‘Wave of Crypto Muggings’ Hits London’s Financial District

cryptonews.com:

In the UK, thieves are targeting crypto traders in “a wave of crypto muggings,” with police warning that “thousands of pounds have been stolen” by criminals looking out for opportunities to access other people’s wallets and transfer funds into their own accounts, per a new report.

The report was published by The Guardian, which obtained a number of “anonymized crime reports” from the City of London Police as part of a freedom of information request.

The “crypto muggings” reportedly took place in the second half of 2021 in the capital’s financial district. The crimes were described as “apparently opportunistic street incidents akin to a mugging for cash or valuables.”

Phil Ariss, the head of the “cryptocurrency team” on the National Police Chiefs’ Council cybercrime program, was quoted as stating that “more training was being given to police officers on a variety of crypto-related crimes” – but noted that police officers “were also looking at ways to inform the public” about the need to be vigilant about using crypto-related apps in public spaces.

Ariss was quoted as stating:

“You wouldn’t walk down the street holding [banknotes] and counting them. That should apply to people with cryptoassets.”

Indeed, one of the victims appears to have been trading on Crypto.com during “an evening at the pub” – his phone was stolen and some USD 12,300 worth of crypto and/or fiat was taken from his wallet.

The police report detailed that the “victim was using his phone in the pub and believed thieves saw him type in his account pin.”

In another of the anonymized reports, officers explained that a victim trying to order an Uber on the street was mugged by a group of individuals who took the phone and then returned it – only for the victim to