Cracking a $300K Crypto Rideshare Robbery

The Scottsdale Police Department may not be the largest agency in Arizona, but its dedication to cutting-edge financial crimes investigations rivals that of any major city. Leading the charge is Detective Jeff Brennan, a seasoned officer with 18 years on the force, the last ten of which he has spent focused on property and financial crimes. Today, Brennan specializes in cryptocurrency-related fraud — an area of crime he says is rapidly on the rise in Scottsdale.

“Scottsdale is a very affluent community,” Brennan explains. “And because of that, we see more fraud schemes involving cryptocurrency than in many other places.”

Detective Brennan was supported in this case by Detective Matt McArthur, a digital forensics expert with a background in technology. McArthur’s role was critical in extracting and analyzing digital evidence from the defendant’s devices once probable cause had been established.

The scam: A rideshare ruse with real-world consequences

The case began with an unusual report: a hotel guest in Scottsdale believed he had been scammed during what he thought was a rideshare ride. This individual got into a car he assumed was his Uber. During the ride, the driver asked to borrow the victim’s phone — claiming his own phone had died — and used it to get directions. What the victim didn’t realize was that, in that moment, his crypto assets were being drained.

By the next morning, the victim noticed deleted emails and missing funds from his Coinbase account. He immediately reported the crime to the Scottsdale Police Department.

Shortly after, a second victim came forward with a nearly identical story. In both cases, the accused requested the victims' phones and, under false pretenses, gained access to their crypto wallets. “What stood out was that the timestamps of the transfers aligned with the exact time of the rides,” Brennan said. “These weren’t just crimes that happened online. They happened in real life, in our community.”

One of the victims believed he saw what looked like a firearm in the center console of the vehicle. “He was scared,” Brennan said. “He thought if he didn’t cooperate, something bad was going to happen.”

Following the money: From wallet traces to digital footprints

Detective Brennan quickly turned to TRM’s blockchain tracing platform to investigate the transaction history associated with the victims’ wallet addresses. “The beauty of TRM is that it’s a visual product. I can actually see the money move on a map, in real time,” he said. The tracing revealed that funds were first sent to unhosted or cold storage wallets and then to a non-custodial exchange.

From there, Brennan issued requests for transactional information. “Even if exchanges are overseas, many will still cooperate,” he explained. “Sometimes it takes a month or two, but it’s worth the wait.”

That patience paid off. The information returned from one non-custodial exchange provided a critical clue that helped investigators determine that the suspect was located in the Tempe area. “That was our first big break,” Brennan said.

Using traditional investigative techniques — license plate readers, cell phone analysis — Brennan worked backward to confirm the identity and location of the suspect. Once probable cause was established, a search warrant was executed.

Detective McArthur was then brought in to examine the suspect’s phone. His analysis uncovered several Exodus cryptocurrency wallets. “Two of them matched the transactions Detective Brennan was investigating,” said McArthur. “The wallet addresses, the types of cryptocurrency, and the transaction amounts all lined up.”

McArthur’s search went deeper, revealing seed phrases stored on the phone — some in plaintext notes, others as photos or videos of handwritten phrases. “These are key pieces of evidence,” McArthur noted. “And in this case, they helped confirm that the suspect not only had access to the wallets but was actively using them.”

Outcomes: Justice in motion

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Scottsdale Police Department's financial crimes and digital forensics teams, a suspect was identified and arrested, and the case is now heading to trial. While the full legal outcome is still pending, both victims finally have answers — and some degree of closure.

“For victims of these kinds of crimes, it’s devastating,” Brennan said. “Even if we can’t always recover the money, just knowing that someone is investigating and taking it seriously means a lot.”

The Scottsdale PD continues to take these crimes seriously. “We will absolutely fight for the victim every step of the way,” Brennan said. “And if someone thinks cryptocurrency is a safe way to commit fraud or launder money — they’re wrong. I will trace it. I will find them.”

Forensic work like McArthur’s is also playing a critical role. “A lot of my job is like putting the ribbon on the package,” McArthur said. “When we can find that final piece of evidence that connects everything — it’s incredibly satisfying.”

This case highlights the importance of local law enforcement embracing new investigative tools and techniques. As Brennan put it, “I started with little to no knowledge of crypto. But I immersed myself in it. And now, I help other agencies navigate these cases too. You can learn this. And if you do — it changes everything.”