Scotland has seen an explosive rise in cryptocurrency-related crime — up a jaw-dropping 2,000% since 2019 — with drug syndicates, scammers, and cyber crooks turning to Bitcoin and other digital tokens to cover their tracks and clean dirty money.
Police Scotland is scrambling to keep up, using new tools and training programs while laying the groundwork for a full-blown Cyber and Fraud Command. But criminals aren’t waiting around. They’ve already made the shift.
From Back Alleys to Blockchain
Just a few years ago, crypto crime wasn’t even on the radar in most police briefings. Now? It’s all over the docket.
Digital coins have become the currency of choice for everything from heroin shipments to phishing scams. Why? Because they’re fast, hard to trace, and global. With one click, laundered money can move across borders and wallets without raising any flags.
Criminals are exploiting three key advantages of crypto:
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Anonymity: Many blockchains don’t link transactions to identities.
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Accessibility: Anyone with a smartphone can get started.
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Speed: Transfers happen in seconds, skipping traditional bank oversight.
This shift isn’t just happening online. It’s bleeding into real-world violence too.
A Robbery, A Bitcoin Stash, And A Courtroom First
In Edinburgh, a brutal robbery led to a surprising twist in court. Police confiscated 23.5 bitcoins linked to the attack — a stash worth over £109,000.
And here’s the kicker: the court allowed those bitcoins to be converted into pounds. Cold, hard, spendable cash. That marked the first time in Scottish legal history that crypto was officially treated as criminal proceeds to be seized and liquidated.
That case wasn’t just symbolic. It signaled to criminals: your crypto wallets aren’t as safe as you think.
The Numbers Behind the Surge
The raw figures paint a worrying picture. Back in 2019, crypto-related crimes in Scotland were almost unheard of. Fast-forward to 2024, and Police Scotland had its hands full with 58 active investigations.
They also:
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Seized over £7.6 million in crypto assets,
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Identified more than 150 suspects,
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And began linking transactions across dark web marketplaces and ransomware groups.
Here’s how the jump looks on paper:
| Year | Crypto-Related Cases | Value of Assets Seized | Suspects Identified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 | £15,000 | 4 |
| 2020 | 7 | £210,000 | 15 |
| 2021 | 18 | £1.1 million | 42 |
| 2022 | 33 | £3.9 million | 78 |
| 2023 | 47 | £6.2 million | 126 |
| 2024 | 58 | £7.6 million | 153 |
Police say this isn’t even the full picture — most victims don’t report, and much of the activity remains hidden behind encryption, VPNs, and mixers.
Tech Grows, So Do the Threats
Unlike traditional crimes, crypto-related offenses aren’t bound by time zones or borders. One scammer in Glasgow could be working with a group in Singapore. One drug gang in Dundee could be moving payments through crypto ATMs in Dubai.
Police Scotland knows they can’t go it alone. That’s why they’re investing in:
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Cross-agency cooperation across the UK and abroad,
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New software tools for tracking crypto transactions,
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Specialized training for officers to follow blockchain trails.
One officer familiar with these investigations put it bluntly: “Criminals are 10 steps ahead — but we’re catching up fast.”
Cyber and Fraud Command Coming Soon
Change is coming from the top. Police Scotland is laying the foundation for a new Cyber and Fraud Command Unit, expected to launch within the next year.
This won’t just be a few officers with laptops. The plan includes:
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A team of trained digital forensics experts,
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Legal advisors focused on asset recovery,
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And a direct link to international enforcement networks.
Early feedback suggests this unit will also push for new legal tools, giving prosecutors more leverage when dealing with encrypted evidence or foreign-based servers.
One insider described it as “Scotland’s digital crime war room.”
Victims Left in the Shadows
While police work behind the scenes, victims are often left bewildered and broke.
A Stirling woman in her 60s lost nearly £40,000 after clicking a link in a fake banking email that promised a crypto investment opportunity. It looked legit. But it was a scam — the money was gone in seconds.
“I’d never even used Bitcoin,” she told local press. “I thought it was just another savings app.”
Her case is one of many. Fraud linked to crypto now makes up a growing slice of Scotland’s overall scam numbers, particularly affecting older adults and first-time investors.
And let’s not forget younger victims either — some teens are getting swept into crypto scams or blackmailed for sharing personal data, sometimes linked to online gaming or social platforms.
A Modern Cat-and-Mouse Game
This isn’t just a tech problem. It’s a human problem with real victims, real money, and real consequences.
The criminals are adapting faster than ever. They’re innovating, evolving, and leveraging every loophole they can find. From fake wallets to pig-butchering scams, it’s a full-blown digital arms race.
Police aren’t standing still, but they admit there’s still a lot to learn. As one senior detective said: “We can’t fight 2025’s criminals with 2015’s tools.”
