Crafty Con: Man Pretended to Be Uber Driver, Stole Crypto From Riders

A 40-year-old man from Scottsdale, Arizona, was recently charged with electronic fraud after tricking people into thinking he was an Uber driver. Prosecutors described the scam as highly sophisticated. Nuruhussein Hussein, the man in question, would allegedly find his targets outside hotels, knowing they were looking for Uber rides. He’d shout their names and convince them he was their driver. Once the unsuspecting passengers got into his car, Hussein would find a way to grab their phones. He’d claim he needed to use their phones for various reasons, such as having issues with his own phone or needing to connect to the Uber app. With the victims’ phones in his possession, Hussein would access their Coinbase accounts and transfer cryptocurrency into his own digital wallet. In one instance, Hussein allegedly threatened a victim after they asked for their phone back. He warned something bad would happen if the victim didn’t calm down, leading the victim to believe Hussein had a gun. Hussein was released on a $200, 000 bond and is now under electronic monitoring. He's also banned from using the internet and must stay in Maricopa County. There seems to be a discrepancy in the reported stolen amount. While police claim over $300, 000 was stolen, court documents show it was around $223, 000. The difference might be due to the volatility of cryptocurrencies. Despite attempts to reach the Scottsdale Police Department for clarification, they haven’t responded yet.