American Tourist Loses $150,000 in Crypto After London Abduction

An American tourist, Jacob Irwin-Cline, a 30-year-old former software developer from Oregon, was allegedly abducted, drugged, and robbed of his life savings in London. The incident occurred during the early hours of May 9, when Irwin-Cline was leaving The Roxy nightclub in Soho after a night out. He was approached by a driver who called out the alias on his Uber account, leading him to believe the car and driver matched the app details. However, Irwin-Cline now suspects he was lured into a lookalike vehicle operated by a criminal linked to a fraudulent Uber account.

The situation escalated when the driver offered Irwin-Cline a cigarette, which he suspects was laced with scopolamine—a powerful sedative known for its use in South American crimes. Irwin-Cline passed out for what he assumed to be 20 to 30 minutes. When he regained consciousness, he found himself injured on the side of a road in Golders Green, missing both his phone and memory of how he got there. By the time he returned to his hostel, his laptop had been wiped, and his digital assets had vanished. Screenshots show $73,000 worth of XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin had been moved to various wallets. He believes the stolen funds were funneled through exchanges like MEXC and BTSE, but without insurance or a court order, recovery remains unlikely.

The alleged robbery has been reported to the Metropolitan Police, Action Fraud, the FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit, and Uber. Authorities confirmed that an investigation is underway, but no arrests have been made. The Metropolitan Police said the report was filed the same morning, with cryptocurrency theft estimated at $150,000. Irwin-Cline is staying in London to cooperate with authorities, though he holds little hope of recovering the stolen funds. “It’s virtually impossible to get that money back unless some weird miracle happens,” he said.

This incident highlights the growing trend of violent crypto-related crimes. Criminal groups are using cryptocurrencies to fund and conceal a wider range of crimes, from investment scams and AI-enhanced romance frauds to drug trafficking and physical violence. The use of scopolamine in this case is particularly alarming, as it indicates a new level of sophistication and danger in crypto-related crimes. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with digital assets and the importance of vigilance when dealing with cryptocurrencies.