THE case of a Kilbirnie man who allegedly scammed £7 million from a top US Bitcoin broker has been highlighted as one of Scotland’s biggest recent fraud cases.

Robert Barr, 25, is currently fighting extradition to the USA for his alleged role in the fraud.

Prosecutors in the American state of Georgia claim the computer whizzkid stole the huge sum from Boston-based cryptocurrency dealer Reggie Middleton and transferred it to another account.

They claim he worked with two others in an elaborate con known as “SIM swapping”, where fraudsters dupe mobile phone firms into handing over details of customers’ SIM cards so they can then hack into cryptocurrency accounts or wallets.

It is also claimed that while living with his mum in Kilbirnie, Mr Barr rented luxury flats in Glasgow to throw lavish parties.

According to court documents, he is facing eight charges including wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

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Extradition proceedings against Mr Barr, which have been ongoing since April 2021, have been adjourned for a domestic matter to be dealt with, as investigations continue into the solemn case at Airdrie Sheriff Court.

Last week, Mr Barr's case was highlighted in a report which showed the value of fraud cases in Scotland has risen by almost 200 per cent in a year.

KPMG UK’s latest bi-annual Fraud Barometer said fraud cases of more than £100,000 coming to court north of the border rose significantly in 2022.

There were 24 cases totalling £17.4 million, up from 2021 when 16 cases worth a total £5.9 million were heard in court - a 194 per cent increase by value.

The general public were the victims in the majority of these cases, a significant rise from three the previous year, with the total amount defrauded soaring from £1 million to £10.3 million.

Five of the cases in 2022 related to commercial businesses defrauded of a combined value of £1.3 million - including that of Mr Barr.

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Annette Barker, head of forensic at KPMG in the UK, said: “The dramatic increase of fraud cases coming to light in Scotland is worrying, particularly with many cases involving rogue employees abusing their positions of trust to steal money from their employers, clients and other partners.”

Among the cases was that of Robert Bell, who carried out a £736,000 Boots gift card scam in just two months after finding a loophole.

The 37-year-old businessman was able to get the cards for free by filling out an order form and asked them to be loaded with credit without the intention of paying the cash back.

He was sentenced to 33 months in jail at Glasgow Sheriff Court after being convicted of being involved in a fraudulent scheme.

Another case involved businesswoman Lisa Groundwater, who was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to a fraudulent cheque scam with the Royal Bank of Scotland last year.

She deposited five cheques over nine weeks, to a total sum of £1,527,050, without having sufficient funds in various bank accounts.

Sandra Aitkenhead, senior manager of forensic at KPMG in Scotland, said: “Businesses must do all they can to maintain adequate controls to prevent serious fraud from being committed. Without the right safeguard, businesses will unfortunately continue to be victims of crime.”