiving live instructions from a co-conspirator on Snapchat. One of the messages read: “Tell him to try with old pass.”
Authorities said the proceeds of the fraud funded lavish lifestyles, including luxury holidays, designer watches, expensive vehicles and shopping trips to high-end stores such as Harrods.
Investigators confirmed that at least eight victims lost nearly £5 million in cryptocurrency, although they believe the actual number of victims is much higher.
The investigation, which began in January 2025, involved analysing blockchain transactions, cryptocurrency exchange records, financial records, communication data and digital wallets. Detectives said the evidence exposed an organised criminal network operating across multiple online platforms and jurisdictions.
Detective Inspector Geoff Donoghue of the Metropolitan Police’s Cryptocurrency Team said the case showed that cybercriminals cannot rely on technology or digital assets to conceal their crimes and reaffirmed the force’s commitment to bringing offenders to justice.
Ikenwe and Nwamma were each sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit fraud and five years for money laundering, with both sentences running concurrently. Bashir received three years and nine months for conspiracy to commit fraud and three years for money laundering, also to run concurrently.
Police have urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited calls about their finances and to always verify any claims directly with their bank or cryptocurrency service provider before sharing personal or financial information.
