Fake Uber Driver Charged for Stealing $300K in Crypto

A Scottsdale man, Nuruhussein Hussein, is facing multiple charges for allegedly posing as an Uber driver to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting victims. United States law authorities say Hussein’s scheme targeted individuals outside Scottsdale, which resulted in over $300,000 in crypto asset theft between March and October 2024.

Fake Uber Drive Steals Using Crypto

According to prosecutors, Hussein approached victims waiting for rides near Camelback and Scottsdale roads, calling out their names as though he were their assigned driver. Once the victims entered the vehicle, he devised means and excuses to access their phones, claiming his phone was not working or offered to help resolve issues with their Uber app.

Once he accessed their phones, Hussein transferred funds from their Coinbase accounts through direct phone transfers or cold storage wallets. The court document revealed that the total stolen funds amounted to $223,000, though the police department claimed the amount was over $300,000. One victim told local police that when they demanded their phones back, Hussein issued threats, which caused the victim to believe that he might be armed, although no weapon was seen.

He was arrested on December 11 after a joint investigation by Scottsdale police and the United States Secret Service. Prosecutors charged him with theft, fraud, and money laundering. They requested a cash bond of $200,000, citing the fake Uber driver’s sophisticated methods and potential as a flight risk due to his frequent trips to Ethiopia.

If released on bond, he will be placed under electronic monitoring and banned from using the internet. The bond amount is meant to ensure that he will return to court for his hearings; if he doesn’t, he will lose the money. He is to remain in Maricopa County while awaiting trial. His next court appearance is set for late December.

More Crypto Scams

As scammers devise diverse dubious means to exploit unsuspecting individuals, they continuously employ crypto and its underlying blockchain technology to execute their criminal acts.

Scammers recently tricked a victim into paying 250,000 USDT to settle fake charges. Fearing consequences from the scammers who pretended to be police officers, the victim transferred the funds, which were washed through a cryptocurrency exchange, to cover their tracks.