Jarryd Hayne, a former NRL superstar, allegedly parted with $780,000 after falling victim to a Bitcoin scam. The athlete, who was sentenced to prison for allegedly raping a woman, was tricked by a fellow prisoner.
Jarryd Hayne, a figure renowned for fame and success, has also been embroiled in scandals and exhibited bewildering behavior.
As an NRL superstar, Sevens Olympic Rugby Champion, and professional footballer in Australia, the former superstar was among the most recognizable faces in his home country.
Unfortunately, however, as it seems, success does not guarantee you power or the ability to evade predation. Jarryd Hayne has been embroiled in another scandal, resulting in a scam out of a significant sum of money.
Cryptocurrency Scams
As reported by the Daily Mail newspaper, the culprit in this crime was Ishan Seenar Sappideen, a man Jarryd Hayne had met while serving time in Cooma Prison following convictions for the alleged rape of a woman in Newcastle in 2019.
Sappideen had allegedly conned Jarryd Hayne, as well as six other inmates, into sending a combined total of $2 million between the years 2020 and 2022, by gaming their lack of internet access while in jail.
Despite having an agreement that protects his six-figure investment, the whereabouts of Hayne’s funds, up to $780,000, remain unknown.
It seems that Jarryd Hayne was not the only athlete who succumbed to a cryptocurrency scam. Brazilian soccer players Scarpa, Rocha de Oliveira, and Bigode revealed losses of more than $5 million after investing in an allegedly fraudulent company called Xland..
Scarpa expressed his regret: “I have always seen stupid people fall victim to pyramid schemes and scams. Finding myself in a situation like this is horrible.”
Willian Bigode was accused of forcing players to invest in Xland, but claims he is a victim and lost $3.3 million. Police believe the losses were the result of a “pyramid scheme,” but the company has disputed this, claiming its investors’ losses were “the consequence of the unfortunate demise of a cryptocurrency exchange.” Now they must reimburse the players for their loss.
Jail Time for Scammers
Fortunately, there is some sense of justice in the world. In Morocco, Thomas Clausi, a 21-year-old Frenchman, received an 18-month jail sentence and a $3.7 million fine.
More examples of scammers who must be held to account include Gilbert Armenta, the former lover of the notorious “Cryptoreina” – who received five years in jail for laundering $300 million from OneCoin investors. And Cooper Morgenthau, the former CFO of African Gold, embezzled and gambled $5 million from various SPACs.
Public Figures as Targets: Jarryd Hayne and Crypto Scams
This is yet another unfortunate story of deception and the mischievous antics of con artists everywhere. Even with the implementation of stricter measures and new legislation, digital assets remain vulnerable to criminal activity.
Even public figures like Jarryd Hayne can become victims of crypto scams, which reminds us to be careful. As Scarpa rightly said, “Finding myself in a situation like this is horrible.”
The growing popularity of cryptocurrencies must be accompanied by investor education and scrutiny to ensure responsible investing. Otherwise, naivety and greed will always remain the greatest enemy of both the wise and the reckless.
By Audy Castaneda
