Two people from Arizona were robbed of a total of $300,000 in cryptocurrency by a man posing as a fake Uber driver.
The Scottsdale Police Department identified the victim as Nuruhussein Hussein. He targeted the first victim in March and the second in October. In both instances, he waited outside the W hotel, posing as their Uber driver. He even addressed them directly by their name, which is why the victims didn’t doubt him.
Once they entered his car, Hussein asked for their phones, claiming he was broken. Then, he accessed their Coinbase account and transferred all their funds to his own cold storage wallet.
In one of the instances, a victim grew doubtful and asked why the Uber app showed that their ride hadn’t arrived. To this Hussein claimed that something was wrong with the app and offered to troubleshoot. When the customer remained doubtful and asked for their phone back, he allegedly threatened them and said, “Chill or something bad would happen.”.
He was arrested on December 11 by Scottsdale detectives and US Secret Service agents on account of fraud, theft, and money laundering.
Rising Instances of Offline Crypto Thefts
This case with Nuruhussein Hussein isn’t a one-off instance. Lately, there has been a sharp increase in the number of offline crypto thefts. The robbery case of Hussein was still mild.
Some cases are much more violent than this. For example, there have been instances of armed gangs forcing into homes and holding the victims at gunpoint to get their crypto.
Cases are pouring in from all over the world, including Thailand, Ontario, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ukraine, and Costa Rica. For example, in November, an armed gang broke into a tourist’s room and forced them to transfer $250k USDT. The good news is these perpetrators were arrested a few days later.
Solutions Like Best Wallet Can Secure Your Digital Assets
The best way to combat any type of crypto theft is to choose a competent wallet. A good wallet uses a multi-layered security protocol and is easy enough to use so that both new and seasoned investors can reap its benefits.
After extensive research, we found a wallet that meets all these above-mentioned criteria. It’s the Best Wallet (yes, that’s literally its name).
Here’s what we like about it:
- Non-Custodial Wallet: Best Wallet is a non-custodial wallet, which means you will have complete control over your private keys. Any attack (if at all it happens) on the company’s server will not compromise your keys.
- Backup Passphrase: In case of device loss, you can use your backup passphrase to gain access to your wallet.
- Two-factor Authentication: You can add a 4-digit passcode on top of facial or fingerprint authentication. This way, even if one authentication method fails, another will be in place to protect your data.
Other than this, you get a user-friendly interface, third-party insurance through Fireblocks, custom tokens, access to their rewards program, and much more. There’s also a portal called “Upcoming Tokens,” where users can directly checkout tokens in presale.
On a side note, if you are interested in diversifying your portfolio, Best Wallet also has its own token called $BEST. It’s currently in presale, so you’ll get them at a discounted price. The project looks promising, with substantial growth. It has already raised over $4.5 million so far.
Users can also earn these tokens by completing certain tasks through the rewards program. However, this article is not investment advice; we always recommend you do your own research or consult your financial advisor before investing your hard-earned money.