U.S. Tourist Drugged and Robbed of $123K in Crypto by Fake Uber Driver in London!

Jacob Irwin-Cline's Harrowing Ordeal in the UK

Holy crypto heist, Batman! A 30-year-old American named Jacob Irwin-Cline just got the shock of his life while on a layover in the UK. This dude was cruising through Soho, having a blast, when he decided to call an Uber to head back to his hostel. Little did he know, he was about to step into a nightmare!

Instead of the real deal, a sketchy driver who went by "Mohammed" flagged him down, pretending to be his ride. Cline said this guy seemed chill enough at first, matching the profile on his app. But here's the twist: the car was totally off from what was listed on his phone. Red flag, right?

Inside the car, "Mohammed" offered Cline a cigarette, which he now thinks was packed with some crazy sedative. Before he knew it, Cline was out like a light, waking up dazed and confused on the street with his phone—and his access to $123,000 in crypto—vanished into thin air.

Despite reaching out to the FBI's cybercrime unit, Cline's not holding his breath about getting his funds back. This wild incident is just one in a string of crypto-related crimes hitting unsuspecting investors and tourists hard.

A Disturbing Trend in Crypto Crimes

As digital assets keep soaring in popularity, the risks are cranking up for folks holding big bucks in mobile wallets or on unsecured devices. And get this: just a few weeks ago, the father of a crypto exchange founder got snatched in France by a gang demanding a ransom. Talk about living in a thriller!

But wait, there's more! In Paris, the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat were almost abducted in broad daylight. It's gotten so bad that French authorities are rolling out special ops for crypto pros and their families—think priority police access and beefed-up home security.

And don't think it's just happening overseas. Over in the U.S., three Florida teens reportedly kidnapped a guy after a crypto event in Vegas, forcing him to cough up millions in digital assets before dumping him in the desert. It's like a real-life action movie, but with way higher stakes.