An American tourist, Jacob Irwin Cline, experienced a nightmare in London when a fake Uber driver allegedly drugged him and stole $123,000 worth of Bitcoin and XRP. Cline, a 30-year-old former software engineer from Portland, Oregon, arrived in London for a brief layover that turned into a financial disaster.

According to Cline's account, the incident began when a man posing as his Uber driver called out his rideshare nickname outside a Soho bar. Without verifying the car's details, Cline entered the vehicle. The suspect then reportedly offered Cline a cigarette laced with scopolamine, a potent sedative also known as "Devil’s Breath." This drug induced memory loss and caused Cline to drift in and out of consciousness.

During this period of incapacitation, Cline claims he was coerced into handing over his phone and access credentials. He later awoke injured after being hit by a car, disoriented and without his phone. Upon returning to his hostel, he discovered that his laptop had been remotely accessed, and his crypto wallets had been emptied. Cline reported a significant drop in his XRP balance from $73,000 to less than $1,000, and his Bitcoin holdings decreased from $50,000 to under $10,000. He identified MEXC and BTSE as destinations for some of the stolen cryptocurrency.

Cline estimates his chances of recovering his stolen assets are minimal, citing the lack of recovery tools or insurance. The British police are currently investigating the case, which highlights a growing global trend of crypto-related thefts targeting crypto owners. This incident also raises concerns about the safety of tourists and the vulnerabilities within the digital asset space.

In a related incident, the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, cofounder of crypto exchange Paymium, were recently targeted in an attempted abduction in Paris. These events underscore the increasing risks associated with cryptocurrency ownership and the need for heightened security measures.