US tourist drugged by fake Uber driver and robbed of $123K BTC — Report

An American tourist in the United Kingdom was reportedly drugged by an individual posing as a taxi driver, who stole the tourist's $123,000 in Bitcoin (BTC) stored on a cell phone.

According to a report from My London, Jacob Irwin-Cline went out to a London bar and had several drinks before calling an Uber to take him home.

Cline said that he did not thoroughly check the details of the Uber ride on his phone and left with a random private cab driver resembling the Uber driver at first glance, but driving a different vehicle — a detail Cline would only discover after the incident.

Once inside the vehicle, the US tourist said the driver offered him a cigarette, which Cline said was likely laced with a rare and potent sedative drug called scopolamine. Cline added that the cigarette made him feel extremely docile and tired, causing him to pass out for around 30 minutes before regaining consciousness.

Shortly after Cline woke up, the driver ordered him out of the vehicle. As Cline exited, the driver suddenly sped off, striking him with the car and fleeing with his cellphone, which contained his private keys and access to his crypto accounts.

The unfortunate incident comes amid a recent spate of kidnappings, extortion incidents, armed robberies, and ransom attempts directed at crypto industry executives, investors, and their families.

Related: Chainalysis CEO offers a clue into recent spate of Paris crypto attacks

Several kidnapping incidents involving crypto investors, industry executives, and their families have occurred in May.

On May 3, the father of an unnamed crypto exchange owner was freed by French police after law enforcement officials raided the property where the individual was being held captive by organized criminals demanding a ransom for his release.

Shortly after that incident, the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, the CEO of the Paymium crypto exchange, were the targets of an attempted kidnapping in Paris.

The incident occurred in broad daylight when the assailants attacked the family and attempted to force them into a parked vehicle. However, Noizat's daughter and another individual were able to fight off the masked attackers.

The rise in violent attacks against crypto investors and professionals has prompted an increase in personal security, including requests for bodyguards and private security measures for those likely to be victimized.

Magazine: China’s ‘point running’ crypto scams, pig butchers kidnap kids: Asia Express