Olympic Sprinter Can't Outrun Charges in UK Crypto Fraud Investigation

British sprinter CJ Ujah has been charged successful the U.K. for his alleged relation successful a cryptocurrency fraud cognition that constabulary accidental targeted victims done impersonation scams designed to bargain funds from crypto wallets.

On Thursday, the U.K. Regional Organized Crime Units (ROCUs) said 10 radical were charged with conspiracy to defraud pursuing coordinated raids crossed Kent, Essex, London, and Wakefield connected April 29.

“It is alleged the suspects were portion of an organized transgression radical linked to a scam which progressive telephone calls to aggregate victims, from radical purporting to beryllium constabulary officers and cryptocurrency companies,” the bureau said successful a statement.

Police said victims were tricked into sharing effect phrases and different backstage wallet betterment details earlier discovering their cryptocurrency had been stolen. While UK authorities did not notation which crypto assets were stolen, 1 unfortunate allegedly mislaid much than £300,000.

Seed phrases relation arsenic betterment keys for galore cryptocurrency wallets. Anyone with entree to the operation tin reconstruct the wallet and transportation its funds, making them a predominant people successful phishing and impersonation scams.

All 10 suspects appeared successful tribunal connected April 30. Three people, including British jock Brandon Mingeli, were kept successful custody until their adjacent tribunal proceeding connected May 28. The different 7 suspects, including Ujah, were released connected bail.

Ujah roseate to prominence helping Great Britain triumph 4x100-meter relay golden astatine the 2017 World Championships successful what became Usain Bolt’s last race. He aboriginal received a 22-month prohibition aft investigating affirmative for prohibited substances astatine the Tokyo Olympics, costing the squad its relay metallic medal. Athletics authorities aboriginal ruled that contaminated supplements caused the failed test. He returned to contention successful 2024, but has not raced since April 2025.

Crypto scams person progressively shifted toward social engineering and phishing schemes that trick victims into voluntarily giving up wallet entree oregon transferring funds. Blockchain information steadfast Scam Sniffer said astir 4,700 wallets were drained done signature phishing attacks successful January alone. In April, Elon Musk’s X rolled out caller features aimed astatine stopping crypto-related crimes connected the site.

U.K. Police warned citizens to beryllium cautious of unexpected calls oregon messages asking for wallet information.

“Police volition ne'er telephone you unexpectedly astir your crypto oregon inquire you to entree your acold retention devices—this is simply a large reddish flag,” authorities wrote. “No morganatic institution oregon constabulary serviceman volition ever inquire for your effect phrase.”