Crypto
Man arrested for pretending to be Uber driver, stealing victims’ cryptocurrency
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The Republic
A man was arrested and booked on theft and fraud charges after pretending to be an Uber driver and stealing cryptocurrency from his victims.
Nuruhussein Hussein, 39, of Tempe, was arrested by the Scottsdale Police on December 11th.
Scottsdale police allege Hussein pretended to be a rideshare driver between March and December 2024. Hussein would allegedly attain the phones of his victims and transfer their cryptocurrency holdings to his account.
According to court records, Hussein called victims by their names outside the W Hotel in Scottsdale. After the victims entered his car, Hussein would ask to see their phones, claiming there was an issue with the Uber app, while secretly transferring funds to himself.
One victim told police Hussein threatened him, saying “If you don’t chill out, something bad going to happen.”
At the time of his arrest, Scottsdale police believe Hussein had stolen more than $200,000.
Scottsdale police detectives worked with Secret Service special agents on the case.
Hussein’s next court hearing is scheduled for December 18.