Quick Summary:
- Victim: Jacob Irwin-Cline, 30, a former software developer from Oregon.
- Incident Date: Early hours of May 9, 2025.
- Location: London, after leaving The Roxy nightclub in Soho.
- Crime: Abducted, drugged with suspected scopolamine, and robbed of $123,000 in crypto.
- Stolen Assets: $73,000 in XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin.
- Alleged Platforms Used: MEXC and BTSE for laundering the stolen crypto.
- Status: Report filed; investigation ongoing with UK and US authorities involved.
- Larger Trend: Crypto-related crimes topped $40.9 billion in 2024.
Abducted After a Night Out
What started as a typical night out in London turned into a crypto horror story for Jacob Irwin-Cline. After leaving The Roxy nightclub in Soho, he was approached by a driver who called out the name from his Uber app. Trusting the match, Irwin-Cline entered the vehicle—unaware that he was stepping into a cleverly disguised trap.
Drugged and Dumped
Inside the vehicle, the driver offered him a cigarette—one Irwin-Cline now suspects was laced with scopolamine, a dangerous sedative often used in crimes across South America.
“I passed out for what I assumed to be 20 to 30 minutes,” Irwin-Cline told MyLondon.
He awoke injured on the roadside in Golders Green, his phone gone and memory blank. By the time he returned to his hostel, not only had his laptop been wiped clean, but over $123,000 in digital assets—including $73K in XRP and $50K in Bitcoin—had vanished from his crypto wallets.
Crypto Heist Gone Global
Irwin-Cline believes the attacker funneled the stolen funds through cryptocurrency exchanges like MEXC and BTSE, making recovery nearly impossible without a court order or cyber insurance. Despite reporting the incident to the Metropolitan Police, Action Fraud, the FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit, and Uber, no arrests have been made.
“It’s virtually impossible to get that money back unless some weird miracle happens,” he admitted.
A Symptom of a Bigger Problem
This disturbing incident is part of a growing wave of crypto-related crimes, which hit $40.9 billion in 2024, according to data from Chainalysis. While online hacks remain a significant threat—like the $300 million hack on Japan’s DMM Bitcoin exchange—criminals are increasingly turning to physical tactics.
In a chilling May 13 case, masked men attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of Paymium’s CEO in Paris, signaling a frightening evolution in crypto-fueled crime.
Final Thoughts
Irwin-Cline’s case is a grim reminder that the threats tied to digital assets extend far beyond the screen. As crypto becomes more mainstream, users must stay vigilant—both online and in real life.