Bridlington Residents Urged to Stay Alert for Crypto Scams

Monday 19th October 2026

By Bridlington Gold Radio Editor

Humberside Police are warning residents about a surge in cryptocurrency investment fraud, urging anyone who trades or stores digital assets to take extra care when buying hardware wallets and safeguarding their recovery phrases.

Investigators say scammers are targeting crypto investors through compromised hardware wallets sold by unverified third‑party sellers. These devices may look genuine but can contain malicious firmware or pre‑generated seed phrases, allowing criminals to access victims’ funds once activated.

“Always buy directly from the official manufacturer or authorised distributors,” officers advise. “Never share your seed phrase with anyone — it’s the master key to your entire portfolio.”

Your 12‑to‑24‑word seed phrase is the only way to recover your crypto holdings. Anyone who knows it can take control of your funds. Police stress that anyone asking for it is a fraudster.

Residents are also warned never to type their seed phrase into a computer, smartphone, photo, cloud storage, or email, as sophisticated malware can scan devices for these words and steal them instantly.

⚠️ Reporting and Support

If you believe you’ve been a victim and lost money, call 101 and report it to Humberside Police.

Visit fraudwatch.org.uk for more information and support, or sign up for future alerts at alerts.fraudwatch.org.uk.

You can read the full alert, watch a video, and download leaflets to share at: fraudwatch.org.uk/2026/10/19/trigger-fraud-alert-49

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