Incident Overview
An unfortunate incident has befallen a tourist from the United States, resulting in the significant loss of more than $123,000 in cryptocurrency while visiting London. Jacob Irwin-Cline, a resident of Portland, Oregon, was enjoying a brief layover in the city when he encountered a scheme that appears to have been carefully orchestrated. The incident occurred in the early hours of May 9 after Irwin-Cline left The Roxy, a popular nightclub located in the Soho neighborhood, at roughly 1:30 AM.
Details of the Encounter
According to police reports, a driver, who had prior knowledge of Irwin-Cline’s name through the Uber application, managed to intercept him. Following the event, Irwin-Cline reviewed CCTV footage from the club, which confirmed that he got into a dark sedan instead of the Toyota Prius that the app indicated he should be entering.
The man behind the wheel appeared friendly, leading Irwin-Cline to describe him as “super chill” and “super nice.”
During the ride, the driver offered Irwin-Cline a cigarette, which is now believed to have contained scopolamine, a powerful sedative notorious for creating a state of compliance and memory blackouts in victims. While consuming the cigarette, Irwin-Cline, in a compromised state, inadvertently divulged his phone passcode and gave access to his cryptocurrency accounts. He later found himself abandoned in an unfamiliar section of London.
Financial Impact
Investigation reveals that the perpetrators directly accessed his cryptocurrency wallet following a forced login into his Revolut account. The data indicates that Irwin-Cline’s substantial cryptocurrency holdings were severely impacted, including losses of approximately $72,000 in XRP tokens and nearly $50,000 in Bitcoin, alongside other lesser-known digital currencies he possessed.
Reactions and Observations
Despite experiencing this harrowing incident, Irwin-Cline expressed doubt that he was specifically targeted, instead suggesting that the thief merely got fortunate, taking advantage of his existing wealth. The event highlights a disturbing trend in Europe, known as a “wrench attack,” whereby victims are coerced into surrendering their digital currencies through physical intimidation.
Current Status
As authorities continue their investigation, no arrests have yet been made. Follow-up inquiries have been made to law enforcement for any updates as the case unfolds.
