British sprinter CJ Ujah among 10 charged in UK crypto fraud impersonation scam
British sprinter CJ Ujah has been charged in the UK for his alleged role in a cryptocurrency fraud operation that targeted victims through impersonation scams. On Thursday, the UK Regional Organized Crime Units announced that 10 people were charged with conspiracy to defraud following coordinated raids across multiple locations on April 29. Police allege the suspects were part of an organized crime group that made phone calls pretending to be police officers or cryptocurrency company representatives, tricking victims into sharing wallet seed phrases and other private recovery details, leading to the theft of cryptocurrency. The investigation revealed that one victim lost over £300,000. Seed phrases, which act as recovery keys for crypto wallets, were a primary target in these scams. All 10 suspects appeared in court on April 30; three were remanded in custody, while seven, including Ujah, were released on bail. Ujah, known for winning a 4x100m relay gold at the 2017 World Championships, previously served a 22-month doping ban for a positive test at the Tokyo Olympics, later attributed to contaminated supplements. This case highlights the growing prevalence of social engineering and phishing scams in the crypto space. UK Police warned that legitimate entities will never ask for seed phrases or request access to cold storage devices unexpectedly. Wallet and key holders should be vigilant against unsolicited calls or messages requesting private information, as sharing seed phrases can result in immediate loss of funds. Using hardware wallets and enabling two-factor authentication can add layers of security, but education remains the best defense against these schemes.
Key facts
- CJ Ujah among 10 charged with conspiracy to defraud in UK crypto scam.
- Police allege victims tricked into sharing wallet seed phrases via impersonation calls.
- One victim reportedly lost over £300,000 in the scheme.
- Suspects appeared in court April 30; Ujah released on bail.
- Police warn: legitimate entities never ask for seed phrases.