Crypto holders warned following arrests linked to scam calls across UK

Cryptocurrency holders are being urged to stay alert after two suspects from Essex were arrested in connection with a scam across the UK including phone calls from bogus police officers. 

The arrests form part of an investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) after potential victims were warned their crypto accounts were at risk and instructed to move funds elsewhere.

In July 2025, a man living near Bedford, Bedfordshire, was told his Bitcoin account had been compromised and tricked into transferring currency to a “safe wallet”.

He was also convinced to share his seed phrases – a random word sequence generated to act as a master key for recovering funds. The line then went dead, and the victim discovered £300,000 of his cryptocurrency had been stolen.

On 18 February 2026, ERSOU officers arrested a man and woman, both in their 20s, at a Chelmsford address, seizing phones and computers.

A third suspect, a 24‑year‑old man, was later arrested in Greenwich. All three are currently bailed with strict conditions.

Further victims

Colleagues from the North East Regional Special Operations Unit are assisting with the investigation after a victim in Northumbria reportedly lost £30,000 to the fraud.

Ongoing enquiries have also identified at least four further intended victims across the UK who were contacted but did not suffer financial loss. One of these individuals was based near Edenbridge, Kent.

Reports indicate victims received calls from a man impersonating a police officer, claiming either a suspect had been arrested in possession of a driving licence bearing the victim’s details, or that a suspect’s phone was found to contain some of their cryptocurrency details.

This was followed by a second call from a woman purporting to represent a cryptocurrency company, who attempted to capture their seed phrases.

Sherry Pugh, Fraud Protect Coordinator for ERSOU’s Regional Economic Crime Unit, said:

“Crypto Investment Fraud is one of the fastest growing types of fraud in the UK. Many of these scams follow the same pattern - unsolicited contact, before shifting conversations to private messaging apps, such as Telegram, WhatsApp or Signal, and building a personal connection. "Never share wallet keys or seeds phrases, transfer crypto under pressure, or allow remote access to your phone or computer." 

Advice to deter scammers

• Police will never call you unexpectedly about your crypto or ask you to access your cold storage devices - this is a big red flag.
• No legitimate company or police officer will ever ask for your seed phrase.
• Never click links sent via unsolicited emails or calls.
• Never share or enter your password anywhere except directly on your cold storage device during setup or recovery.
• If you receive a call claiming to be from police, verify it yourself. Call 101, after waiting five minutes to clear the line. Or call from a different phone.

If you think you have been a victim of crypto fraud, report it via reportfraud.police.uk