Drugged and Robbed: Tourist Loses $123K in Crypto After London Fake Uber Ride

Jacob Irwin-Cline, a U.S. citizen and crypto investor, reported being targeted in a coordinated attack while visiting London. He claims he was drugged and lost access to $123,000 in crypto wallets after entering a vehicle he believed to be an Uber.

The vehicle — a dark sedan — arrived shortly after he requested a ride via the Uber app. The driver, who identified himself as Mohammed, resembled the in-app photo but was operating a different vehicle. Irvin-Klein entered the front seat. Minutes later, the driver offered him a cigarette, which the victim believes may have been laced with scopolamine (“Devil’s Breath”), a drug linked to memory loss and wallet draining crimes:

“I vaguely remember going through applications a bit. He got a couple of passkeys from me to enter applications. There was definitely some sort of drug in the cigarette. I passed out for what I assumed to be 20 to 30 minutes.”

As the victim began to regain partial awareness, the assailant physically removed him from the vehicle in a residential district, injuring his leg while escaping. It took several hours before Jacob Irvin-Klein could get online and contact a friend, who assisted in restoring access to his compromised devices.

Upon reviewing his wallets, he discovered that all of his holdings had been stolen: approximately $73,000 in XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin, with a remaining balance of under $2,000. He was able to trace some transactions to large receiving addresses — potentially exchange wallets — but without formal investigative support, the recovery process is blocked. Jacob has since reported the incident to UK law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Metropolitan Police have logged the incident as the theft of both a mobile device and digital assets. However, as of now, there have been no arrests. Furthermore, toxicology testing has not been performed — a decision made despite the victim’s specific request. Uber has initiated an internal investigation. The FBI Cyber Division has acknowledged receipt of the case and confirmed that it remains in the data assessment phase.

Drugs, Theft, and Crypto: Scopolamine’s Role in European Crimes

Though often linked to South America, scopolamine is also used in European criminal schemes, including robberies and contract killings. In one notable London case from six years ago, dancer Adrian Murphy was fatally poisoned with the drug. The suspects later tried to buy $62,000 in diamonds using Murphy’s stolen identity.

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Kidnappings linked to crypto assets are becoming more frequent. In Chicago, the FBI exposed a $15 million crypto extortion scheme where criminals abducted a businessman's family directly from his home. In another case in France, a Facebook moderator evaded a similar fate after noticing suspicious surveillance targeting his family.

Can Stolen Crypto Be Recovered? The Odds Are Slim

Jacob Irvin-Klein estimates there's less than a 1% chance of recovering his stolen digital assets. While self-custody is often praised for its security, he reminds crypto users that personal responsibility — including situational awareness — is critical, given the increasing threat of physical and digital scams.

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Beyond kidnappings, crypto holders today face phishing attacks, deepfake scams, and AI-driven fraud. Jacob is recovering from a hip injury sustained during the assault and continues working with law enforcement. He adds: “As long as I’m healthy, I can rebuild. Crypto can be earned again.”