US Tourist Drugged and Mugged in London: $123K in XRP and BTC Disappears

A brief stopover in London for an American software developer turned into a harrowing experience when he was reportedly abducted and robbed of his cryptocurrency assets, leaving him both injured and financially devastated.

Jacob Irwin-Cline, 30, alleges that he was incapacitated by a fraudulent Uber driver in the early hours of May 9. The driver supposedly utilized manipulative tactics along with a tampered cigarette to gain unauthorized access to Irwin-Cline’s digital currency accounts, leading to a staggering loss of $123,000 from his crypto wallets.

Drugged, Injured, and Robbed

An account from a local source reveals that the Portland resident had gone out for drinks at The Roxy nightclub in Soho and intended to head back to his hostel in Bayswater just after 1:30 AM. After ordering a legitimate Uber via the app, a man who fit the driver’s profile arrived in a different vehicle— a dark sedan instead of the expected Toyota Prius.

Feeling comfortable, Irwin-Cline accepted a cigarette from the man, whom he suspects spiked it with scopolamine, a substance known for making victims compliant and forgetful.

What transpired next was a haze of confusion: Irwin-Cline reported intermittent loss of consciousness, during which he believes he inadvertently revealed passcodes and navigated through applications before being forcibly ejected from the car. He also stated that the driver physically assaulted him during the sudden escape.

The assailant allegedly took advantage of Irwin-Cline’s Revolut app to breach several crypto wallets, making off with approximately $72,000 in XRP, $50,000 in Bitcoin, along with smaller amounts in various altcoins. Both his phone and laptop were compromised; the laptop was wiped remotely, and his phone was taken.

Despite his frantic efforts to regain access to his accounts, with assistance from a roommate in the U.S., the digital assets vanished within hours. He described himself as barely able to walk and profoundly shaken by the ordeal.

Though he does not think he was specifically targeted, this incident reflects a troubling trend in Europe of “wrench attacks,” where physical force is used to gain access to cryptocurrency. The Metropolitan Police and an FBI cybercrime unit are currently investigating, but Irwin-Cline is worried that the chances of recovering his assets are minimal.

Physical Attacks Escalate

As cryptocurrencies gain broader acceptance and popularity, there has been an alarming rise in physical assaults aimed at individuals holding Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency.

Earlier this month in Paris, there was a failed kidnapping attempt involving the daughter and grandson of a well-known crypto executive. Masked assailants ambushed the family during a school drop-off but fled when the couple resisted. It was later discovered that one of the assailants carried a fake firearm. This incident, captured on video, is part of a troubling series of violent crimes related to cryptocurrencies in France, with the victims being family members of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat.

Prior incidents have included the kidnapping of a crypto millionaire’s father and a ransom attack on a co-founder of Ledger, both involving severe violence.