TLDR
- American tourist Jacob Irwin-Cline, 30, lost $123,000 in cryptocurrency after being drugged by a fake Uber driver in London
- The driver offered him a cigarette believed to be laced with scopolamine, a powerful sedative known as “Devil’s Breath”
- Irwin-Cline was left on the street after being hit by the car, with his phone stolen and crypto wallets drained
- The incident occurred after a night out in Soho on May 9, with the victim believing it was an organized crime operation
- FBI cybercrime unit and London police are investigating, but recovery chances are described as less than one percent
A 30-year-old American tourist lost his life savings in cryptocurrency after being drugged and robbed by a fake Uber driver in London. Jacob Irwin-Cline from Portland, Oregon was visiting the UK on a layover when the incident occurred on May 9.
Irwin-Cline had been drinking at The Roxy bar on Rathbone Place in Soho before calling an Uber around 1:30am. A driver flagged him down using the name from his Uber app and appeared to match the profile photo shown on his phone.
The vehicle was a dark sedan that did not match the Toyota Prius listed in the app. The driver, who called himself Mohammed, convinced Irwin-Cline to sit in the front passenger seat and offered him a cigarette.
Irwin-Cline believes the cigarette was laced with scopolamine, a powerful sedative known as “Devil’s Breath.” The drug is commonly used in South America for robberies and causes victims to become docile and compliant.
The Robbery Method
After smoking the cigarette, Irwin-Cline became disoriented and passed out. He remembers the driver asking for his phone and passcode, claiming he needed directions. The victim provided access to his cryptocurrency wallets while under the influence of the drug.
When Irwin-Cline began to regain consciousness, the driver stopped the car and asked him to get out and open the trunk. As he complied, the driver sped away, hitting him and leaving him injured on the street near Childs Way in Golders Green.
The victim was left with scrapes on his leg and could barely walk for several days. A stranger helped him get back to his hostel in Bayswater, where he discovered his laptop had been remotely wiped.
Working with a friend in America, Irwin-Cline managed to regain access to his accounts. He found that $123,000 had been stolen from his cryptocurrency wallets, including $73,000 in XRP and $50,000 in Bitcoin.
Organized Crime Operation
Evidence suggests this was a coordinated attack rather than a random crime. CCTV footage from The Roxy shows the correct Uber vehicle waiting behind the fake one that picked up Irwin-Cline.
The victim believes criminals were operating both vehicles, with one driver controlling the legitimate Uber account while another carried out the robbery. His Uber journey was cancelled before the theft occurred.
Irwin-Cline has traced some of his stolen cryptocurrency to wallets on exchanges MEXC and BTSE. The funds were moved through multiple wallets to make tracking difficult, with some ending up in a wallet containing over $10 million.
Investigation Challenges
The Metropolitan Police, Action Fraud, and the FBI’s cybercrime unit are investigating the case. However, proving the use of scopolamine is difficult because the drug leaves the body within 12 hours and requires specific testing.
Irwin-Cline never received a toxicology test despite requesting one. Scopolamine is rarely encountered in the UK, though there have been previous cases involving the drug in London robberies and murders.
The substance is derived from South American plants and is virtually undetectable in standard drug tests. It has been used in high-profile crimes including the 2019 murder of dancer Adrian Murphy in Battersea.
Recovery Prospects
Irwin-Cline estimates his chances of recovering the stolen funds at less than one percent. Without insurance on his cryptocurrency holdings, recovery depends entirely on law enforcement action.
The FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit, established in 2022, specializes in cryptocurrency crimes and blockchain analysis. However, the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency makes seizure and recovery extremely difficult.
An Uber spokesperson called the incident “totally unacceptable” and confirmed they are investigating. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they received the report and are conducting ongoing inquiries, though no arrests have been made.
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