Man Posing As Uber Driver Allegedly Steals Over $300,000 in Crypto From Unsuspecting Passengers: Report

Police officers in Scottsdale, Arizona reportedly arrested a fake Uber driver who allegedly stole crypto from his passengers.

According to NBC News, the Scottsdale Police Department said that Nuruhussein Hussein was apprehended on Wednesday and charged with two counts of money laundering, two counts of fraudulent schemes and two counts of theft for his scheme.

The police say that between March and December this year, Hussein pretended to be an Uber driver and picked up passengers at a hotel in the city.

The suspect allegedly borrowed his victims’ phone saying he needed to look up directions or connect to the Uber app, but the intention was to steal crypto from their digital wallet.

Says the police, according to NBC News,

“While manipulating the unsuspecting victim’s phone the suspect transferred cryptocurrency from their digital wallet to his digital wallet.”

Hussein is said to have taken over $300,000 from his passengers. The 40-year-old is also accused of telling a victim to “chill or something bad would happen.”

The bail bond is set at $200,000 and comes with terms such as placing Hussein under constant electronic monitoring and banning him from all internet use. The accused is also required to stay in Maricopa County as prosecutors claim he frequently travels to Ethiopia and is a flight risk.

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