Man accused of conning Bristol woman out of £150k in Bitcoin phone scam

Police seized around £100,000 in crypto assets

A man is accused of conning a woman from Bristol out of around £150,000 in a Bitcoin scam. Omar Abdalla, 28, has been charged with money laundering as part of the investigation.

The victim, aged in her 50s, had 3.16 Bitcoin (worth £154,000 at the time) stolen in a telephone scam last June. She reported the scam to Action Fraud before a referral was made to Avon and Somerset Police.

Investigating officers from the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) then seized £100,000 in crypto assets. A man was charged with a money laundering offence (entering into/concerned in acquisition/retention/ use or control of criminal property).

Abdalla, of Matthias Road in Islington, London, appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Monday (January 20). He was remanded in custody until the next hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Monday, February 24.