Three men who posed as police officers on Snapchat to steal nearly £5 million in cryptocurrency from unsuspecting victims have been jailed for a combined total of 28 years and nine months. Anthony Ikenwe, 29, Hamza Bashir, 23, and Kevin Nwamma, 25, were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday after being convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
How the scam operated
The trio obtained victims' details from the dark web and called them pretending to be police officers, falsely claiming their cryptocurrency was at risk. They urged victims to take immediate action, tricking them into revealing account information or transferring digital assets to accounts they believed were set up by police for protection. In reality, these accounts were controlled by the fraudsters.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Cryptocurrency Team uncovered the scam after victims came forward in January 2025. They used a data-driven approach, analysing blockchain transactions, communications, financial records, cryptocurrency exchange records, and internet service provider data. By linking aliases, telephone numbers, websites, cryptocurrency wallets, and spending patterns, they connected offences that initially seemed unrelated.
Lavish lifestyles funded by stolen crypto
Police say the trio used the stolen funds to finance extravagant lifestyles, including multiple holidays a year, despite one of the men having a recorded income of just £444. CCTV footage showed them laughing as they spent victims' money on luxury purchases at Harrods. Other images captured them posing in expensive cars, showing off designer watches, and flaunting large amounts of cash.
In one shocking video, believed to have been recorded by one of the fraudsters, he can be heard speaking to a victim on a scam call while attempting to obtain the password to their cryptocurrency account. Simultaneously, he was messaging a co-conspirator on Snapchat for instructions. One message read: "Tell him to try with old pass."
Investigation and sentencing
Detective Inspector Geoff Donoghue, from the Met's Cryptocurrency Team, said: "This was a highly complex investigation into a group of calculated manipulators who exploited victims' trust by pretending to be police officers. The Met's Cryptocurrency Team painstakingly traced millions of pounds, combining a wide range of investigative techniques to identify those responsible and dismantle a significant criminal network. Fraud is far from a victimless crime. Many of those targeted suffered devastating financial losses. Criminals cannot rely on sophisticated technology to hide their crimes. The Met Police remains committed to pursuing them and bringing them to justice."
Anthony Ikenwe of East Tilbury was sentenced to six years for conspiracy to commit fraud and five years for money laundering, to run concurrently. Hamza Bashir of Wimbledon was sentenced to three years and nine months for conspiracy to commit fraud and three years for money laundering, to run concurrently. Kevin Nwamma of Watford was sentenced to six years for conspiracy to commit fraud and five years for money laundering, to run concurrently.
Public vigilance urged
Detectives say the trio would first gain victims' trust before directing them to fake websites designed to look identical to legitimate platforms. These sites captured passwords and granted access to cryptocurrency accounts. To make the scam appear more convincing, they also posed as employees from cryptocurrency companies or introduced fake third-party technical support contacts, falsely reassuring victims that the activity was genuine.
Officers are urging the public to remain vigilant when receiving unexpected calls about their finances. They advise people to hang up and contact their bank or account provider directly before sharing any personal or financial details.
