[{"id":"L237","date":"2014-05","precision":"month","city":"Santa Barbara, California","country":"United States","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"1,000 BTC demanded (more than $400,000 according to Wired); no payment reported","amount_usd":null,"description":"After about a year of calls demanding 1,000 BTC, an extortionist called 911 spoofing the Finneys' home number, claiming he had murdered two people and was about to kill himself. A SWAT team surrounded the house a few days after the Isla Vista killings (May 23, 2014); Fran Finney had to come out onto the lawn, and Hal Finney, who had ALS and was on a ventilator, waited outside for half an hour while the house was searched. The extortionist then called nine times in two months, threatening to assault family members and expose their personal information.","victims":"Hal Finney, bitcoin pioneer (ALS patient), his wife Fran and their son Jason","outcome":"No one injured; no payment reported; FBI investigation, perpetrator unidentified at publication (December 2014). Hal Finney died in August 2014.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The extortionist demanded 1,000 BTC from the Finneys, who personally held bitcoins mined in the network's earliest days.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2015/http://www.wired.com/2014/12/finney-swat/","source1_name":"WIRED","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2015/https://www.ccn.com/bitcoin-extortionist-swatting-cryptographers/","source2_name":"CCN","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L239","date":"2015-01-22","precision":"day","city":"Queens, New York","country":"United States","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","cash","phone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Devices"],"amount":"$8,500 in BTC transferred + $3,500 in cash","amount_usd":12000,"description":"Dean Katz, who sold bitcoin in person across New York, was contacted by a customer who said he wanted to bet on the Super Bowl. At around 1:50 a.m., he got into a car with two men to complete the sale; held at gunpoint, he was forced to transfer $8,500 worth of bitcoin, then robbed of $3,500 in cash and his Samsung phone.","victims":"Dean Katz, independent over-the-counter bitcoin seller","outcome":"Victim unharmed; police report filed; no arrest (NYPD, June 2015).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Dean Katz, an independent seller not operating through a company, was forced to transfer his own bitcoins during an in-person sale.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2016/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/05/new-york-city-man-robbed-at-gunpoint-for-bitcoin.html","source1_name":"CNBC","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2015/http://observer.com/2015/02/bitcoin-crime-wave-breaks-out-in-nyc/","source2_name":"Observer","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L240","date":"2015-05-27","precision":"day","city":"Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York","country":"United States","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","phone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Devices"],"amount":"About $1,100 in BTC","amount_usd":1100,"description":"At around 11:30 a.m., a 28-year-old man who had advertised bitcoin for sale on Craigslist met a buyer on a Crown Heights street corner, who led him to a car. A second man sitting in the back seat pulled a gun and forced him to transfer his bitcoins to the robbers, who then took his phone and drove off.","victims":"28-year-old Crown Heights man selling bitcoin via Craigslist (not named)","outcome":"Victim unharmed; phone stolen; NYPD investigation, no video footage, perpetrators unidentified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual selling his own bitcoins in person was forced at gunpoint to transfer them.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2016/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/05/new-york-city-man-robbed-at-gunpoint-for-bitcoin.html","source1_name":"CNBC","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2015/https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-stolen-new-york-gunpoint-robbery","source2_name":"CoinDesk","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L238","date":"2015-11-03","precision":"day","city":"Atlanta (Midtown), Georgia","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)","cash"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Cash"],"amount":"About $2,000 in cash in the machine according to police; Lamassu machine valued at $7,000","amount_usd":2000,"description":"At around 10:45 p.m., two men entered the Village Smoke Shop on Juniper Street and pulled out the Lamassu bitcoin ATM, which was bolted to a table. When employees confronted them, one fired a shot into the floor before fleeing with the machine to a red Chevrolet Cavalier where two accomplices were waiting. Two individuals had come to ask questions about the ATM the previous week.","victims":"Village Smoke Shop (Midtown Atlanta) and its employees, including manager Amanda McCollum","outcome":"ATM taken; no one injured; no leads according to Atlanta police, no arrest reported.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The bitcoin ATM belonged to the business (smoke shop) that operated it.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2015/https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-atm-thieves-strike-atlanta-smoke-shop","source1_name":"CoinDesk","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2016/https://patch.com/georgia/midtown/midtown-armed-robbers-caught-tape-0","source2_name":"Patch (Midtown, GA)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L241","date":"2015-11-17","precision":"day","city":"Delft","country":"Netherlands","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)","cash"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Cash"],"amount":"About EUR 2,000 in banknotes in the machine; replacing the machine estimated at EUR 4,000","amount_usd":2140,"description":"During the night of Monday November 16 to Tuesday November 17, 2015, burglars broke into café De Waag on the Markt and took the 50 kg bitcoin exchange machine, even though it was anchored to the floor and the wall. Nothing else was taken from the café; the operator described it as a targeted job.","victims":"Bitmymoney (operator, director Robert Nederhoed) and café De Waag","outcome":"ATM and cash taken; no one on site; Bitmymoney offered a 10 BTC reward; no arrest reported.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The ATM and the cash belonged to Bitmymoney, the operating company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20201030200045/https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/dieven-stelen-2000-euro-uit-bitcoinautomaat-in-delft~a315113e/","source1_name":"AD (Algemeen Dagblad)","source2":"https://blog.bitmymoney.com/bitmymoney-looft-10-bitcoins-uit-als-beloning-uit/","source2_name":"Bitmymoney","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L244","date":"2016-02","precision":"month","city":"Scarborough (north), Toronto, Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"Unknown (cash and other property)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A group of teenagers answered Kijiji ads from private individuals offering to pay cash for bitcoin, pretending to sell bitcoins they did not have, then robbed the buyers of their cash and other property at the meetings. In the first robbery, in February 2016, the victim was stabbed twice. Three robberies are attributed to the group between February and August 2016.","victims":"Several bitcoin buyers who had posted ads on Kijiji (not named)","outcome":"First victim hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries; three Scarborough teenagers aged 16 and 17 arrested on Friday, August 12, 2016 near Neilson Road and Finch Avenue in connection with three robberies; two or three other suspects sought.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individuals robbed at in-person over-the-counter bitcoin purchase meetings, with their own cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.toronto.com/news-story/6810325-toronto-police-arrest-teens-in-string-of-bitcoin-related-robberies/","source1_name":"Toronto.com (Metroland)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L243","date":"2016-07-25","precision":"day","city":"West Palm Beach (2024 Military Trail), Florida","country":"United States","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"$28,000 in cash","amount_usd":28000,"description":"Around midnight, Steve Manos, 32, met two men he had dealt with before in a Boston Market parking lot to buy bitcoin from them for $28,000 in cash. Both men got into his car; after he handed over a gift bag holding 28 bundles of $1,000, the front-seat passenger took out a laptop and then a knife, which he pressed against Manos' chest, while the back-seat passenger tried to grab Manos' gun from the door pocket. The two men fled with the money in an Acura.","victims":"Steve Manos, 32, of Lake Worth, bitcoin buyer","outcome":"Victim unharmed; Andre Allen, 34, of West Boynton, identified through the phone number and a photo lineup, arrested the next day on armed robbery, burglary and battery charges; $31,000 bond; second suspect not identified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual robbed during an in-person over-the-counter bitcoin purchase, with his own cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2016/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-west-boynton-bitcoin-robbery-20160727-story.html","source1_name":"Sun Sentinel","source2":"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2016/07/28/bitcoin-sale-ends-with-knifepoint-robbery-in-florida","source2_name":"CoinDesk","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA510","date":"2017","precision":"year","city":"Boyaca (the gang operated in Duitama, Paipa and Sogamoso; exact municipality not published)","country":"Colombia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"COP 12 million in crypto-assets transferred under duress","amount_usd":4000,"description":"In 2017, the \"Los Hackers\" gang, five men operating in Duitama, Paipa and Sogamoso (Boyaca) who used a woman as bait to lure merchants who mostly worked with cryptocurrencies, abducted and beat a young merchant, demanding that he transfer the equivalent of COP 12 million in crypto-assets in exchange for his life. According to the police, the funds were deposited into a personal wallet; the gang also stole phones, cash and jewelry.","victims":"Young merchant (not named), lured by a woman used as bait; the gang targeted merchants who worked with cryptocurrencies","outcome":"Crypto-assets transferred to a personal wallet of a gang member; two men arrested in July 2019 by the Boyaca police GAULA unit; according to CriptoNoticias, all five members are at the disposal of the public prosecutor's office after accepting charges of simple kidnapping.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Merchant lured by a woman used as bait because he worked with cryptocurrencies, then forced to transfer his crypto-assets (\"demanding that he transfer 12 million Colombian pesos in crypto-assets in exchange for his life\").","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.criptonoticias.com/sucesos/secuestradores-extorsionaban-negociantes-criptomonedas-boyaca-colombia/","source1_name":"CriptoNoticias","source2":"https://www.criptofacil.com/policia-prende-quadrilha-especializada-no-sequestro-de-vendedores-de-bitcoin-na-colombia/","source2_name":"CriptoFacil","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L245","date":"2017-02","precision":"month","city":"London","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (the trade involved 7 BTC, about USD 8,000 at the time, which the victim says remained stuck in LocalBitcoins escrow)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A LocalBitcoins bitcoin seller (username Josoj, first name Alex according to Cryptonews) had agreed to an in-person cash trade in London for about 7 BTC; at the last moment the buyer said his girlfriend would come in his place, and the seller was attacked and robbed by two men at the meeting. The buyer had insisted on using the LocalBitcoins escrow; according to the victim, the same perpetrators later robbed two or three other traders in the same way.","victims":"LocalBitcoins seller (username Josoj, first name Alex), private trader","outcome":"Victim robbed by two men; complaint filed with the British police according to the victim; 7 BTC remained stuck in LocalBitcoins escrow, which refused to release them; no known judicial follow-up.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual selling his own bitcoins for cash at an in-person meeting arranged via LocalBitcoins; no business structure mentioned.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://cryptonews.com/news/trader-says-his-btc-7-has-been-stuck-in-localbitcoins-escrow-8509/","source1_name":"Cryptonews","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2017id_/https://localbitcoins.com/forums/","source2_name":"LocalBitcoins forums (Wayback Machine)","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L247","date":"2017-03-14","precision":"day","city":"Dubai (Al Barsha)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"25 BTC (plus cash and phones)","amount_usd":31000,"description":"Three Emiratis aged 19, 20 and 27, posing as police officers, intercepted the car of three Indian bitcoin traders after 10 p.m., took their money and phones and drove them to a remote desert spot near Al Barsha, accusing them of being fraudsters who would be deported. They used one of the victims' laptops to transfer 25 bitcoins to an account in Japan belonging to the 27-year-old defendant. The Yemeni driver of one of the traders, approached by the youngest defendant, had kept him informed of their movements.","victims":"Three Indian bitcoin traders, including a 35-year-old investor","outcome":"The three Emiratis were tried before the Dubai Court of First Instance (hearing of November 26, 2018) for kidnapping, impersonation and online misappropriation of virtual currency; four Indian accomplices aged 21 to 47 were charged with possessing AED 250,000 of suspicious origin; trial adjourned to December 13, 2018, outcome not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent traders whose own bitcoins were transferred from their account; the source mentions no company (they sold bitcoins from their villa).","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/2017id_/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/crime-and-courts/3-fake-dubai-cops-kidnap-traders-/to-rob-bitcoins","source1_name":"Khaleej Times (Wayback Machine)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA537","date":"2017-04-06","precision":"day","city":"Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh)","country":"India","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"About INR 2.5 million (25 lakh) in bitcoin according to FactorDaily (INR 2 million, 20 lakh, according to the police chief quoted by Open Magazine), holdings of the victim and his mother","amount_usd":38800,"description":"On the evening of April 6, 2017, Rajesh Kumar Nishad, 27, a bitcoin trader based in Agra and originally from Auraiya, went to the home of Sandeep Chaturvedi, known as Bunty, a local criminal who had asked him to explain bitcoin. During the demonstration on his smartphone, Bunty grabbed the phone, pointed a revolver at him threatening to shoot him and showed him videos of his own violence; terrified, Nishad transferred all his bitcoin to the Zebpay account Bunty had opened for the purpose, then, under duress, called his mother to get the password to her account, whose bitcoin was also transferred.","victims":"Rajesh Kumar Nishad, 27, a bitcoin trader (Agra, originally from Auraiya), and his mother","outcome":"Police registered the complaint only on May 31, 2017; Sandeep Chaturvedi was arrested in July 2017 on the orders of the district police chief (SP Sanjiv Tyagi), who says he confessed. Recovery of the bitcoin and judicial outcome not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent bitcoin trader forced at gunpoint to transfer his own bitcoin and his mother's.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://archive.factordaily.com/news/bitcoin-robbery-auraiya-up-bunty/","source1_name":"FactorDaily","source2":"https://openthemagazine.com/features/business/bitcoins-the-new-money-trail","source2_name":"Open Magazine","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA515","date":"2017-04-07","precision":"day","city":"New Delhi (V3S Mall, Laxmi Nagar), then Vaishali (Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh)","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash intended for the purchase of crypto (INR)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"INR 36 lakh in cash (about USD 55,000 according to Cointelegraph)","amount_usd":55000,"description":"Hitesh Shukla, a bitcoin dealer registered on LocalBitcoins, was contacted by a woman posing as a seller who offered him 50 BTC at INR 72,000 each, payable only in cash. On April 7, 2017, he came with a friend and INR 36 lakh in cash to the V3S Mall in Laxmi Nagar (East Delhi) and was taken hostage in his car: one accomplice put a pistol to his friend's temple, a second armed man joined them, and they were driven to an apartment in Vaishali (Ghaziabad) where the money was taken; they were released with threats against them and their families.","victims":"Hitesh Shukla, a bitcoin dealer, and his friend Anand","outcome":"FIR No. 148/2017 registered on August 30-31, 2017 with the Crime Branch (East Delhi); six gang members arrested in September 2017 (Aditya alias Yashasvi Sharma, his girlfriend Karishma/Krishma Rajput, Karamvir Singh, Devender and Sandeep Chauhan, Kunal Sharma); the gang had committed two similar robberies (INR 28 lakh and INR 8.5 lakh). Trial ongoing in 2020-2021 (SC No. 53/2018); bail granted in 2020-2021.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Bitcoin dealer acting as an individual, lured by a fake BTC sale offer on LocalBitcoins and robbed at the in-person meeting.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/bitcoin-thieves-abduct-bizman-rob-him-of-rs-36l/articleshow/60896690.cms","source1_name":"Times of India","source2":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/119483165/","source2_name":"Delhi High Court (Indian Kanoon), Priya Thakur @ Krishma Rajput v. State, 17/12/2020","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L246","date":"2017-04-26","precision":"day","city":"Florianopolis (Lagoa da Conceicao, Santa Catarina); held captive in Sao Paulo (Cangaiba)","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["ZEC","XMR"],"asset_classes":["Other","XMR"],"amount":"Ransom demanded: the equivalent of BRL 115 million in Zcash and Monero, later reduced to BRL 5 million; nothing paid","amount_usd":null,"description":"The 32-year-old wife of Rocelo Lopes, head of CoinBr, described as the largest cryptocurrency trading company in Latin America, was abducted at around 1:30 p.m. by six men in Lagoa da Conceicao (Florianopolis) after dropping her daughter off at school, then driven to a house in the Cangaiba district in eastern Sao Paulo. Two hours after the abduction, the kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency (Zcash and Monero) from the husband, first the equivalent of BRL 115 million, later reduced to BRL 5 million. The Santa Catarina civil police, with the Sao Paulo police, freed the victim on April 29 without any payment.","victims":"32-year-old wife of Rocelo Lopes (head of CoinBr), herself active in the cryptocurrency market according to the police","outcome":"Victim freed on April 29, 2017 by the police (Sao Paulo DEIC/DRAS and the Santa Catarina anti-kidnapping division), with no physical violence suffered and no ransom paid; one man arrested at the place of captivity, who said he had been paid to guard the house; police suspected six perpetrators linked to the PCC and a plan prepared over nine months.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Relative of a holder abducted to reach his assets: the cryptocurrency ransom was demanded from the husband, Rocelo Lopes, personally; police also say the victim herself works in the cryptocurrency market.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/2017/05/1880569-bandidos-pedem-dinheiro-digital-para-libertar-refem-de-sequestro.shtml","source1_name":"Folha de S.Paulo","source2":"https://www.tecmundo.com.br/mercado/116321-criminosos-sequestram-mulher-pedem-bitcoins-resgate-sp.htm","source2_name":"TecMundo (Estadao)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L248","date":"2017-06-18","precision":"day","city":"Ogaki (Gifu Prefecture); body found in Taga (Shiga Prefecture)","country":"Japan","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC","Cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"More than JPY 100,000 in bitcoin (plus cash, bag and smartphone)","amount_usd":880,"description":"Miyuki Noda, 53, a Nagoya resident, had met Ichiya Nishida at a seminar on virtual currencies. On June 18, 2017, after another seminar in Kasugai (Aichi), she was seen getting into a vehicle registered to Nishida at JR Ogaki Station; she was killed shortly afterwards by pressure applied to the neck, and her body was buried in the mountains of Taga (Shiga). In early July, Nishida allegedly posed as her online to take her bitcoin, worth more than JPY 100,000; her cash, bag and smartphone had also been taken.","victims":"Miyuki Noda, 53, a Nagoya resident","outcome":"Victim killed; body found on July 31, 2017. Ichiya Nishida, 20, of Ogaki, and an 18-year-old minor from Shiga, first arrested for abandoning the body, were charged with murder and robbery (August 2017); judicial outcome not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual met at a seminar on virtual currencies, killed to take her own bitcoin.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://newsonjapan.com/article/120872.php","source1_name":"NHK (via News On Japan)","source2":"https://www.tokyoreporter.com/japan/nagoya/bitcoin-murder-nagoya-woman-likely-killed-on-evening-she-went-missing/","source2_name":"Tokyo Reporter","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L242","date":"2017-07-11","precision":"day","city":"Kaunas (Kaunakiemio Street)","country":"Lithuania","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","cash","phone","computer","watch","jewelry"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Devices","Valuables"],"amount":"52 BTC (about EUR 104,000) then EUR 300,000 demanded, no bitcoin obtained; bag (phone, computer, cash, cards), EUR 10,000 watch and gold bracelet stolen, loss of about EUR 27,000","amount_usd":30800,"description":"Near a car wash on Kaunakiemio Street, four men forced Tadas Kasputis, a 29-year-old cryptocurrency trader, into a Ford Transit, handcuffed him, pulled a cap over his eyes and, after switching vehicles, drove him around the Kaunas area until dawn. They demanded the transfer of 52 BTC (about EUR 104,000), then, when they could not get his login details, EUR 300,000, threatening to gouge out his eyes, impale his children and burn his car. The perpetrators claimed they were recovering money that had been entrusted to him.","victims":"Tadas Kasputis, 29, cryptocurrency trader from Kaunas","outcome":"Released in the morning; four suspects (Robertas Giraitis, Evaldas Jurgelaitis, Marius Šimkus, Povilas Boradka) arrested in late August 2017; November 2019 judgment: Marius Šimkus sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison, the other three to suspended sentences.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers demanded that Tadas Kasputis, a private trader, transfer his own 52 BTC to them.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2017/http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/nusikaltimai-ir-nelaimes/ne-bernvakario-pokstas-kaune-buvo-pagrobtas-bitkoinu-prekeivis-827044","source1_name":"Kauno diena","source2":"https://kaunas.kasvyksta.lt/112/kriptovaliutu-prekeiviui-akis-isdurti-grasinusiems-reketininkams-skirtingos-bausmes","source2_name":"Kas vyksta Kaune","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L249","date":"2017-09-04","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv (Santa Muerte club, Yaroslaviv Val Street)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"10 to 12 BTC demanded (about USD 44,000); no transfer reported","amount_usd":null,"description":"Alexei Sherstnev, a cryptocurrency trader and consultant, had been contacted by a man claiming to know an investor ready to invest in bitcoin; at a first meeting on August 25 he was asked to show how a wallet works. At the second meeting, on the evening of September 4, 2017 in the premises of the Santa Muerte club on Yaroslaviv Val Street, three men threatened him, beat him when he tried to leave, took his phone and held him for about three hours, demanding his wallet password and a transfer of 10 to 12 bitcoins. He persuaded the attackers to send an SOS signal from his phone, and they fled once they realised it.","victims":"Alexei Sherstnev, cryptocurrency trader and consultant","outcome":"Attackers fled after the alert signal was sent; the victim photographed one of them and filed a police complaint; no known arrest.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent trader targeted for the password of his own bitcoin wallet; no company mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://incident.obozrevatel.com/kiyany/crime/v-kieve-iz-parnya-vyibivali-bitcoin-na-summu-pochti-50-tyis-doll.htm","source1_name":"Obozrevatel","source2":"https://forklog.com/kak-ne-stat-zhertvoj-bitkoin-vymogatelej/","source2_name":"ForkLog","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L250","date":"2017-10","precision":"month","city":"Toulouse (Busca district)","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","Cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"USD 20,000 in virtual currency demanded (transfer failed); smartphones, ID papers, cash and keys stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"In late October 2017, four young people aged 18 to 24 received two men they had met through an online sales site in the flat of one of them, in the Busca district of Toulouse. The visitors took a weapon out of a suitcase and ordered them to transfer the equivalent of USD 20,000 in virtual currency; when the transfer failed, they stripped them of their smartphones, ID papers, cash and keys, then locked them inside the flat. The victims had to climb over a balcony to raise the alarm.","victims":"Four young Toulouse residents aged 18 to 24","outcome":"Two men aged 19 and 34 arrested in late November 2017 (in Blagnac and Saint-Girons), placed under formal investigation for false imprisonment, armed robbery and attempted extortion, and remanded in custody.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Young private individuals ordered at gunpoint to transfer their own cryptocurrency, after contact through an online sales site.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.20minutes.fr/toulouse/2180483-20171203-toulouse-quatre-jeunes-sequestres-forces-transferer-bitcoins","source1_name":"20 Minutes","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L251","date":"2017-10","precision":"month","city":"Los Angeles (East Hollywood)","country":"United States","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"USD 87,125 stolen from six people according to the 2018 charges; USD 85,715 restitution imposed on Fitzgerald","amount_usd":85715,"description":"From October 2017 to February 2018, Precious Lanay Fitzgerald, dubbed with her accomplice the \"Discount Bitcoin Bandits\", posted online ads for discount bitcoins, then met buyers in person and forcefully took the cash they had brought for the purchase; Lawillie Joshua Hall helped her in at least two of these robberies, with a handgun, and an infant was present during some of them. A sixth victim wired money but never received the bitcoins.","victims":"Five bitcoin buyers robbed in person (plus one victim of a non-violent fraud)","outcome":"Arrested on March 15, 2018 by the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division; Hall pleaded no contest on April 2, 2019 (second-degree robbery, possession of a handgun), with 4 years in prison and USD 29,900 restitution expected; Fitzgerald pleaded no contest on November 7, 2019 (second-degree robbery with a handgun, prior conviction), with 10 years in prison and USD 85,715 restitution expected.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individuals who came to buy bitcoins with cash at over-the-counter meetings arranged online, robbed of their personal money.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2019id_/http://da.co.la.ca.us/media/news/discount-bitcoin-bandits-plead-robbery-would-be-buyers","source1_name":"Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office","source2":"https://kfiam640.iheart.com/content/2018-04-27-discount-bitcoin-bandits-charged-with-robbing-prospective-buyers","source2_name":"KFI AM 640 (City News Service)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L252","date":"2017-10-16","precision":"day","city":"Durham (North Carolina)","country":"United States","type":"Extortion","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"USD 60,000 demanded in the 911 call; nothing paid","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the morning of October 16, 2017, an anonymous 911 call reported a hostage situation at the home of Jameson Lopp, a BitGo engineer and well-known Bitcoin figure: the caller claimed to have shot someone, to be holding hostages and to have placed explosives, and demanded USD 60,000 or he would blow up the block. Dozens of armed officers, a SWAT team and a command post sealed off the area before Lopp came out to explain it was a hoax. After the incident he received extortion and threatening messages demanding money.","victims":"Jameson Lopp, engineer at BitGo","outcome":"No one hurt; police traced the call to Texas without identifying the perpetrator; Lopp then received extortion messages.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Swatting of the home of a private individual known as a holder and public Bitcoin figure, followed by extortion messages addressed to him personally.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/2018id_/https://www.cbs17.com/news/durham-man-says-enemies-called-911-to-report-false-hostage-situation/","source1_name":"CBS 17 (WNCN)","source2":"https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/17/bitcoin-engineer-jameson-lopp-swatted-by-angry-crypto-fans/","source2_name":"TechCrunch","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA520","date":"2017-11","precision":"month","city":"Tokyo (Minato Ward, Akasaka, ANA InterContinental hotel)","country":"Japan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"109 BTC targeted (about 100 million yen); nothing obtained","amount_usd":890000,"description":"In November 2017, a group posing as bitcoin buyers on a website lured a 27-year-old employee of a bitcoin trading company to a room at the ANA InterContinental hotel in Akasaka, after sending him a photo of bundles of counterfeit 10,000-yen notes. In the room, youths aged 18 and 19 from Fukuoka Prefecture beat him and one threatened him with a knife (\"We will stab you if you do not cough up the coin as soon as possible\") in order to transfer 109 bitcoins, valued at about 100 million yen, from his phone.","victims":"A 27-year-old (26 according to one source) employee of a bitcoin trading company","outcome":"The victim escaped from the hotel and alerted police; Akasaka police officers arrested four youths in the room on suspicion of attempted robbery, and a fifth (19) was arrested in January 2018. On March 6, 2018, Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested the alleged mastermind, Yuki Takimoto, 27, president of a cleaning company in Fukuoka, who denied the charge; the youths were to be paid 1 to 2 million yen each.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"The victim was an employee of a bitcoin trading company acting as the seller; the sources do not say whether the 109 BTC were his own or his employer's.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.tokyoreporter.com/japan-news/breaking/tokyo-man-arrested-over-attempted-robbery-of-100-million-in-bitcoin-at-akasaka-hotel/","source1_name":"Tokyo Reporter (d'apres l'Asahi Shimbun)","source2":"http://www.getnews.co.kr/view.php?ud=201711271234324024481065a1d6_16","source2_name":"Global Economic Times (글로벌경제신문, d'apres FNN Houdoukyoku)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA527","date":"2017-11","precision":"month","city":"Moscow (Kitay-Gorod, Maly Cherkassky Lane)","country":"Russia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"Bitcoins transferred against RUB 15 million in cash, which the attackers took (about USD 250,000 according to Onliner)","amount_usd":250000,"description":"In mid-November 2017, a Moscow resident who had come with his \"exchange agent\" to sell bitcoins for RUB 15 million in cash met the buyer in an office rented under a false name on Maly Cherkassky Lane (Kitay-Gorod). Once the bitcoin transfer was confirmed, eight to ten heavily built men burst in, claiming to be tracking the buyer as a \"fraudster\", led him away under threat of violence and took the bag containing the RUB 15 million before scattering in the street.","victims":"A Moscow bitcoin seller (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Bitcoins transferred and RUB 15 million in cash lost; perpetrators at large, investigation by the Moscow police (GU MVD); no arrest reported","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual selling his own bitcoins face to face had the cash proceeds of the sale taken from him under threat.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ntv.ru/novosti/1952341","source1_name":"NTV (d'apres TASS et le GU MVD de Moscou)","source2":"https://bits.media/v-moskve-ukrali-15-mln-rubley-pri-popytke-obmenyat-ikh-na-bitkoina/","source2_name":"Bits.media (communique du GU MVD de Moscou)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L286","date":"2017-11-01","precision":"day","city":"Oudenbosch (North Brabant)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)","Cash (EUR 325)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 325 in banknotes inside the machine; total damage estimated at about EUR 8,000 by the operator","amount_usd":380,"description":"During the night of Wednesday, November 1 to Thursday, November 2, 2017, burglars entered Brasserie Tivoli in Oudenbosch through the back door and carried off the bitcoin ATM from the hall together with its base (the foot of an old telescope, about 150 kg according to the operator). Installed in 2014, it was the first bitcoin ATM in the Netherlands; it belonged to the company Byelex (Oud Gastel), run by Herman Vissia. The machine held EUR 325 in banknotes; the bitcoin itself was not stored in the machine. Nothing else was stolen.","victims":"Byelex (the ATM operator, run by Herman Vissia) and Brasserie Tivoli in Oudenbosch","outcome":"ATM stolen in a break-in; no arrest reported in the sources read.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Bitcoin ATM operated by a company (Byelex) in a restaurant: business equipment and cash float, not an individual's holdings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.omroepbrabant.nl/nieuws/2587120/diefstal-bitcoinautomaat-is-wereldprimeur-en-domme-actie-want-de-bitcoins-staan-in-de-cloud","source1_name":"Omroep Brabant","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2018id_/https://bitsonline.com/bitcoin-atm-stolen-netherlands/","source2_name":"Bitsonline (archive Wayback)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L253","date":"2017-11-04","precision":"day","city":"New York (Manhattan)","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["ETH","Hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["ETH","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"About USD 1.8 million in ether","amount_usd":1800000,"description":"After a meeting in Times Square, Louis Meza persuaded a friend, a cryptocurrency holder, to get into a minivan posing as a car service; Darrell Colon, hiding in the back, threatened him with what appeared to be a gun, and Allan Nunez drove him around for two hours at gunpoint until he gave up the location of his 24-word recovery phrase, along with his keys, phone and wallet. Meza and Cesar Guzman then entered his apartment with his keys, took his hardware wallet and transferred about USD 1.8 million in ether.","victims":"Unidentified man, a friend of Louis Meza, holder of ether","outcome":"Victim escaped unharmed; most of the funds recovered according to prosecutors. Louis Meza, arrested in December 2017, pleaded guilty in September 2018 (second-degree kidnapping, first-degree grand larceny), with 10 years in prison expected and forfeiture of 84 bitcoins and 269,000 SALT tokens; Cesar Guzman, Allan Nunez and Darrell Colon, members of a Bronx motorcycle crew, were charged in June 2018.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual targeted for his own ether hardware wallet, stolen from his home; no company involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/2018id_/https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-metro-crypto-robbery-arrests-20180612-story.html","source1_name":"New York Daily News","source2":"https://crypto-economy.com/man-accused-18-million-ether-heist-guilty/","source2_name":"Crypto Economy","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L254","date":"2017-11-09","precision":"day","city":"Istanbul (abducted outside his home in Yenibosna, Bahçelievler; taken to a car park in Esenler)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"450 BTC (TRY 11 to 12 million depending on the source)","amount_usd":3150000,"description":"A gang posing as police officers followed a businessman to his car, forced him into a minibus and held him there for eight hours, subjecting him to violence; at gunpoint he had to hand over the passwords to his online accounts, and 450 bitcoins were transferred to the perpetrators' accounts. According to the police, the gang had robbed three other people of their bitcoins using the same method and stolen mining machines from three people in Esenler.","victims":"Unidentified Istanbul businessman; named as Yasin Oral in the indictment","outcome":"Turkey's first police operation against a cryptocurrency robbery: four (AA) or five (Haberturk) suspects arrested in Esenler, Esenyurt, Bagcilar and Kucukcekmece; 450.0226115 BTC seized from their accounts, along with 2 pistols and 6 mining machines; one suspect had escaped from prison, another faced a final 30-year prison sentence; suspects referred to the prosecutor's office.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Businessman forced to hand over the passwords to his own accounts, from which the 450 BTC were drained; no company mentioned as account holder.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.karar.com/istanbulda-bitcoin-gaspcilarina-siber-operasyon-660796","source1_name":"Anadolu Agency (via Karar)","source2":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/12-milyon-liralik-bitcoin-icin-isadamini-kacirdilar-40725615","source2_name":"Hurriyet","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA538","date":"2017-12-02","precision":"day","city":"Hisar (Haryana); victim taken near Rewari","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"52 BTC demanded according to the press (5 BTC according to the prosecution); no bitcoin obtained; INR 18,500 allegedly transferred according to the prosecution","amount_usd":290,"description":"On Saturday, December 2, 2017, Sandeep Kumar, an employee of a bitcoin trading office in Hisar, was riding his motorcycle towards Malik Chowk when a black car stopped him near the court; six or seven men forced him inside and drove him to fields near Rewari. They demanded 52 bitcoin, beat him and ordered him to transfer them online; he entered a wrong username and password. They then fired a shot to frighten him and put a gun to his temple, before releasing him in Rewari and demanding that he call them as soon as he had gathered five bitcoin, or they would abduct him and his employer. According to initial findings reported by the press, the accused were police officers.","victims":"Sandeep Kumar, an employee of a bitcoin trading office in Hisar","outcome":"Victim released in Rewari, returned by train and reported to the HAU police post; FIR No. 888 of December 4, 2017 (Hisar Civil Lines police station) for wrongful restraint, kidnapping for ransom, criminal intimidation and arms offences. Co-accused Sandeep alias Chetia and Sachin were acquitted on 25/02/2021; Monu alias Maninder, arrested on 11/01/2021, was granted bail on 04/04/2022, with the trial still pending at that date.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Employee of a bitcoin trading office abducted in that capacity to obtain the business's bitcoin; the kidnappers also threatened his employer.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://hindi.oneindia.com/news/india/hisar-indian-kidnappers-demand-bitcoin-434766.html","source1_name":"Oneindia Hindi","source2":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/181435005/","source2_name":"Haute Cour du Pendjab et de l'Haryana (CRM-M-24818-2021, ordonnance du 04/04/2022, via Indian Kanoon)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA534","date":"2017-12-08","precision":"day","city":"Antalya (Muratpaşa, Güzeloba neighborhood)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"USD 182,000 in cash brought to buy bitcoins","amount_usd":182000,"description":"On December 8, 2017, two cousins who had come from Istanbul to buy bitcoins for USD 182,000 in cash, on behalf of a relative living in Ukraine, were picked up at Antalya airport by their sellers and taken to a rented villa in the Güzeloba neighborhood (Muratpaşa). During the negotiation, one of the four suspects, an Uzbek national, threatened them with a pistol and seized the bag containing the money, and the group fled by car.","victims":"Yaşar Dağgüvan and Asker Kazımoğlu, cousins living in Istanbul, buying bitcoins","outcome":"USD 182,000 stolen at gunpoint; one suspect surrendered to the Antalya public prosecutor's office, two (K.K. and S.H., who ran an illegal casino) were arrested in a bar at the end of January 2018 after two months of surveillance, the main perpetrator A.A. fled abroad","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two private individuals who came to buy bitcoins face to face were robbed at gunpoint by their supposed sellers.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yerel-haberler/antalya/bitcoin-almaya-gelen-2-kisinin-182-bin-dolarini-40727505","source1_name":"Hurriyet (DHA)","source2":"https://www.karar.com/bitcoin-almaya-gitti-182-bin-dolari-gasp-edildi-antalya-haberleri-685319","source2_name":"Karar","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA535","date":"2017-12-20","precision":"day","city":"Borova (Kharkiv Oblast)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"15 BTC demanded; amount actually transferred not specified; UAH 2,000 in cash taken","amount_usd":null,"description":"On December 20, 2017 in Borova (Kharkiv Oblast), two men burst into the home of a web designer who was paid in cryptocurrency and, holding a knife to his throat, demanded that he transfer 15 bitcoins to their wallet. The victim made a transfer under duress, then the attackers took UAH 2,000 in cash and fled; they later called him claiming they had received nothing and threatened him with reprisals. Police opened a robbery investigation (Article 187(3) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code).","victims":"A web designer from Borova paid in bitcoins (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Bitcoin transfer made under duress (amount not specified) and UAH 2,000 stolen; perpetrators unidentified as of mid-January 2018, robbery investigation and a Kharkiv court granted access to documents","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual paid in cryptocurrency was attacked at home to make him transfer his own bitcoins.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://unn.ua/amp/zlovmisniki-na-kharkivschini-zmusili-veb-dizaynera-perekazati-yim-8-tis-grn-u-bitkoyinakh","source1_name":"UNN (Ukrainski Natsionalni Novyny), d'apres la police","source2":"https://korrespondent.net/city/kharkov/3928736-v-kharkovskoi-oblasty-aityshnyka-ohrabyly-na-15-bytkoynov","source2_name":"Korrespondent.net (based on Opendatabot and the court decisions register)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA514","date":"2017-12-23","precision":"day","city":"Budapest (13th district, Balzac Street)","country":"Hungary","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"Several million HUF in cash ('multi-million' robbery according to RTL); exact amount not published","amount_usd":null,"description":"A 43-year-old man, Kalmár George Edward, agreed with a private individual to convert the latter's cash into bitcoin. On December 23, 2017, around 1:40 a.m., he took the victim to the agreed building on Balzac Street (13th district of Budapest); in the stairwell his 19-year-old accomplice, R. Péter, hit the victim several times, threatened him with a knife and grabbed the bag containing the money, then fled by car with his father, who was waiting outside. The 13th district police issued a wanted notice the same day; the three men were arrested on the evening of December 27, 2017 in an apartment in the 8th district.","victims":"A private individual who had come to exchange his cash for bitcoin (identity not published)","outcome":"Cash stolen; three suspects (K. George, 43, R. Péter, 19, and the latter's father) arrested on December 27, 2017 for armed robbery","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual lured to an over-the-counter meeting to buy bitcoin with cash was beaten and threatened with a knife, and his money was taken.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://index.hu/belfold/2017/12/23/keses_bitcoinbunozot_keres_a_rendorseg/","source1_name":"Index.hu","source2":"https://nlc.hu/eletmod/20171228/bitcoin-valuta-valtas-angyalfold-rablas/","source2_name":"Nők Lapja Café (nlc.hu)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L255","date":"2017-12-26","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv (Obolon district, Stepan Bandera Avenue)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"77 BTC (about USD 1 million) according to MP Anton Gerashchenko; 160 BTC (over USD 2 million) according to Strana sources with access to the case file","amount_usd":1000000,"description":"Pavel Lerner, 40, a Russian blockchain expert described as lead analyst and later as managing director of the EXMO exchange, was abducted in the street on December 26, 2017 near the office building on Stepan Bandera Avenue where EXMO worked, by six armed, masked men who claimed to be SBU officers and pushed him into a Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus with stolen plates. Held handcuffed in a basement under psychological pressure, he was forced to transfer bitcoins, then dropped on a road outside Kyiv; the kidnappers also took two phones and a computer.","victims":"Pavel Lerner, 40, Russian citizen, executive of the EXMO exchange","outcome":"Released on December 28 or 29, 2017 after the bitcoin ransom was transferred, physically unharmed but in shock; the National Police opened a kidnapping case (Article 146(2) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code); no known arrest; the victim said he would leave Ukraine.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Strana writes that Lerner himself was forced to transfer 160 BTC (or 77 BTC) for his release, and EXMO said he had no access to the platform's wallets; but he was targeted as an exchange executive, hence mixed.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20201205122722/https://strana.ua/articles/rassledovania/117225-kriptovaljutchik-lerner-kupil-svoju-svobodu-za-2-mln-herashchenko-podelil-etu-summu.html","source1_name":"Strana.ua","source2":"https://forklog.com/news/pohititeli-blokchejn-eksperta-pavla-lernera-predstavilis-sotrudnikami-sbu","source2_name":"ForkLog","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA531","date":"2017-12-30","precision":"day","city":"Chelyabinsk (Kurchatovsky District)","country":"Russia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["mining equipment"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"2 Antminer S9 14 TH/s units with power supplies, RUB 680,000","amount_usd":11600,"description":"On December 30, 2017 at around 9 p.m. in Chelyabinsk, a man who had come to sell two Antminer S9 mining machines in an apartment rented for the occasion by fake buyers was attacked by three masked, gloved men: one threatened him with an object resembling a pistol and ordered him to lie down, another tried to tie his hands with a cable tie; when he tried to flee, they choked him and beat him repeatedly on the head and stomach, then took the equipment. The ambush had been set up by an instigator who knew about the sale.","victims":"A seller of mining equipment acting for the owner (identity not published)","outcome":"Victim beaten and choked; equipment stolen; instigator and accomplices convicted by the Kurchatovsky District Court of Chelyabinsk (judgment of September 25, 2019, the instigator sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in a penal colony)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to sell mining equipment in a private sale was lured into an ambush and robbed.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://sudact.ru/regular/doc/wcXNrsJ8D8bP/","source1_name":"Tribunal du district Kourtchatovski de Tcheliabinsk, jugement n° 1-101/2019 du 25/09/2019 (via Sudact)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L256","date":"2018","precision":"year","city":"Los Angeles, California","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Unspecified crypto","Laptop"],"asset_classes":["Other","Devices"],"amount":"Unknown (over USD 200 million in cryptocurrency according to the victim's civil complaint, unverified)","amount_usd":null,"description":"According to the FBI criminal complaint filed in September 2024 against Adam Iza, victim T.W. stated that in 2018 Iza, posing as an FBI agent, and his then associate E.Z. committed a home invasion robbery at his home in Los Angeles: they held T.W. and his girlfriend at gunpoint, took the laptop containing his cryptocurrency and demanded the passwords to access it. Krebs on Security identifies T.W. as Troy Woody Jr., who sued Iza in 2022 claiming that laptops and phones holding more than USD 200 million in cryptocurrency had been stolen from him.","victims":"Troy Woody Jr. (\"T.W.\" in the FBI complaint) and his girlfriend at the time","outcome":"The victim reported the facts to the FBI in November 2023; Adam Iza was arrested in 2024 and charged over other conduct (conspiracy, tax evasion, bribery of LASD deputies); no known charge for this 2018 robbery.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The complaint targets T.W.'s laptop \"containing the cryptocurrency\" and the passwords to access it; T.W. is a private individual.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69198689/1/united-states-v-iza/","source1_name":"U.S. District Court, Central District of California (criminal complaint, United States v. Iza)","source2":"https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/crooked-cops-stolen-laptops-the-ghost-of-ugnazi/","source2_name":"Krebs on Security","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L257","date":"2018-01","precision":"month","city":"Odesa (General Petrov Street)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Cash","Jewellery","Phone"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"Nearly UAH 1,500,000 (about USD 57,000)","amount_usd":57000,"description":"In January 2018, criminals rented an apartment on General Petrov Street in Odesa for a short stay and arranged to meet a cryptocurrency buyer there for a sale. When the man arrived to negotiate, the organiser and his accomplices beat him and took his phone, jewellery and money.","victims":"An Odesa resident who came to buy cryptocurrency","outcome":"One suspect was held in custody without bail and sent to trial for robbery (Article 187(4) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code) by the Odesa prosecutor's office; accomplices were still being sought; trial outcome unknown.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual lured to a fake in-person cryptocurrency purchase and robbed of the money he brought for the deal.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261008182120/https://bizlim.com/crypto/news/odessa-robbery-for-1-5-million-uah-on-the-sale-of-crypto-currency.html","source1_name":"Bizlim","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA508","date":"2018-01-12","precision":"day","city":"Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana)","country":"Brazil","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC","Cash","Jewelry","Phone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"No bitcoin obtained; about BRL 100,000 in jewelry and cash taken","amount_usd":31000,"description":"On Friday, January 12, 2018, at around 4:30 p.m., two armed men entered a currency exchange office (casa de cambio) in Copacabana that had recently put up a Bitcoin sign. They asked for the owner by name, overpowered a customer, tied up manager Lucas Cohen (23) and his two brothers, held their gun to the father's head and in his mouth, and took the cash from the safe, gold jewelry and phones. After emptying the safe, they demanded the business's bitcoin and searched the manager's phone for the wallet; since it was kept elsewhere, they gave up.","victims":"Lucas Cohen, 23, manager of a Copacabana currency exchange office, his two brothers, his father and a customer","outcome":"Bitcoin not obtained (the wallet was not on the phones); about BRL 100,000 in cash and jewelry stolen; the perpetrators fled on a motorcycle and one stolen phone was traced near the Maracana; investigation by the 12th Police Precinct (Copacabana), no arrest reported.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Currency exchange office robbed during business hours: the business's cash and bitcoin were targeted (\"they wanted the bitcoin\" after the Bitcoin sign had recently been put up).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20180118000938/http://extra.globo.com/casos-de-policia/ladroes-assaltam-casa-de-cambio-em-copacabana-exigem-bitcoin-22297730.html","source1_name":"Extra (O Globo)","source2":"https://canaltech.com.br/criptomoedas/bandidos-exigem-bitcoins-em-assalto-a-casa-de-cambio-no-rio-de-janeiro-106814/","source2_name":"Canaltech","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA528","date":"2018-01-13","precision":"day","city":"Usolye-Sibirskoye (Irkutsk Oblast)","country":"Russia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining equipment"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"8 Antminer S9 units, RUB 2,720,000","amount_usd":48100,"description":"On the night of January 13, 2018, between 2 and 3 a.m., two masked men climbed the fence of a company site in Usolye-Sibirskoye where a mining farm had been installed a month earlier, smashed the window of the guardhouse with a sledgehammer, punched and kicked the guard, bound his hands and feet with tape and took eight Antminer S9 machines. One of the perpetrators worked at the site and had spotted the machines.","victims":"The site guard (injured); the owner of the mining farm","outcome":"Guard beaten and tied up; machines partly recovered; both perpetrators sentenced by the Usolye-Sibirskoye court (judgment No. 1-379/2018) to suspended prison terms of 6 years and 6 months and 6 years","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"A mining farm installed on a company site and guarded by an employee.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://sudact.ru/regular/doc/Oy5VGwcsAHLh/","source1_name":"Tribunal municipal d'Oussolie-Sibirskoie, jugement n° 1-379/2018 (via Sudact)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L258","date":"2018-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Lazurnye Ozera gated community (Vsevolozhsk district, Leningrad Oblast)","country":"Russia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Cash","Laptop"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Devices"],"amount":"RUB 24 million (about RUB 20 million and USD 70,000 in cash in the safe), about USD 425,000","amount_usd":425000,"description":"On the night of January 13 to 14, 2018, four masked men burst into the cottage of crypto video blogger Pavel Makushin, known as Pavel Nyashin (23), in the Lazurnye Ozera gated community. Threatening him with a pistol, they tied him up and beat him, destroyed his computer equipment, including the computer he used for trading, and took a safe containing about RUB 20 million and USD 70,000, documents, a watch and an iPhone X. The blogger, who boasted online about his cryptocurrency wealth, said he had attracted the attackers himself.","victims":"Pavel Makushin (Pavel Nyashin), 23, cryptocurrency investor and video blogger","outcome":"Robbery complaint filed with the Vsevolozhsk district police; no known arrest. The victim was found dead in a Saint Petersburg apartment in May 2018 (suicide suggested by a Rosbalt source, with no established link to the attack).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual known for his cryptocurrency wealth, targeted at home; 78.ru says the robbers were drawn by his stories about money kept at home, and his trading computer was destroyed or taken.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://78.ru/news/2018-01-14/iz_kottedzha_blogera_pavla_nyashina_grabiteli_ukrali_24_mln_rublei","source1_name":"78.ru","source2":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/russia-blogger-who-boasted-about-crypto-wealth-beaten-and-robbed-for-425k","source2_name":"Cointelegraph","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA522","date":"2018-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Rotterdam (basement storage unit of an apartment building; victim then forced to drive towards Spijkenisse)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"1.15951069 BTC (\"more than ten thousand euros\" according to the court) + EUR 2,000 in cash; a Louis Vuitton bag","amount_usd":15863,"description":"On the evening of January 14, 2018 at around 10:15 pm, a man who had come to an acquaintance's place in Rotterdam to buy \"tokens\" convertible into bitcoins with him (he brought EUR 2,000) was led to the building's basement storage unit, where two men in balaclavas attacked him. Taped to a chair, beaten, cut with a knife on the back of the head and on the ear, threatened with two firearms (one shot was fired into the ground next to him) and hit with a stun gun, he unlocked his phone: the organizer transferred 1.15951069 BTC from his account to an address linked to his girlfriend and took the EUR 2,000 in cash.","victims":"A man (identity not published) who had come to buy tokens/cryptocurrency","outcome":"The organizer (born in 1992) was convicted by the Rotterdam district court on August 6, 2021, then on appeal by the The Hague court of appeal (sitting in Amsterdam) on June 20, 2023 for robbery with violence committed jointly and possession of ammunition: 18 months in prison, 6 of them suspended (21 months deemed appropriate, reduced because the reasonable time was exceeded); damages awarded to the victim. Accomplices not identified in the ruling.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual lured under the pretext of a joint purchase of tokens was restrained and forced to let his own bitcoins be transferred.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:GHAMS:2023:1414","source1_name":"Gerechtshof Den Haag (ECLI:NL:GHAMS:2023:1414)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L259","date":"2018-01-15","precision":"day","city":"Rawai (Mueang Phuket district, Phuket)","country":"Thailand","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","Laptop","Phone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Devices"],"amount":"USD 100,000 in bitcoin (THB 3.2 million) according to The Nation; EUR 100,000 (nearly THB 4 million) according to another local outlet","amount_usd":100000,"description":"On the evening of Monday, January 15, 2018, a young Russian couple returning to their condominium in Rawai were pushed inside by several men, believed to be Russian, who claimed to be Interpol agents investigating bitcoin irregularities. Hooded and threatened with drug injections and then death, the two victims were held for about six hours and forced to give the passwords to their computer and bitcoin account, which the attackers emptied, before fleeing with three laptops, an iPhone X and the passports.","victims":"Maxim Lastouka (or Latsoka) and Anna Nikulina (or Nikurina), Russian couple","outcome":"Complaint filed on January 18 at Chalong police station; police said the gang had watched the couple and fled to Malaysia (GPS signal of the stolen iPhone); arrest warrants being prepared; outcome unknown.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Nation: police believe the gang \"monitored the couple for a while and attacked them after learning that they had cryptocurrency savings\"; a couple's personal savings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30336546","source1_name":"The Nation (Thailand)","source2":"https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1020825-russian-gang-steal-bitcoin-worth-millions-from-young-russian-couple-in-phuket-condo-extortion/","source2_name":"ASEAN NOW (Thaivisa)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L260","date":"2018-01-18","precision":"day","city":"North Point (335 King's Road, Hong Kong Island)","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Cash","Phone"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Devices"],"amount":"HKD 1.4 million in cash (about USD 180,000) and a phone worth about HKD 1,000","amount_usd":180000,"description":"On the evening of Thursday, January 18, 2018, a 34-year-old man surnamed Lee, on his way to a bitcoin deal arranged by two men posing as sellers, was attacked outside the Hang Seng North Point building at 335 King's Road by three masked men, who snatched a laptop case holding HKD 1.4 million in cash and a phone, then fled towards Java Road.","victims":"Lee, 34, bitcoin buyer","outcome":"The attackers escaped; police were looking for five men (two fake sellers and three attackers); no known arrest.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual lured to a fake bitcoin purchase meeting and robbed of the cash he brought for the deal.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2129665/hong-kong-bitcoin-trader-lured-bogus-meeting-and-robbed","source1_name":"South China Morning Post","source2":"https://asiatimes.com/2018/01/police-hunt-trio-case-hk1-4m-cash-snatched/","source2_name":"Asia Times","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA533","date":"2018-01-19","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Wanhua District, Wanda Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["ETH","cash"],"asset_classes":["ETH","Cash"],"amount":"3 ETH (TWD 104,400) transferred; TWD 105,000 in cash taken back by force","amount_usd":3500,"description":"Two 21-year-old men, Liao and Huang, contacted a 33-year-old ether seller online and agreed to a face-to-face exchange of 3 ETH at TWD 34,800 each (TWD 104,400) in a convenience store on Wanda Road, in Wanhua. On January 19, 2018, they handed him TWD 105,000 in cash to gain his trust; once the 3 ETH had been sent to Liao's wallet, Liao claimed the verification had failed and wanted to cancel, and Huang sprayed the seller with pepper spray to take the money back.","victims":"Mr Huang, 33, an ether (ETH) seller","outcome":"The two perpetrators fled with the money; according to police, the seller had cancelled the ether transaction and reported the incident. Identified through CCTV and the car they used, Liao and Huang were arrested and referred to prosecutors for snatching (搶奪).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual selling his own ETH face to face: the buyers obtained the ETH, then attacked him with pepper spray to take back the payment.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/2322328","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L262","date":"2018-01-22","precision":"day","city":"Moulsford (Reading Road, Oxfordshire)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown; nothing was stolen according to Thames Valley Police","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Monday, January 22, 2018 around 9:40 a.m., four men in balaclavas kicked in the door of the converted barn rented by Danny Aston, 30, a former City trader turned bitcoin trader, and his partner Amy Jay, 31, in Moulsford. They tied up the woman, left their baby outside in a pram and, at gunpoint, forced Aston to transfer bitcoin; he was struck on the head. According to the Daily Mail as cited by CriptoNoticias, he pretended to make the transfer, and police said nothing was stolen.","victims":"Danny Aston, 30, and Amy Jay, 31, directors of Aston Digital Currencies Ltd, and their baby","outcome":"Aston was struck on the head, treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital and discharged; Thames Valley Police investigated an aggravated burglary, no arrests at that stage; police believed the attack was targeted because of Aston's profile as a trader (over 100,000 trades under a pseudonym).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Couple attacked at their family home for the trader's bitcoin; Aston and Jay also run the company Aston Digital Currencies, hence mixed.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/28/britains-first-bitcoin-heist-trader-forced-gunpoint-transfer/","source1_name":"The Telegraph","source2":"https://www.sbs.com.au/news/britain-sees-first-bitcoin-armed-robbery-reports","source2_name":"SBS News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L261","date":"2018-01-23","precision":"day","city":"Ottawa (Nepean, Concourse Gate)","country":"Canada","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Nothing taken","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 around 11 a.m., three men armed with handguns entered the offices of the bitcoin business Canadian Bitcoins on Concourse Gate, took control of four employees and tied them up; one of them was struck on the head with a gun. A fifth employee, hidden in an office, called the police and the attackers fled empty-handed.","victims":"Four Canadian Bitcoins employees","outcome":"Failed; a 19-year-old suspect, Jimmy St-Hilaire, was arrested in a ravine after a chase and charged with offences including conspiracy and firearm possession; two other suspects at large; the injured employee was treated in hospital (minor injury).","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Robbery of the premises and staff of a bitcoin exchange business; Finance Magnates reports that Canadian Bitcoins confirmed the attempt.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/robbery-ottawa-search-bitcoin-1.4501719","source1_name":"CBC News","source2":"https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/bitcoin-business-robbery-foiled-by-hidden-employee-police-search-for-suspects-1.3774087","source2_name":"CTV News Ottawa","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L263","date":"2018-01-29","precision":"day","city":"Forsyth County (Georgia)","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Up to 80 BTC targeted (about USD 800,000 according to the sheriff; nearly USD 1 million according to the first article); nothing obtained","amount_usd":null,"description":"In January 2018, four young men from Texas, California and the Atlanta area, joined by a fifth accomplice from Illinois, travelled to Forsyth County to rob by force the home of a teenager believed to hold up to 80 bitcoins. They had scouted the house several times and studied the occupants' routines. On 29 January 2018, after a tip-off, sheriff's deputies found them in a local hotel with zip ties, latex gloves, duct tape and bandanas; released for lack of evidence, they were linked to the plan that same night, before they could carry it out.","victims":"A Forsyth County teenager (not named), believed to hold up to 80 BTC, and the occupants of his home","outcome":"The plot was foiled before it was carried out; no one was hurt. Trivette Adams (20) and Michael McDermott (18) were arrested on 30 January 2018 near Atlanta airport; Jacob South (21) and Matthew Schwartz (18) were arrested in Chicago the next day; Justin Ellison (20) was arrested on 11 May 2018 after extradition. All five were indicted on 11 June 2018 by the Forsyth County Superior Court for conspiracy to commit burglary and robbery by force. No further court outcome found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The sheriff described a private teenager targeted at home because he reportedly held up to 80 bitcoins; no business was involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.forsythnews.com/local/crime-courts/authorities-five-arrested-after-allegedly-traveling-cross-country-rob-bitcoin-local-teen/","source1_name":"Forsyth County News","source2":"https://www.forsythnews.com/local/crime-courts/men-indicted-alleged-bitcoin-heist-conspiracy/","source2_name":"Forsyth County News","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L264","date":"2018-02","precision":"month","city":"Gandhinagar (Gujarat)","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"200 BTC according to the complaint and the judgment (about INR 13 crore according to India Today in 2018, INR 32 crore according to PTI in 2025); Cointelegraph, citing the Times of India, reports 34 BTC sold (about USD 150,000)","amount_usd":1720000,"description":"In February 2018, Shailesh Bhatt, a Surat property developer who had recovered part of his BitConnect losses in bitcoin, was summoned to the CBI office in Gandhinagar, beaten and forced to pay a first sum, then abducted by police officers from Amreli district near a fuel station in Gandhinagar together with his partner Kirit Paladiya. Held at Keshav Farm, they were beaten and threatened with a staged 'encounter' killing until Bhatt transferred bitcoins. The plot involved Amreli Superintendent of Police Jagdish Patel, Inspector Anant Patel and former BJP MLA Nalin Kotadiya.","victims":"Shailesh Bhatt, a Surat property developer, and his partner Kirit Paladiya","outcome":"The Gujarat CID Crime filed an FIR against ten police officers; three were arrested quickly while the inspector fled; Kotadiya was arrested in September 2018 in Jalgaon. On 29 August 2025, the Ahmedabad sessions court (Judge B. B. Jadav) sentenced 14 of the 15 accused to life imprisonment, including Jagdish Patel and Nalin Kotadiya, for kidnapping for ransom, illegal detention and criminal conspiracy; nine police officers announced an appeal.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Bhatt personally held the bitcoins recovered from his BitConnect investment; the police officers abducted him to seize those bitcoins ('threatened to kill me ... if I did not hand over my Bitcoins').","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.indiatoday.in/crime/story/gujarat-cops-kidnap-surat-builder-extort-bitcoins-worth-rs-13-crore-1208579-2018-04-09","source1_name":"India Today","source2":"https://www.dtnext.in/news/national/former-gujarat-bjp-mla-ex-amreli-sp-among-14-sentenced-to-life-term-in-2018-bitcoin-extortion-case-844941","source2_name":"DT Next (PTI)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA526","date":"2018-02","precision":"month","city":"Kazan (Tatarstan)","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (bitcoins of four sellers; the defense argued that bitcoins had no value)","amount_usd":null,"description":"From February to April 2018, a gang of three residents of Yoshkar-Ola and one Kazan resident found people online who wanted to sell bitcoins for cash and arranged meetings with them. In at least one episode, two members posing as officers of the MVD economic crimes unit handcuffed a seller, drove him out of town to a deserted spot and, intimidating him with a pistol and threatening him with prison, forced him to transfer his bitcoins to them \"in exchange for his freedom\"; other sellers were paid with counterfeit banknotes. Four episodes of theft and robbery were charged.","victims":"At least four bitcoin sellers in Kazan (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"Marat Samatov, Dmitry Motorin, Ivan Pavlovsky and Marina Smirnova were sentenced on April 25, 2019 by the Kirovsky District Court of Kazan: two to 6 years and 4 months in a strict-regime penal colony, one to 7 years in a strict-regime colony, one to 6.5 years in a general-regime colony (according to ForkLog); victims filed civil claims","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individuals selling their own bitcoins face to face were abducted under fake police pretexts and forced to transfer them.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://forklog.com/news/v-kazani-moshenniki-pod-vidom-politsejskih-vymogali-bitkoiny-u-kriptovalyutchikov","source1_name":"ForkLog (d'apres Tatar-inform)","source2":"https://promining.net/ru/v-kazani-osudili-bandu-chleny-kotoroy-p/","source2_name":"ProMining","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA517","date":"2018-02-01","precision":"day","city":"Surat (Gujarat) - exact place of detention not given by the sources","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"2,256 BTC (INR 131 crore) + 166 BTC (INR 9.64 crore) + INR 14.5 crore in cash; total INR 155.21 crore according to the CID","amount_usd":24000000,"description":"On February 1, 2018, after the collapse of BitConnect, men working for Surat property developer Shailesh Bhatt (who had lost INR 2 crore in BitConnect) kidnapped Dhaval Mavani, who was linked to the platform, at gunpoint and forced him to transfer 2,256 bitcoins (INR 131 crore) to their account; another 166 bitcoins (INR 9.64 crore) were also transferred, and INR 14.5 crore in cash was demanded for his release, paid through the informal Angadia courier network. Two days earlier, the gang had posed as tax officials to hold another BitConnect employee, Piyush Savalia, at gunpoint in a farmhouse for three days; he led them to Mavani. The case came to light in May 2018 when the Gujarat CID Crime investigated a complaint by Bhatt, who had himself later been kidnapped by Amreli police officers; Bhatt's nephew Nikunj, who handled the transfers, was arrested.","victims":"Dhaval Mavani, linked to the BitConnect platform (Surat)","outcome":"Victim released after the transfers and the cash payment; Bhatt reportedly kept about 700 BTC; nephew Nikunj Bhatt arrested in May 2018, Shailesh Bhatt wanted and later prosecuted","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"Victim kidnapped for the bitcoins he could access through his role in BitConnect; the sources do not say whether the funds were his own or the platform's, hence medium classification confidence","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bitcoin-extortion-case-complainant-now-becomes-an-accused/article23956811.ece","source1_name":"The Hindu","source2":"https://behindmlm.com/mlm/regulation/kidnapping-and-extortion-escapades-in-india-reveal-bitconnect-owner/","source2_name":"BehindMLM","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L266","date":"2018-02-09","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (West District, Zhongqin Street)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"18 BTC (about TWD 5.04 million)","amount_usd":155000,"description":"Four men (Huang, 25, Shih, 23, Lin, 20, and Hsiao, who had a prior fraud conviction) posed as buyers of 18 bitcoins at TWD 280,000 each to Mr Tai, head of an IT company in Taipei, and showed him a photo of TWD 5 million in cash. On 9 February 2018, Tai and an employee came to complete the deal at the home Huang rented on Zhongqin Street in Taichung; as soon as Tai displayed his balance on his phone, the four men beat them, overpowered them and transferred the 18 BTC to an unknown account, then forced them to drink sorghum liquor to pass the incident off as a drunken brawl.","victims":"Mr Tai, head of an IT company in Taipei, and his employee Mr Wu","outcome":"The 18 BTC, transferred to an account in China, were not recovered. Huang was arrested at the scene after neighbours called police; Lin was arrested on Kinmen while trying to flee to China, Shih was arrested on a high-speed train (TWD 125,500 seized), and Hsiao was arrested the next day in Nantun; all four were remanded in custody. A suspected mastermind was never identified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An over-the-counter seller holding the 18 BTC in his own phone wallet, lured by fake buyers; the IT company he runs was not the target.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/amp/20180221soc006","source1_name":"Mirror Media","source2":"https://udn.com/news/story/7315/9450569","source2_name":"United Daily News (CNA)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA518","date":"2018-02-12","precision":"day","city":"Surat (Westfield Shopping Complex, Ghod Dod Road), then Kim (Surat district), Gujarat","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (all his bitcoins demanded; nothing obtained according to police)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On February 12, 2018, at around 1 p.m., Jignesh Patel, 33, a coffee-vending-machine trader from Adajan, was kidnapped by four men in the parking area of the Westfield Shopping Complex (Ghod Dod Road) and taken to a construction site in Kim. Tipped off by a former business associate about his bitcoin investments, the kidnappers, including a suspended head constable posing as a police officer, demanded all his bitcoins under threat of police action; Patel said he had stopped the business and had no balance left. He was released in Jahangirpura.","victims":"Jignesh Patel, 33, a trader from Adajan (Surat) and former bitcoin investor","outcome":"Victim released in Jahangirpura after a shopkeeper alerted police; suspended head constable Anisuddin Anwarali Saiyed (already prosecuted for an April 2017 kidnapping-extortion) arrested on March 11, 2018; accomplices Kalpesh Rathod and head constable Chintan Shah implicated.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individual kidnapped for his own bitcoins, which the kidnappers believed to be substantial based on a former associate's tip.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/bizman-kidnapped-to-extort-ransom-in-bitcoins/articleshow/62891735.cms","source1_name":"Times of India","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/head-constable-arrested-in-bitcoin-extortion-case/articleshow/63260279.cms","source2_name":"Times of India","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA523","date":"2018-02-15","precision":"day","city":"Sint-Oedenrode (municipality of Meierijstad, North Brabant)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Home invasion","assets":["mining equipment"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"2 Antminer S9 units (sale value EUR 4,100), an HP laptop and a Sony phone","amount_usd":5122,"description":"On the evening of February 15, 2018, two men who had posed on Marktplaats as buyers of two Antminer S9 mining machines put up for sale by a private individual entered his home to inspect them. When the sale was about to be completed, one of them pointed a revolver at the seller (\"This is a robbery\", \"If you look back I'll shoot you dead\", \"Think of your wife and child upstairs\"), made him kneel and count out loud to 60, and the perpetrators left with the two miners, a laptop and a phone.","victims":"A private individual selling mining machines (identity not published); the robbers referred to \"your wife and child upstairs\"","outcome":"One perpetrator born in 1997 (already under a PIJ juvenile detention order for a murder committed at 14) was convicted of robbery with threat of violence committed jointly and possession of a weapon: TBS with compulsory treatment ordered by the North Holland district court (October 22, 2019) and then by the Amsterdam court of appeal (August 30, 2021); appeal in cassation dismissed by the Supreme Court on July 12, 2022; two accomplices testified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual selling his own mining machines at home was held up at gunpoint by fake buyers.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:GHAMS:2021:2633","source1_name":"Hoge Raad (ECLI:NL:HR:2022:1020) / Gerechtshof Amsterdam (ECLI:NL:GHAMS:2021:2633)","source2":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBNHO:2019:8774","source2_name":"Rechtbank Noord-Holland (ECLI:NL:RBNHO:2019:8774)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L267","date":"2018-02-22","precision":"day","city":"Moscow (Isakovskogo Street)","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Cash","Laptop with access to a BTC wallet","Phones"],"asset_classes":["Cash","BTC","Devices"],"amount":"USD 20,000 in cash, a laptop and phones (damage estimated by police at about RUB 1.5 million); a 300 BTC wallet was accessible from the laptop, with no published evidence that the bitcoins were transferred","amount_usd":26500,"description":"On 22 February 2018 at about 10 p.m., on Isakovskogo Street in Moscow, four unknown men beat Yury Mayorov, a programmer and one of the creators of the Prizm cryptocurrency, put him into a Mercedes and drove him around the city demanding money. They took USD 20,000 in cash he had exchanged for a trip to India, phones and a laptop giving access to a 300-bitcoin wallet, made him swallow a pill with vodka and threw him out of the car on Borisovskie Prudy Street.","victims":"Yury Mayorov, a programmer, founder of the company Neiroset and one of the creators of the Prizm cryptocurrency","outcome":"The victim was injured, went to hospital and filed a complaint the next day; a robbery investigation was opened (Article 161 of the Russian Criminal Code). A Prizm co-founder said the attack was aimed mainly at Prizm's technology. No arrest found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A well-known crypto developer attacked in the street and stripped of his personal belongings, including the laptop giving access to his 300 BTC wallet; Prizm is not presented as the owner of the funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://incrussia.ru/news/v-moskve-ograbili-sozdatelya-kriptovalyuty-prizm/","source1_name":"Inc. Russia (RBC)","source2":"https://forklog.com/neizvestnye-pohitili-sozdatelya-kriptovalyuty-prizm-i-ukrali-u-nego-300-btc/","source2_name":"ForkLog","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L265","date":"2018-02-23","precision":"day","city":"Moscow (south of the city)","country":"Russia","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"About 100 BTC (about USD 1 million according to ForkLog)","amount_usd":1010000,"description":"During the night of 22 to 23 February 2018, an unidentified gang abducted a cryptocurrency investor in southern Moscow. In a deserted spot, the attackers slashed his face with a knife until he transferred all his cryptocurrency, about 100 bitcoins, to them, then left him in a temperature of -20 degrees.","victims":"An unidentified cryptocurrency investor, hospitalised in Strogino district","outcome":"The victim suffered facial injuries and was left in the cold; he survived and was hospitalised in Strogino district; police were establishing the circumstances. No arrest found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"ForkLog described a private investor tortured until he transferred 'all the cryptocurrency he had'; no business was involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://forklog.com/zhitel-moskvy-pod-pytkami-otdal-sadistam-million-dollarov-v-bitkoinah/","source1_name":"ForkLog","source2":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/moscow-man-mutilated-and-mugged-for-1-million-in-bitcoin-local-sources-report","source2_name":"Cointelegraph","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L268","date":"2018-03","precision":"month","city":"Killingly (Ballouville Road, Connecticut)","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Access to a Bitcoin account (passwords)","Cash","Phones","Television"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Devices","Other"],"amount":"Unknown (money, mobile phones and a television taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In March 2018, several people forced their way into a house on Ballouville Road in Killingly. They pistol-whipped one occupant in the head, used an electric cattle prod on another and chased the female renter into the bathroom, breaking down its door with a hammer; she escaped to a neighbour's house. According to police, the raid was meant to recover the passwords of a Bitcoin account the renter had opened in the name of one of the attackers, Monique Delannoy-Jodoin, as well as money the latter said had been stolen from her.","victims":"The female renter of the house (not named), who managed the Bitcoin account, and two other occupants","outcome":"Two occupants were injured and the renter escaped. In October 2018, Monique Delannoy-Jodoin (59, Manville, Rhode Island) was charged with offences including home invasion, first-degree robbery and assault with a weapon (bond of USD 250,000), and Beatriz Viruet (38, Providence) with home invasion and robbery (bond of USD 100,000); they were due in Danielson Superior Court. No further court outcome found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private dispute: the attacker sought by force the passwords of the Bitcoin account the renter had opened in her name; no business was involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/20211002025303/https://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20181016/police-2-rhode-island-women-charged-in-killingly-home-invasion","source1_name":"Norwich Bulletin","source2":"https://www.ccn.com/police-dispute-over-bitcoin-account-led-to-connecticut-home-invasion/","source2_name":"CCN","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L269","date":"2018-03","precision":"month","city":"Kyiv (Podil district)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"USD 50,000 (cash taken from the home)","amount_usd":50000,"description":"In March 2018, two brothers waited for a Kyiv cryptocurrency miner outside his home in Podil district, put a bag over his head, forced him into a car and drove him out of the city. Threatening to kill him, they made him hand over the keys to his flat and say where he kept his money, took USD 50,000, then released him in Brovary.","victims":"An unnamed Kyiv resident, a cryptocurrency miner","outcome":"The victim was released in Brovary. The two perpetrators, brothers born in 1984 and 1988, were arrested in November 2018 by Kyiv local prosecutor's office No. 7 and the Podil district police and named as suspects in a group robbery involving entry into a home (Article 187(4) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, up to 15 years); pre-trial detention was requested. No further court outcome found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual, a cryptocurrency miner, abducted outside his home and robbed of his personal money; no business was involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/20241112133215/https://kyiv.gp.gov.ua/ua/news.html?_m=publications&_c=view&_t=rec&id=240941","source1_name":"Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office","source2":"https://ain.ua/2018/11/26/zaderzhali-gryppy-kotoraja-vykrala-majnera/amp/","source2_name":"AIN.UA","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA524","date":"2018-03","precision":"month","city":"Nikolskoye (Belgorod District)","country":"Russia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining equipment"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"60 graphics cards, 10 motherboards and other components, RUB 1,450,100","amount_usd":25200,"description":"In late March 2018, acting on a tip-off from an informant who had given them the geolocation and floor plan of the house, men who arrived at night in a Toyota FJ Cruiser with bags and cable ties entered a house in the village of Nikolskoye (Belgorod District) where a mining rig bought in late 2017 was running. They beat the man looking after the house, knocked him to the ground, tied his hands behind his back with cable ties and took 60 Radeon RX 470 graphics cards, 10 motherboards and other components.","victims":"The man looking after the house (injured); the owner of the mining rig, a private individual","outcome":"Caretaker beaten and tied up; two accomplices convicted on December 19, 2018 by the Belgorod District Court, a third sentenced on March 29, 2019 to 3 years in a strict-regime penal colony; one perpetrator unidentified","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual's mining rig, in his house, targeted on the basis of a tip-off.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://sudact.ru/regular/doc/ylU0HyKsYkQD/","source1_name":"Tribunal du district de Belgorod, jugement n° 1-64/2019 du 29/03/2019 (via Sudact)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA509","date":"2018-03-12","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures (near Quebec City), Quebec","country":"Canada","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining equipment"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"CAD 800,000 of computer equipment (mining graphics cards) according to La Presse","amount_usd":623600,"description":"On Monday, March 12, 2018, around 9-10 p.m., five men posing as potential investors burst into the warehouse of Crypto Technologies inc., a cryptocurrency mine in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures. Armed with knives, they bound the two brothers who own it with electrical tape, threatened to kill them, doused them with bleach, beat their dog, then loaded dozens of mining graphics cards into a rented cube truck; they also took the camera recorder and smashed the victims' phones.","victims":"Jonathan and David Fortin Dominguez, brothers who own Crypto Technologies inc.","outcome":"The victims freed themselves and identified the truck; two suspects were arrested about 30 minutes later by the Quebec City police, some 20 km away. Yan Pichette was charged on March 13 with armed robbery, forcible confinement and possession of property obtained by crime; Dany Bouchard, 51, with theft and possession of property obtained by crime. Three other suspects fled. The victims were treated at the scene by paramedics and declined to be taken to hospital.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Armed raid on a company's mining warehouse (Crypto Technologies inc.) to steal its mining equipment.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/affaires-criminelles/201803/13/01-5157205-deux-mineurs-sequestres-ligotes-et-asperges-deau-de-javel.php","source1_name":"La Presse","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2018/https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/affaires-criminelles/201803/20/01-5158073-vol-dune-mine-de-cryptomonnaie-ces-gars-la-repondaient-a-une-commande.php","source2_name":"La Presse (archive Wayback)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L271","date":"2018-03-22","precision":"day","city":"Irving (Texas)","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Cash (cassettes from a Bitcoin ATM)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown (amount not disclosed by police)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 22 March 2018 at about 10 p.m., two men walked into the Chevron gas station in the 7200 block of North MacArthur Boulevard in Irving. One sprayed the clerk with bear spray and the other handed him a crowbar; the first pried open the Bitcoin ATM while the second watched the clerk, and they left with the machine's cash cassettes in a grey SUV.","victims":"The clerk of the Chevron gas station; the operator of the Bitcoin ATM","outcome":"The clerk was taken to hospital after choking on the spray but was not seriously hurt. The perpetrators escaped; Crime Stoppers offered a USD 5,000 reward. The same men were suspected of the Mesquite robbery of 28 March 2018. No arrest found.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"A gas station Bitcoin ATM emptied of its cash cassettes: the operator's assets (method 1.4, ATM).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/thieves-use-bear-spray-in-irving-bitcoin-heist/74303/","source1_name":"NBC DFW","source2":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260211011429/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/04/20/robbers-douse-clerks-with-pepper-spray-steal-from-bitcoin-atms-in-irving-and-mesquite/","source2_name":"The Dallas Morning News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L270","date":"2018-03-28","precision":"day","city":"Mesquite (Texas)","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Cash (cassettes from a Bitcoin ATM)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 28 March 2018 at about 11:30 a.m., at the Exxon station in the 2200 block of Oates Drive in Mesquite, a man who had just bought a drink came back and sprayed the female clerk with bear spray; his accomplice broke into the store's Bitcoin ATM and took its cash cassettes before the pair fled by car.","victims":"The female clerk of the Exxon gas station; the operator of the Bitcoin ATM","outcome":"The clerk was sprayed; her condition was not reported. The perpetrators escaped and were suspected of the Irving robbery of 22 March 2018; Irving and Mesquite police investigated jointly and Crime Stoppers offered a USD 5,000 reward. No arrest found.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"A gas station Bitcoin ATM emptied of its cash cassettes: the operator's assets (method 1.4, ATM).","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260211011429/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/04/20/robbers-douse-clerks-with-pepper-spray-steal-from-bitcoin-atms-in-irving-and-mesquite/","source1_name":"The Dallas Morning News","source2":"https://www.fox4news.com/news/bitcoin-bandits-target-dallas-county-cryptocurrency-atms","source2_name":"Fox 4 KDFW","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA511","date":"2018-03-29","precision":"day","city":"Dubai (Al Rafaa / Al Rifa'a)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"AED 800,000 in cash, plus the victims' phones","amount_usd":217835,"description":"A Chinese trader and three compatriots, who had brought AED 800,000 in cash to buy 400 bitcoins advertised on Facebook, were received at around 4pm in an office (an apartment according to The National) in Dubai's Al Rafaa district, where the \"seller\" showed them documents and screenshots of bitcoins. Three men in Emirati dress claiming to be police investigators then walked in, ordered them to lie down, tied them up with plastic handcuffs, took the money and their phones, and locked them in before fleeing.","victims":"A Chinese trader and three compatriots (four Chinese businessmen), bitcoin buyers","outcome":"One of the victims freed himself and held an accomplice employee until police arrived; the rental car used for the getaway led to the perpetrators. Eight men (Pakistanis, one Indian, one Bangladeshi) were charged with confinement and theft; in March 2019 the Dubai Criminal Court sentenced the manager, the employee and a Pakistani businessman to one year in prison followed by deportation (robbery, illegal confinement, impersonating police officers) and acquitted the other five; the acquittals and sentences were upheld on appeal (May 2019).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The AED 800,000 in cash was brought by a trader and his associates to buy bitcoins in an in-person over-the-counter deal; a robbery of P2P buyers, with no corporate assets targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/businessman-robbed-of-dh800-000-after-bitcoin-scam-court-hears-1.806335","source1_name":"The National","source2":"https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2019/05/04/five-cleared-in-dhs800000-bitcoin-scam","source2_name":"Gulf Today","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA512","date":"2018-03-30","precision":"day","city":"Arona (Costa del Silencio, Tenerife, Canary Islands)","country":"Spain","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","watch"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Valuables"],"amount":"EUR 12,000 in bitcoin demanded (two transfers of EUR 6,000), not obtained; luxury watch worth EUR 35,000 stolen and later recovered","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the early hours of March 30, 2018 (Good Friday), two people met a 30-year-old Italian man in the street in Costa del Silencio (Arona, southern Tenerife) for a bitcoin purchase-and-sale transaction and agreed to finish the deal at his home. There he threatened both visitors with a blank-firing pistol, gagged and tied up one of the victims (the other man's Brazilian partner) and sent the second victim, an Italian, out to make two transfers of EUR 6,000 each in bitcoin (or a deposit to his bank account, according to the Guardia Civil), threatening to kill the woman if he did not come back with proof of payment. The man sent out alerted the Guardia Civil post at Playa de Las Américas; together with the Arona local police prevention unit, officers arrested the kidnapper at the agreed meeting point. The weapon, thrown away nearby, and a EUR 35,000 luxury watch taken from one of the victims were recovered.","victims":"An Italian man and his Brazilian partner, who had come for a bitcoin purchase-and-sale deal","outcome":"No transfer made; victims freed unharmed; the perpetrator (30, from Costa del Silencio) arrested the same day, weapon and watch recovered, brought before the duty investigating judge in Arona","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two private individuals who had come for an over-the-counter bitcoin trade were held at gunpoint at their counterparty's home, who demanded a EUR 12,000 payment in bitcoin.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/canarias/20180402/442141394730/secuestra-a-punta-de-pistola-a-una-persona-en-el-sur-de-tenerife-por-unos-bitcoins.html","source1_name":"La Vanguardia (Europa Press)","source2":"https://www.laprovincia.es/sucesos/2018/04/01/secuestro-punta-pistola-sur-tenerife-9487706.html","source2_name":"La Provincia - Diario de Las Palmas","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L272","date":"2018-04-08","precision":"day","city":"Singapore (Hotel 81, Middle Road)","country":"Singapore","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"SGD 365,000 in cash","amount_usd":278000,"description":"Pang Joon Hau, a Malaysian who had come to Singapore to buy bitcoins with cash, met two men posing as a bitcoin seller and broker at about 11:40 p.m. on 8 April 2018, in his room at Hotel 81 on Middle Road and in the presence of his broker. Once the sum had been checked, Mohd Abdul Rahman Mohamad and Syed Mokhtar Syed Yusope punched Pang in the face, assaulted his broker and fled with SGD 365,000 in cash.","victims":"Pang Joon Hau, a Malaysian in his twenties buying bitcoins, and his Singaporean broker","outcome":"Syed Mokhtar Syed Yusope, an Uber driver, was arrested on 9 April 2018 at Woodlands Checkpoint; Mohd Abdul Rahman Mohamad, then on the run under an arrest warrant, was arrested on 10 April 2018 at a Sentosa hotel; both were charged with robbery with hurt, and about SGD 19,000 in cash and SGD 80,000 of luxury purchases were recovered; Abdul Rahman's former wife was charged with receiving stolen property. Syed Mokhtar pleaded guilty on 10 September 2020; a third man, Jaromel Gee Ming Li, a bitcoin broker, was also implicated. Sentences not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy bitcoins over the counter with his own cash, robbed during the in-person transaction (method 1.4).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/malaysian-here-to-buy-bitcoins-ends-up-being-robbed-of-365000","source1_name":"The Straits Times","source2":"https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2018/04/13/singapore-man-charged-with-robbing-malaysian-of-s365000-cash-in-bitcoin-sca/1619657","source2_name":"Malay Mail","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L273","date":"2018-04-10","precision":"day","city":"Miami (downtown, Whole Foods on SE Third Street)","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["Cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"USD 30,000 in cash targeted; nothing indicates it was taken","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 10 April 2018, Ryan Rice and a companion, who had come from Gainesville with USD 30,000 in cash to buy bitcoins, met a seller at the Whole Foods at 299 SE Third Street in downtown Miami. After the cash was handed over in Rice's car, they escorted the seller; in the parking garage stairwell, Marcarrous Clark appeared and tried to grab the backpack holding the cash. Rice, who was armed, told him to back off and then shot him when he charged.","victims":"Ryan Rice, a bitcoin buyer from Gainesville, and his companion (not named)","outcome":"The robbery attempt failed: the buyer was unhurt, and the attacker, Marcarrous Clark, was shot and hospitalised, then charged with strong-arm attempted robbery. Rice was not charged, as police treated the shooting as self-defence. The seller's role was not established.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy bitcoins over the counter with his own cash, targeted during the in-person transaction (method 1.4).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/20210606133523/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article208997064.html","source1_name":"Miami Herald","source2":"https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/man-shot-in-attempted-robbery-in-downtown-miami-police/43249/","source2_name":"NBC 6 South Florida","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA521","date":"2018-04-15","precision":"day","city":"Almere (McDonald's parking lot)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 65,000 in cash (agreed purchase of 9 BTC), a phone and a car key","amount_usd":80061,"description":"On April 15, 2018, a man who had been offered bitcoins through an app met two men at a McDonald's in Almere to buy 9 BTC from them for EUR 65,000. Once seated in his car in the parking lot, one of the men pointed a weapon at him while the other took his car key, his phone and the EUR 65,000; the perpetrators drove off in a rented white BMW.","victims":"A bitcoin buyer (identity not published)","outcome":"Perpetrators not identified; the man who had rented the BMW, prosecuted for these facts, was acquitted by the Amsterdam district court on November 23, 2023 (description did not match, not recognized by the victim).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A bitcoin purchase meeting between private individuals turned into an armed robbery of the buyer.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:7527","source1_name":"Rechtbank Amsterdam (ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:7527)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L274","date":"2018-04-25","precision":"day","city":"Dubai (Al Muraqqabat, Al Khubiasi area)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash (AED)","two smartphones"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Devices"],"amount":"AED 7,000,000 in cash + two phones","amount_usd":1906000,"description":"Two Indian twin brothers looking to buy AED 7 million worth of bitcoin were lured by a broker to a rented office in Dubai's Al Muraqqabat district, which the gang leader had obtained by posing as a buyer of the business. Once the cash had been brought, men claiming to be CID officers burst in, saying that trading digital currency was illegal; the victims and a friend were attacked with sharp objects, threatened, tied up and locked in a room, and the gang fled with the cash and two phones.","victims":"Two Indian twin brothers (one aged 28), bitcoin buyers, and a friend who was present","outcome":"A 10-man gang (led by a GCC national) was arrested within 48 hours by Dubai Police; 11 defendants (six Pakistanis, two Bangladeshis, an Emirati, a Yemeni and one man without documents) appeared before the Dubai Criminal Court in June 2018, four for armed robbery and seven for aiding and abetting; AED 3.68 million recovered according to The National (Khaleej Times reported AED 7 million recovered).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims were two private individuals who came to buy bitcoin with their own cash in an in-person over-the-counter deal; no company was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/courts/dubai-police-arrest-gang-over-BTC-robbery-1.725632","source1_name":"The National","source2":"https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/dh7m-stolen-from-twins-during-digital-currency-scam-in-dubai-court-told-1.739329","source2_name":"The National","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA525","date":"2018-05-11","precision":"day","city":"Drozhzhino (Leninsky District, Moscow Oblast)","country":"Russia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["mining equipment","cash"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Cash"],"amount":"22 mining machines, 16 Bitmain power supplies, RUB 385,000 in cash and a phone, RUB 2,760,600 in total","amount_usd":44900,"description":"On May 11, 2018, a fake buyer calling himself \"Georgy\" lured two young men who had come to sell mining machines (Antminer S9, Baikal Giant) to a strip of woodland 200 m from Yuzhnaya Street in Drozhzhino. While one of them was opening a box for a demonstration, five men arrived in two cars and blocked their vehicle; one pointed an object resembling a pistol at the driver's head, threatening to \"shoot him in the knee\", another slammed the seller against the car body. They took 22 mining machines, 16 power supplies, RUB 385,000 in cash and an iPhone.","victims":"Two sellers of mining equipment (initials L.A.A. and N.A.V.)","outcome":"Six accomplices sentenced on December 17, 2019 by the Vidnoye City Court (Article 162(4)(b)) to terms in a strict-regime penal colony, including 5 years and 4 years 6 months; an accomplice \"Albert\" prosecuted separately","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two private individuals who came to sell mining equipment at a private meeting were robbed by fake buyers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://sudact.ru/regular/doc/CV01Z4UYPOJG/","source1_name":"Tribunal municipal de Vidnoie (oblast de Moscou), jugement n° 1-182/2019 du 17/12/2019 (via Sudact)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA529","date":"2018-06-03","precision":"day","city":"Saint Petersburg","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC","DGB","BTS","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Other","Cash"],"amount":"99.7035 BTC (RUB 48.1 million as of June 3, 2018) + 2,072,150 DGB (RUB 4.08 million) + 198,700 BTS (RUB 3.01 million) + RUB 5 million in cash, about RUB 60.2 million in total","amount_usd":965000,"description":"Petr Piron, who knew that an acquaintance mined and converted cryptocurrency, first tried in spring 2018 to extort at least RUB 1 million from him by posing as an FSB officer to a friend of his. When that failed, he recruited Evgeny Prigozhin and at least five men disguised as special-services officers (balaclavas, combat boots): they threw the friend into a Volkswagen Transporter van and, using violence, made him give up the holder's address. They then threatened the holder with being taken to Shpalernaya Street to be tortured, beaten and injected with chemicals; he handed over RUB 5 million hidden in his kitchen and transferred 99.7 BTC as well as DigiByte and BitShares.","victims":"A Saint Petersburg cryptocurrency miner and converter (identity not disclosed); a friend abducted and beaten to obtain his address","outcome":"Piron and Prigozhin were sentenced in June 2020 by the Petrogradsky District Court to 10 and 8 years in a strict-regime penal colony, the cryptocurrency being dropped from the charges for lack of legal status; the judgment was overturned by the city court and the sentences were reduced by one year on December 20, 2021; at least five accomplices unidentified","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who mined and held cryptocurrency was targeted for his own bitcoins, after his friend was abducted to locate him.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://forklog.com/news/v-sankt-peterburge-psevdo-sotrudniki-fsb-pod-ugrozoj-pytok-pohitili-kriptovalyuty-na-55-mln-rublej","source1_name":"ForkLog (d'apres le service de presse des tribunaux de Saint-Petersbourg)","source2":"https://spbdnevnik.ru/news/2019-12-16/kibergrabiteley-predstavlyavshihsya-sotrudnikami-fsb-budut-sudit-v-peterburge","source2_name":"Peterbourgski Dnevnik","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L275","date":"2018-06-06","precision":"day","city":"Milan (viale Abruzzi)","country":"Italy","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC (targeted, not transferred)","cash (EUR)"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 50,000 in cash taken; targeted sale of bitcoin worth about EUR 2,250,000 paid with counterfeit notes, not completed","amount_usd":58900,"description":"A 22-year-old from Catania, who had sold 7 bitcoins for EUR 50,000 to the same buyers a few days earlier in a bar in the Quadrilatero, met them again in an office rented at 43 viale Abruzzi for a second sale worth about EUR 2.25 million. Suspecting counterfeit notes, he refused to transfer the bitcoins; the two men and a woman attacked him, fired a blank-firing pistol to intimidate him and beat him out into the street. The woman fled with the EUR 50,000 from the first transaction.","victims":"22-year-old man from Catania, bitcoin seller","outcome":"The victim was treated at Fatebenefratelli hospital (broken nose, facial injuries, 14 to 15 days' prognosis); a 33-year-old Serbian and a 35-year-old Cuban were arrested for assault and extortion committed jointly; EUR 45,000 found in their car; the woman fled with EUR 50,000. Caveat: in February 2020 the postal police arrested in Milan a 22-year-old from Catania who sold fake bitcoin to buyers carrying counterfeit notes (7 hits between June 2018 and March 2019); the sources read do not establish a link with the viale Abruzzi victim.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A 22-year-old private individual selling his own bitcoin (\"il suo tesoretto di Bitcoin\", MilanoToday) in an in-person over-the-counter deal.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/06/07/news/milano_truffa_bitcoin_soldi_falsi_milano_arresti-198392710/","source1_name":"la Repubblica (Milano)","source2":"https://www.milanotoday.it/cronaca/truffa-banconote-bitcoin-viale-abruzzi.html","source2_name":"MilanoToday","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L276","date":"2018-06-13","precision":"day","city":"Shanghai","country":"China","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","SKY (Skycoin)"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Other"],"amount":"18.88 BTC + 6,466 SKY (valued by Skycoin in 2022 at about USD 139,000 in BTC and USD 220,000 in SKY)","amount_usd":119000,"description":"On June 13, 2018 at about 9:30 p.m., nine people led by members of Skycoin's former China marketing team (EVOLAB), dismissed after embezzling about 100,000 SKY, burst into the home of \"Synth\" (Brandon Smietana), co-founder of Skycoin, and held him and his partner for six hours, threatening and beating them. Thanks to wallet security measures, they were only able to extract 18.88 BTC and 6,466 SKY.","victims":"Brandon Smietana (\"Synth\"), co-founder of Skycoin, and his partner","outcome":"The victims were released after six hours; Skycoin froze the stolen SKY through a hard fork and asked exchanges to block the accounts. According to a 2022 Skycoin press release (RICO lawsuit, federal court in Chicago), the attackers were arrested, convicted and imprisoned; no independent source on these proceedings was read.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"The founder was attacked at his home, but the attackers were former contractors in conflict with Skycoin who were also trying to have the frozen SKY unlocked and to empty the project's hot wallets: personal and company assets cannot be separated.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"http://web.archive.org/web/20200513225015/https://bitsonline.com/skycoin-community-drama-synth/","source1_name":"Bitsonline (Wayback Machine archive)","source2":"https://techstartups.com/2018/06/19/skycoin-update-market-price-shift-resulting-embezzlement-robbery/","source2_name":"TechStartups (Skycoin statement)","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L277","date":"2018-06-19","precision":"day","city":"Wels (Upper Austria)","country":"Austria","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified crypto","cash","jewelry","gold coins","electronics","designer clothing"],"asset_classes":["Other","Cash","Valuables","Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other cryptocurrency"],"amount":"about EUR 132,000 in cryptocurrency according to the judgment (USD 250,000 / EUR 216,000 according to police in 2018) + about EUR 7,500 in goods","amount_usd":153000,"description":"On Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at about 10:30 a.m., a man in a parcel courier's uniform rang at a young couple's apartment in Wels; when the door opened, three accomplices, some of them masked, burst in. The 27-year-old cryptocurrency trader, who was holding his nine-month-old daughter, was pushed to the floor and taped to a chair, and his partner was tied up and gagged in the bedroom with the baby. For about an hour and a half, threatening them with a knife among other things and with harm to his partner and child, the four men demanded his access codes to exchanges and transferred his cryptocurrency, then took cash, jewelry, gold coins, electronics and designer clothing.","victims":"27-year-old self-employed cryptocurrency trader, his partner and their nine-month-old daughter","outcome":"The couple were slightly injured and in shock, and were freed by a friend; they filed a complaint the next day out of fear. At the end of March 2019, five defendants were convicted by a jury court (Geschworenengericht) of robbery, aggravated extortion and, in three cases, kidnapping for extortion: 13 years for the ringleader, 11, 10 and 4 years for others, and 3 years, 2 of them suspended, for the fifth; an alleged organiser was arrested during the trial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A self-employed trader, not incorporated, attacked at his family home for his own cryptocurrency exchange accounts.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://futurezone.at/digital-life/hohe-haftstrafen-fuer-raub-von-kryptowaehrungen-in-wels/400450858","source1_name":"futurezone (APA)","source2":"https://futurezone.at/digital-life/250000-dollar-krypto-geld-bei-ueberfall-in-wels-geraubt/400054466","source2_name":"futurezone","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA519","date":"2018-09","precision":"month","city":"Mashhad (93 Imam Khomeini Street)","country":"Iran","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing was taken; the victim said he carried no currency)","amount_usd":null,"description":"\"Mohammad B.\", 38, who had posted an online ad selling bitcoins, was asked by a supposed buyer to meet at 93 Imam Khomeini Street in Mashhad. Outside the house, the buyer held a Colt pistol to his temple and forced him into the basement, where a second young man, a student, was waiting: the two tied him up with plastic handcuffs, threatened him with knives, struck him with a knife handle, then tortured him with electricity (metal clips on his head connected to a socket through an adapter) to make him reveal where his currency and dollars were. While the armed man searched his car, the victim, hands still tied, threw himself at the 24-year-old student and stabbed him in the thigh and abdomen before escaping.","victims":"\"Mohammad B.\", a 38-year-old man selling bitcoins through an online ad","outcome":"The 24-year-old student died of his thigh wound; the victim, arrested at the scene, claimed self-defence before the homicide judge; the armed accomplice surrendered a few hours later and admitted the robbery and torture; the owner of the house was arrested; torture instruments were seized in the basement. Judicial outcome unknown.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual selling his own bitcoins through a classified ad, lured by fake buyers and tortured to hand over his assets; no company involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/804676","source1_name":"Khabar Online (reprenant le quotidien Khorasan)","source2":"https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/893410","source2_name":"Mashregh News","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA536","date":"2018-09-18","precision":"day","city":"Amsterdam (pick-up at Schiphol airport)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 127,600 in cash intended for the purchase of cryptocurrency","amount_usd":149254,"description":"On the evening of September 18, 2018, a man who had flown in from Russia to buy cryptocurrency on behalf of a third party, carrying EUR 127,600 in cash declared to customs, was picked up at Schiphol by the \"seller\", who had already sold bitcoins to the principal a week earlier in an Amsterdam coffee shop. In the car, a second man opened the passenger door and held a knife to his throat, shouting \"money money\"; the driver grabbed the backpack containing the money and the victim was dragged out of the car and left behind.","victims":"A buyer who came from Russia on behalf of a principal (identities not published)","outcome":"On November 23, 2023 the Amsterdam district court sentenced a man born in 1995 (the \"seller\") to 10 months in prison for robbery with violence committed jointly; a co-defendant was acquitted the same day for lack of evidence of his involvement.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A face-to-face cash-for-crypto deal between private individuals turned into a knife robbery by the seller.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:7527","source1_name":"Rechtbank Amsterdam (ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:7527)","source2":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:8579","source2_name":"Rechtbank Amsterdam (ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:8579)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA516","date":"2018-11","precision":"month","city":"New Delhi (Janakpuri police station)","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash (INR, ransom)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"Ransom of INR 1.3 lakh paid online by a friend of the victim","amount_usd":1800,"description":"In mid-November 2018, Anubhav Garg, a bitcoin trader, was kidnapped in Delhi by Rohit, Maninder alias Monu and accomplices, who had lured him under the pretext of a bitcoin transaction; the car used had been rented on November 14, 2018 by a mutual acquaintance who also traded in bitcoins. He was released after a friend paid a ransom of INR 1.3 lakh through an online payment.","victims":"Anubhav Garg, a bitcoin trader","outcome":"FIR No. 523/2018 of November 18, 2018 (Section 364A IPC, kidnapping for ransom) at Janakpuri police station; trial SC No. 360/2022, charges framed on December 17, 2025; Maninder alias Monu, declared a proclaimed offender, arrested in Bhiwadi on July 29, 2025 by the Crime Branch.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Bitcoin trader acting as an individual, lured by a supposed bitcoin transaction and then kidnapped.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/07/30/des83-dl-security-guard-arrest.html","source1_name":"PTI (The Week)","source2":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/2838092/","source2_name":"Delhi High Court (Indian Kanoon), Ravi Tiwary v. State, 12/03/2026","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L278","date":"2018-11-16","precision":"day","city":"Soweto (Meadowlands Zone 5, Johannesburg)","country":"South Africa","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC","bank transfer (ZAR)","cash","two laptops","two iPhones"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Other","Cash","Devices"],"amount":"ZAR 800,000 in bitcoin + ZAR 100,000 by bank transfer + ZAR 3,000 in cash","amount_usd":64500,"description":"A bitcoin trader from Lanseria, known only as Andrew, whom the attackers had met on Facebook and then at Cresta Centre, was invited to give a presentation on bitcoin in Ntuli Street, Meadowlands Zone 5 (Soweto). At about 1 p.m., in front of four men and two women, he was knocked out with a drug-soaked cloth; he woke up in another house, where he was stripped, beaten, burned with a hot iron and threatened with death until he transferred ZAR 800,000 in bitcoin and ZAR 100,000 from his FNB account. The attackers also took ZAR 3,000 in cash, two laptops and two iPhones, then dumped him blindfolded on Kliprivier Road (R550).","victims":"Andrew, a bitcoin trader living in Lanseria","outcome":"The victim was admitted to intensive care at Alberton Union Hospital with burns to his hands, legs, buttocks and torso; a robbery case was opened at Meadowlands police station; no arrest was reported in the sources read.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private trader lured through a Facebook contact and forced to transfer his own bitcoin and money from his personal bank account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://sowetourban.co.za/55082/man-beaten-drugged-tortured-coin/","source1_name":"Soweto Urban","source2":"https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/news/south-africa-man-tortured-for-bitcoins-in-intensive-care/","source2_name":"Finance Magnates","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L279","date":"2019-02-10","precision":"day","city":"Drouwenerveen (Drenthe, Zuideind)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC (targeted)"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Sunday, February 10, 2019 at about 11 p.m., three masked men dressed as members of a police SWAT team burst into the farmhouse of Tjeerd H., a 39-year-old bitcoin trader, in Drouwenerveen. With his four-year-old daughter locked up in the house, they pointed a gun at his head, beat him, hung him by the neck with his hands tied, tried to drown him in the bath and with the shower hose, and drilled seven holes in his left leg and foot with a power drill over more than an hour. According to police sources quoted by De Telegraaf, they were after his cryptocurrency; they reportedly left without obtaining his private keys.","victims":"Tjeerd H., 39, bitcoin trader (former head of TravelFlex), and his four-year-old daughter","outcome":"The victim was hospitalized (five days according to De Telegraaf, quoted by Futurism); his daughter was unharmed; a special team of 15 investigators was set up, and no arrest was reported. A year later the family was living in hiding after death threats; investors in his closed company TravelFlex held him responsible for their losses, with no established link to the attack.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A bitcoin trader attacked at his family home; the attackers were after his crypto holdings (police sources quoted by De Telegraaf), his company TravelFlex having already closed.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://nltimes.nl/node/45364","source1_name":"NL Times","source2":"https://www.hartvannederland.nl/112/artikelen/speciaal-politieteam-onderzoekt-extreem-gewelddadige-woningoverval-drouwenerveen","source2_name":"Hart van Nederland","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA513","date":"2019-03-07","precision":"day","city":"DeKalb County (Shell gas station, Atlanta metro area), Georgia","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["bitcoin ATM"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Overnight on Thursday, March 7, 2019, around 1:20 a.m., three men, two of them masked, used crowbars to force their way into a Shell gas station in DeKalb County and took the bitcoin ATM, loading it into the back of a Chevrolet Malibu whose license plate was covered with silver tape.","victims":"Shell gas station operating a bitcoin ATM (not named)","outcome":"Erron Watson (32) and Kendrick Johnson (33) were arrested less than 24 hours later thanks to surveillance footage of the car, charged with second-degree burglary and possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and held at the DeKalb County Jail; a third man remained at large.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"A shop's bitcoin ATM ripped out after a nighttime crowbar break-in.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://blackamericaweb.com/2019/03/14/2-arrested-accused-of-stealing-bitcoin-atm-from-gas-station","source1_name":"Black America Web (reprise de The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L280","date":"2019-03-12","precision":"day","city":"Northampton (Far Cotton, St Leonard's Road)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown (Bitcoin ATM taken, contents not disclosed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Tuesday 12 March 2019 at around 8:30pm, three men wearing face coverings and gloves went to the Costcutter shop on St Leonard's Road in Far Cotton, Northampton; one waited outside. Inside, one threatened staff with a curved machete while the other smashed the Bitcoin machine off the wall with a sledgehammer. They left on foot with the machine along Haines Road and Euston Road.","victims":"Staff of the Costcutter shop on St Leonard's Road (not named); operator of the machine","outcome":"Machine taken; staff threatened but no injuries reported; Northamptonshire Police witness appeal (incident 19000127741), no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The loot was the Bitcoin ATM of a business (a Costcutter shop); no individual was targeted for their own crypto.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://archive.is/0lCv5","source1_name":"Northamptonshire Police","source2":"https://northamptonchron.co.uk/news/masked-men-weapons-rob-northampton-shop-bitcoin-machine-73035","source2_name":"Northampton Chronicle & Echo","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA539","date":"2019-04-23","precision":"day","city":"Burton upon Trent (Octagon Shopping Centre, Staffordshire)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)","Cash (about GBP 5)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Cash"],"amount":"Cash box holding the equivalent of GBP 5 (recovered); about GBP 800 of damage","amount_usd":6,"description":"Shortly before 5 p.m. on April 23, 2019, three men who had driven from London in a hire car forced open with a screwdriver the bitcoin ATM (operated by BTC Crown) on the lower level of the Octagon Shopping Centre in Burton, during opening hours. They had put the cash box in a bag when a member of staff approached them shouting; they ran off. The incident lasted less than a minute and no one was hurt. Around 8 p.m., Leicestershire Police stopped their car, which was being driven dangerously, on the M1 motorway and found the cash box inside; it held only the equivalent of GBP 5. Damage to the machine was estimated at about GBP 800.","victims":"Octagon Shopping Centre in Burton and BTC Crown, the ATM's owner","outcome":"Three men aged 28, 32 and 33 from South East London arrested the same evening on the M1 (one also for possession of an offensive weapon); cash box recovered. In August 2021, Charles Aristide and Andrew Lund, who had pleaded guilty to theft, were sentenced to nine months suspended plus GBP 200 compensation and to four weeks in prison respectively; the third man had been jailed for nine months for these thefts and other offences.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Cash box of a bitcoin ATM operated by a company (BTC Crown) in a shopping centre: business equipment, not an individual's holdings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/burton/bitcoin-machine-burton-arrest-theft-2792821","source1_name":"Derby Telegraph (Derbyshire Live)","source2":"https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/london-crooks-swipe-cryptocurrency-burton-5825129","source2_name":"Staffordshire Live","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L281","date":"2019-05-14","precision":"day","city":"Oslo","country":"Norway","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Nothing obtained","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the afternoon of Tuesday 14 May 2019, a 43-year-old man rang the doorbell of a Bitcoin multi-millionaire in his forties in an Oslo apartment block and forced his way in with a sawn-off shotgun, ordering him to lie down or be shot. He carried a bag that also held handcuffs and cable ties. The victim escaped through the balcony door, fell onto a shop roof and then jumped down to a car park.","victims":"Man in his forties who had made his fortune with Bitcoin (not named)","outcome":"Failed attempt; the victim was injured while escaping (broken wrist, broken ankle and several pelvic fractures); the 43-year-old attacker was sentenced in September 2019 by Oslo District Court (Oslo tingrett) to one year and two months in prison for attempted aggravated robbery; he denied the charges","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual attacked at home; he told the court he believed the robbery targeted his Bitcoin wealth, which the attacker knew about.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/norge/2019/09/25/195613433/millionaer-forsokt-ranet-med-avsagd-hagle?nr=1","source1_name":"ABC Nyheter","source2":"https://tv2.no/a/10871305","source2_name":"TV 2","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA530","date":"2019-05-17","precision":"day","city":"Saint Petersburg (Primorsky District, Polikarpov Alley)","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"About 0.23 BTC (RUB 120,000) + RUB 200,000 in cash + RUB 147,000 transferred from bank cards, RUB 467,000 in total according to the police","amount_usd":7300,"description":"On May 17, 2019 during the day, unknown individuals claiming to be collecting a debt targeted an entrepreneur on Polikarpov Alley (Primorsky District, Saint Petersburg); according to Bits.media they came to his apartment, according to Coinspot they stopped him in the alley. They took RUB 200,000 in cash from him, forced him to transfer RUB 147,000 to them from his bank cards and to transfer them cryptocurrency worth RUB 120,000 (about 0.23 BTC).","victims":"A Saint Petersburg entrepreneur (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Complaint filed on May 18, 2019; the GU MVD for Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast was considering opening a criminal case; no arrest reported","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was forced at home to hand over access to his own bitcoins, along with his cash and bank accounts.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://bits.media/predprinimatel-iz-sankt-peterburga-lishilsya-0-23-btc-v-rezultate-ogrableniya/","source1_name":"Bits.media (d'apres Fontanka.ru et le GU MVD de Saint-Petersbourg)","source2":"https://coinspot.io/russia_sng/peterburzhca-ograbili-otnyav-nalichnye-i-kripovalyutu/","source2_name":"Coinspot (based on the press office of the Main Directorate of the Interior Ministry for Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L282","date":"2019-06","precision":"month","city":"Jaipur (Bhankrota, Shankara Residency), Rajasthan","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"80 BTC demanded (INR 8 crore according to police); no payment reported","amount_usd":null,"description":"Two Bitcoin traders, Luftan Shaikh and Mohammad Shazad, were lured to Jaipur by gang members who claimed to be selling Bitcoin at a low price, then held for more than two weeks on the ninth floor of a building in Bhankrota and beaten with belts and sticks; the gang demanded 80 BTC. A third man, Malang Shah, was abducted two days later and a ransom of INR 10 lakh was demanded from his family. Police freed them on Sunday 14 July 2019 after a 13-hour operation.","victims":"Luftan Shaikh (19) and Mohammad Shazad (36), Bitcoin traders; Malang Shah (44)","outcome":"The three captives were freed by Jaipur police on 14 July 2019; seven gang members arrested (Jitendra Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Anupam Soni, Pawan Kumar, Bhawani Singh, Lokendra Singh, Rahul Kumar), guns and SUVs seized; four others reportedly on the run","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent Bitcoin traders lured by a fake offer of cheap Bitcoin and held for 80 BTC.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.newsweek.com/cryptocurrency-traders-abducted-tortured-india-criminal-gang-arrested-bitcoin-ransom-1449274","source1_name":"Newsweek","source2":"https://thenextweb.com/news/police-rescued-bitcoin-traders","source2_name":"The Next Web","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L283","date":"2019-07-25","precision":"day","city":"Wels, Upper Austria","country":"Austria","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","Cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"Bitcoin worth more than EUR 100,000 and cash in the mid five figures; total loss below EUR 200,000 according to co-founder Andreas Eckhart","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Thursday 25 July 2019 at around 9pm, two masked men armed with a pistol and a rubber truncheon got the door of the Crypto Consulting GmbH (Bitiago brand) office in Wels opened and pushed its 30-year-old co-founder, alone at the time, back inside. Struck with the truncheon, he had to hand over cash and transfer cryptocurrency from his computer to an address they gave, then he was tied up with cable and adhesive tape and left behind. He freed himself and alerted the police.","victims":"Co-founder of Crypto Consulting GmbH (Bitiago), 30, from Linz (not named)","outcome":"Victim slightly injured and in shock; Crypto Consulting GmbH filed for insolvency about three weeks later; no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Attack on the premises of Crypto Consulting GmbH (Bitiago); the loss made the company insolvent, which points to company funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://ooe.orf.at/stories/3006096/","source1_name":"ORF Oberösterreich","source2":"https://www.trendingtopics.eu/bitiago-konkurs/","source2_name":"Trending Topics","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L284","date":"2019-08-26","precision":"day","city":"Dehradun, Uttarakhand","country":"India","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Nothing obtained (password of the Bitcoin account sought)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Abdul Shakoor, from Malappuram (Kerala), ran a Bitcoin business that had collected about INR 485 crore from investors and had fled to Dehradun after losses. His associates, convinced he still held Bitcoin worth hundreds of crores and refusing to believe his claim that his account had been hacked, held him from 26 to 28 August 2019 in a rented flat, tied to a chair, and tortured him to get the password to his account. He died of his injuries; his body was left at a hospital in Dehradun.","victims":"Abdul Shakoor, Bitcoin businessman from Malappuram, Kerala (age given as 24 or 35 depending on the source)","outcome":"Victim killed, declared dead on 28 August 2019; five men from Manjeri/Malappuram arrested the next day on a bus (Faris Mamnoon, Arvind C, Asif Ali, Sufail Mukhtar, Aftab Mohammad); five others, including the alleged ringleader Ashiq, wanted","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers wanted the password to the victim's personal Bitcoin account, believing he still held hundreds of crores.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-businessman-tortured-death-colleagues-over-rs-450-cr-bitcoin-scam-108208","source1_name":"The News Minute","source2":"https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2019/08/31/keralite-bitcoin-trader-tortured-to-death-by-biz-partners-in-deh.amp.html","source2_name":"Onmanorama","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L285","date":"2019-10-15","precision":"day","city":"Porto Velho, Rondonia","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","Cash","Jewellery","Phone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"No Bitcoin obtained; BRL 3,500 in cash, a gold chain, documents and a phone taken","amount_usd":850,"description":"On 15 October 2019, Bitcoin trader Arcilio went to the home of Elcione Jose Sales, a friend of more than twenty years and a former municipal traffic department agent, to sort out traffic fines; hooded men burst in, took him to a remote rural area, tied him to a tree and beat him for hours to get the keys to his cryptocurrency, without success because they were on a laptop at his home. Locked in a car boot, he managed to open it and ran to the security guards of the Cemetron hospital, who drove the attackers away.","victims":"Arcilio, Bitcoin trader and investor","outcome":"Victim injured, escaped; sentences published in November 2021: Elcione Jose Sales, the mastermind, 20 years in prison, and Helton dos Santos Moura 16 years (aggravated robbery and extortion through kidnapping); a third suspect acquitted; a fugitive sentenced to 16 years arrested in Florianopolis on 15 June 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private Bitcoin trader lured by a friend and beaten to hand over the keys to his own cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/sequestradores-de-investidor-de-bitcoin-sao-condenados-em-rondonia/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"https://painelpolitico.com/prisao-foragido-bitcoin-ro-a-traicao-de-20-anos-que-deu-errado","source2_name":"Painel Politico","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L287","date":"2019-11-19","precision":"day","city":"Vernon (British Columbia)","country":"Canada","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)","Cash"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Cash"],"amount":"About CAD 4,000 in cash (according to ATM Marketplace, some CAD 50,000 was left inside the machine)","amount_usd":3000,"description":"Shortly after 4 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, two masked men smashed the windows of the Simply Delicious Food Market in Vernon, which was closed, and headed straight for the bitcoin ATM, which they pried open with crowbars. Within minutes they left with about CAD 4,000 in cash, leaving, according to ATM Marketplace, some CAD 50,000 in another canister of the machine. Police arrived 15 minutes after the alarm went off, just after they fled; cameras recorded a grey Nissan Sentra and its licence plate. Nothing else was taken from the store.","victims":"Simply Delicious Food Market (owner Troy Roland); Genesis Coin ATM operated by HoneyBadger","outcome":"Cash stolen; investigation by Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, vehicle and plate caught on camera; no arrest reported in the sources read. The store decided not to keep the ATM.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Cash box of a bitcoin ATM installed in a grocery store and run by an operator: business equipment, not an individual's holdings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/270823/Vernon-grocery-store-thieves-break-into-bitcoin-ATM","source1_name":"Castanet","source2":"https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/thieves-rob-canadian-bitcoin-atm-forget-to-take-most-of-the-money/","source2_name":"ATM Marketplace","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA532","date":"2019-11-28","precision":"day","city":"Tainan (Guiren District, Tainan HSR station)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"TWD 15,025,000 in cash brought to buy 500,000 USDT","amount_usd":493000,"description":"A group posing as sellers of 500,000 USDT (tether) for TWD 15,025,000 arranged a meeting via LINE and Telegram with a couple of buyers from Pingtung who had already dealt with one of its members. Around 5:40 pm on November 28, 2019, the couple arrived at Tainan high-speed rail station with the cash (a bag holding TWD 7 million and a suitcase holding TWD 8 million); the husband, Yeh, was invited to get into the back of a car fitted with stolen plates to count the money. Realizing it was a trap, he tried to get out, shouting that he was being robbed; the driver sped off, and the victim, clinging to the door, was dragged for about ten meters, then had his bags wrenched away and was thrown onto the road.","victims":"Mr Yeh (葉尚恭), a cryptocurrency broker from Pingtung, who came to buy USDT with his wife Liu","outcome":"The TWD 15,025,000 was taken; the victim suffered abrasions and bruises to his right hand and right leg. Four suspects were arrested within 48 hours by Guiren police, then nine in total, the last on February 5, 2020; TWD 6,134,600 was recovered (Liberty Times, February 7, 2020). Tainan District Court, July 29, 2020 (109 訴 106): the two men who carried out the robbery were convicted of robbery (強盜) in addition to group fraud, with 7 years in prison for Tsai Hsien-yi; the organizers were convicted of attempted fraud and receiving stolen goods. Sentences revised on appeal (High Court, Tainan Branch, November 18, 2021, 109 上訴 1344: 7 years and 5 years 3 months for the two robbers).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (an independent broker, not acting through a company according to the sources) who came to buy USDT face to face with cash and was robbed by fake sellers: an over-the-counter exchange that turned into a robbery.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/2995220","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TNDM%2c109%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c106%2c20200729%2c5&ot=in","source2_name":"Taiwan Tainan District Court (judgment 109 訴 106)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA507","date":"2019-11-30","precision":"day","city":"Anapolis (Goias); held in Aguas Lindas de Goias, then on a farm in Cabeceira Grande / Unai (Minas Gerais)","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"The equivalent of BRL 8 million demanded in bitcoin (Plural); nothing paid according to Grupo Bitcoin Banco","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Saturday, November 30, 2019, in Anapolis, the mother (68) and former sister-in-law (31) of Claudio Oliveira, founder of Grupo Bitcoin Banco, nicknamed the \"bitcoin king\", were abducted: the former sister-in-law near her workplace, forced to say where the mother was, then the mother at a street market. Held first in Aguas Lindas (Goias, where police found zip ties and sedatives), then on a farm in the rural area of Cabeceira Grande/Unai (Minas Gerais), they were threatened with death. The kidnappers, led according to police by a client of the group whose withdrawals were blocked, demanded by video call that Claudio Oliveira transfer the equivalent of BRL 8 million in bitcoin.","victims":"Mother (68) and former sister-in-law (31) of Claudio Oliveira, founder of Grupo Bitcoin Banco (Curitiba)","outcome":"Both women were freed unharmed on December 1, 2019 by the Minas Gerais civil police on a rural farm; no ransom paid; three suspects at large, including the main one, Luis Andre Martins, a client of the group; the Goias police ruled out a staged kidnapping.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Relatives of a holder abducted to reach his assets: the ransom was demanded from Claudio Oliveira in bitcoin (\"transfer the equivalent of BRL 8 million in bitcoins\").","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20191214194501/https://www.plural.jor.br/noticias/vizinhanca/rei-do-bitcoin-policia-ouve-vitimas-e-descarta-fraude-em-sequestro/","source1_name":"Plural","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/mae-ex-cunhada-rei-do-bitcoin-sequestradas-amarradas-ameacadas/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA001","date":"2020","precision":"year","city":"Wenzhou / Rui'an, Zhejiang","country":"China","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"1,000 BTC targeted (CNY 52.69 million according to the Rui'an public prosecutor's office) — nothing obtained","amount_usd":null,"description":"The defendants lured a bitcoin holder to a physical meeting under the pretext of teaching him bitcoin trading, then threatened him with a fake weapon to force him to hand over 1,000 BTC; when he refused, they threatened him with a folding knife, obtaining nothing. The court found attempted armed robbery and sentenced the principal offender to 4 years in prison and a fine of RMB 10,000, and the accomplice to 2 years and 6 months and RMB 6,000; the Rui'an public prosecutor's office had valued the 1,000 BTC at RMB 52.69 million at the time of the events. First-instance judgment published on December 23, 2020; the date of the events is not specified by the source.","victims":"A bitcoin holder lured to a 'educational' meeting (identity not published)","outcome":"Attempt failed, no bitcoin handed over; 4 years and 2 years 6 months in prison","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A bitcoin holder is lured to a personal meeting and threatened for his own 1,000 BTC, with no connection to any organization.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.panewslab.com/zh/articles/kc64bicx","source1_name":"PANews – « 开年被抢410万枚USDT，法院：有点“刑” » (summary of the Wenzhou judgment)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L001","date":"2020-01","precision":"month","city":"Abraka, Ethiope East, Delta State","country":"Nigeria","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"USD 10,000 sought; about USD 400 found in the wallet","amount_usd":null,"description":"Iroro Wisdom Ovie, a father of two, was beaten and then shot twice at his home near the Abraka police station by a group of eight members of the Vikings confraternity, who had been informed by a friend of the victim that he held about USD 10,000 in bitcoin. Having found only USD 400 in the wallet, the attackers shot the victim as he tried to identify them by accessing his phone, then fled with the device. Four suspects were arrested, including the close friend who had disclosed the information and the local leader of the confraternity.","victims":"Iroro Wisdom Ovie, member of the PDP party, family man","outcome":"Victim killed by gunshots; the stolen phone was recovered after a potential buyer contacted the police instead of the suspects; four people arrested and questioned, including the local leader of the confraternity.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Vanguard article confirms that the victim's friend had reported the discovery of USD 10,000 in Iroro Wisdom Ovie's own bitcoin wallet; assets of a private individual at his home, no economic structure involved.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/4-arrested-over-killing-of-delta-pdp-member/","source1_name":"Vanguard (Nigeria)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA002","date":"2020-01-08","precision":"day","city":"Bangkok (abducted at Suvarnabhumi Airport), then Kabin Buri, Prachin Buri province","country":"Thailand","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"SGD 1,000,000 demanded (~USD 740,000); approximately USD 60,000 in BTC actually extorted","amount_usd":60000,"description":"Invited to Thailand by his friend Kim Lee Yao Wei under the pretext of giving a Bitcoin training session, Mark Cheng Jin Quan was abducted as soon as he arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport by five men and driven 135 km away to Kabin Buri. Held captive in a hut, he was stripped, doused with ice water, and subjected to electric shocks until he transferred the equivalent of about USD 60,000 in bitcoins, with the kidnappers demanding a total of SGD 1 million. Held at gunpoint, he managed to fight back and escape, then alerted the Ongkharak police; his accomplice friend and Thai actor Chano Pemberger, owner of the vehicle used, were implicated.","victims":"Mark Cheng Jin Quan, 32, Singaporean blockchain consultant/trainer","outcome":"Victim escaped, cryptocurrency extorted; two arrests including a Thai actor","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual blockchain consultant was abducted and tortured to transfer his own personal bitcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://blockchainmedia.id/gegara-bitcoin-pria-singapura-diculik-dan-disiksa-oleh-teman-sendiri/","source1_name":"Blockchainmedia.id (Indonesia)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA003","date":"2020-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Charkhi Dadri (near Charkhi village; victim from Guda village, Mahendragarh district), Haryana","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"INR 4,500 in cash stolen (bitcoins targeted but not obtained)","amount_usd":63,"description":"On January 14, 2020, Madho Singh, from Guda village (Mahendragarh), was driving a friend's car toward Hisar when a group arriving in a Scorpio abducted him at gunpoint near Charkhi village, beat him, took 4,500 rupees from him, and then abandoned him near Satnali; the attackers, who had followed him for several days and had planted a GPS chip on his car, were seeking to seize his bitcoins. On March 2, 2020, the Dadri CIA arrested four suspects (Deependra, Arvind, Vinod, Sachin), who were placed in three days of police custody, with three accomplices still at large. The main accused, Deependra, was already facing prosecution for a similar 2017 case (Kanina police station) in which about 43 bitcoins, then worth more than 5 million rupees (50 lakh), had been transferred.","victims":"Madho Singh, resident of Guda village (Mahendragarh district)","outcome":"Victim released, INR 4,500 stolen, bitcoins not obtained; 4 arrests, 3 at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A village resident was abducted and tracked by GPS in order to seize his personal bitcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.amarujala.com/haryana/charkhi-dadri/four-accused-of-kidnapping-young-man-arrested-for-grabbing-bitcoins-charkhidadri-news-rtk5451070156","source1_name":"Amar Ujala (Charkhi Dadri)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA004","date":"2020-01-14","precision":"month","city":"Taichung","country":"Taiwan","type":"Killing","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 2,780,000 (advertised purchase price for 100,000 USDT)","amount_usd":92700,"description":"On January 14, 2020, Zhuang Menglun had advertised on Telegram the sale of 100,000 USDT to lure buyer Mr. Zhang, who came to the meeting with TWD 2.78 million in cash. When Zhang saw that the USDT had not been transferred, he tried to leave the vehicle: two minor accomplices (Lin, 19, and Wu, 17) held him back and stabbed him, one inflicting a 15 cm wound to his left chest, before pushing him, badly injured, onto the shoulder of the Taiwan Route 74 expressway and driving off with the money; he died at the hospital. The two minors were sentenced to 15 years in prison and, along with their parents, ordered to pay TWD 5.62 million in damages; the instigator Zhuang remains at large.","victims":"Mr. Zhang (張), cryptocurrency buyer","outcome":"Victim killed; TWD 2.78 million stolen; two minors sentenced to 15 years, instigator at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An in-person over-the-counter transaction between two private individuals (sale of USDT for cash) in which the buyer, a natural person acting on his own behalf, was attacked.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/3665737","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://www.blocktempo.com/taiwan-usdt-otc-trad-scam-victum-stab-7-death/","source2_name":"BlockTempo 動區動趨","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L002","date":"2020-01-16","precision":"day","city":"Preston, Lancashire","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"GBP 20,000 ransom demanded (never paid)","amount_usd":26200,"description":"A 17-year-old cryptocurrency trader was lured, via a fake Snapchat profile, into an apartment on Winckley Square in Preston on January 16, 2020, where he was tied up in a bathroom, threatened with a machete, gagged with bin bags, and transported in the boot of a car. His attackers demanded a GBP 20,000 ransom before abandoning him in Chorley, where he ran to take refuge at a stranger's house; he had discreetly retrieved hairs from the boot as evidence. Four suspects were convicted in November 2022, receiving sentences of 4 to 6 years' detention for the three sentenced by that date.","victims":"A 17-year-old cryptocurrency trader (identity protected)","outcome":"Victim released unharmed in Chorley with no ransom paid; Takudzwa Murombedzi (20) and a 16-year-old accomplice were sentenced to 6 years each, Albert Kahiya (19, driver) to 4 years; the sentence for organizer Tasmina Rahman (21) was yet to be handed down.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A 17-year-old trading cryptocurrency for himself (no company); the attackers demanded HIS GBP 20,000 and went so far as to demand his mother throw the money out of a window — strictly personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/kidnapped-teen-crypto-trader-hid-25569752","source1_name":"LancsLive","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA495","date":"2020-01-20","precision":"day","city":"Taoyuan (Starbucks café at Taoyuan high-speed rail station, Zhongli district)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 2,673,000 in cash (taken back by the victim)","amount_usd":89000,"description":"On 20 January 2020 a group directed on Telegram (\"秦嘉良\", \"Albert\", \"熊\") offered over LINE to sell cryptocurrency to a buyer, Wu Chen-hao (伍振豪), for TWD 2,673,000, with a meeting that evening at the Starbucks in Taoyuan high-speed rail station. Four men from Taichung, who had bought a pepper spray at an army-surplus shop on the way, arrived at around 10:20 p.m.; two of them went in, counted the money and put it in a backpack, then, while the buyer was waiting for the transfer to be confirmed, pepper-sprayed the faces of Wu and the friend with him and ran off with the bag. Despite the pain, Wu chased them and wrenched the bag back from one of them outside the café; the attackers fled by car.","victims":"Wu Chen-hao (伍振豪), a private crypto buyer, and his friend Liu Chuan-yi (劉泉億)","outcome":"The victim recovered the money himself. The Taoyuan District Court (109年度訴字第1237號, 21 January 2022) sentenced Ting Wei-chu, Chen Chi-wei and Yang Chia-jung to 1 year 4 months each for armed snatch theft by a group; the High Court upheld this on 13 December 2022 (111年度上訴字第1551號), suspending Chen's and Yang's sentences; the driver, Chung Min-yuan, was tried separately and the organisers were not identified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private buyer who came with his own cash for an over-the-counter crypto purchase and was robbed by the fake sellers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TYDM%2c109%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c1237%2c20220121%2c1","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Taoyuan, 109年度訴字第1237號 (21.01.2022)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPHM%2c111%2c%e4%b8%8a%e8%a8%b4%2c1551%2c20221213%2c1","source2_name":"Haute Cour, 111年度上訴字第1551號 (13.12.2022)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L003","date":"2020-01-21","precision":"day","city":"Philadelphia (Mayfair neighborhood), Pennsylvania","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["cash","hardware (Bitcoin ATM)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Two individuals forced open, early in the morning of January 21, 2020, a Bitcoin ATM (\"Bitbox\") installed in the Mayfair Quick Mart grocery store in Philadelphia, using crowbar-type tools, to steal the cash box, while ignoring a conventional bank ATM located right next to it. They fled in a white car; the store manager estimated the haul was probably small, as the machine was little used.","victims":"Mayfair Quick Mart (business operating a Bitcoin ATM)","outcome":"No arrest reported at the time of the article; police released surveillance footage and issued a call for witnesses; the ATM was expected to be put back into service after repair.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The cash box of a Bitcoin ATM installed in the Mayfair Quick Mart: an operating asset of a crypto ATM/business, never a private individual's holdings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/philadelphia-police-searching-for-2-suspects-who-broke-into-bitcoin-machine-stole-cash-box/","source1_name":"CBS News Philadelphia","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L004","date":"2020-02-10","precision":"day","city":"Carlisle, Cumbria","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (stolen goods: Xbox, iPhone)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"GBP 3,500 (attempted deposit to a crypto platform, blocked)","amount_usd":4550,"description":"Two masked men, armed with a fake pistol fitted with a silencer, laser and light, and a knife, broke into the home of two young men on Moorhouse Road, Carlisle, at around 10:45 pm on February 10, 2020, and held them captive for over two hours. They forced them to unlock their phones and bank accounts in an attempt to transfer GBP 3,500 to a cryptocurrency exchange platform, opening fake accounts in the victims' names using their ID documents and photos; the platform's 24-hour verification delay allowed police to intervene before the transfer was completed. The attackers also took an Xbox and an iPhone, and fired a warning shot as they left.","victims":"Two young men (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transfer blocked before completion; victims physically unharmed but traumatized (depression, anxiety, insomnia according to the court); Jordan Barrett (23, Carlisle) was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months and Ted Richards (24, London) to 6 years in prison on two counts of aggravated robbery and two of false imprisonment; the case was presented as the first of its kind in the UK.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The two young men were held captive at their home and forced to provide their ID documents and open crypto accounts in THEIR OWN names to transfer their own money into; no employer or economic structure was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/21324960.carlisle-cryptocurrency-robbers-gun-knife---court/","source1_name":"News & Star","source2":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-62879543","source2_name":"BBC News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA005","date":"2020-02-19","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (home, Shilin District); held captive in Linkou, New Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown — cash from the handbag split among the perpetrators (proceeds of crime confiscated: TWD 12,000 and TWD 4,000); no cryptocurrency obtained, as the wallet had already been emptied","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of February 18-19, 2020, five men led by the victim's roommate — who knew he was profiting from cryptocurrency investments via a mobile app — rang the doorbell of his Taipei home at 12:58 a.m., with one of them showing his genuine coast guard service card while posing as a police officer on duty. They pinned him to the ground, took his phone and bag, brought him down in the elevator while again showing the fake police credential to the building's guard, then abducted him by car to a mountainous area of Linkou, where, with his hands tied behind his back, he was punched and kicked to force him to give up his passwords. As the cryptocurrency had already been transferred, the attackers split the cash from the bag and abandoned him around 3 a.m. near a landfill; the five were sentenced on October 15, 2020 to terms of 11 to 12 and a half years for gang kidnapping for ransom and aggravated robbery.","victims":"Liang Wen-yao (梁文耀), man, cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"Cash and personal items stolen, cryptocurrency not obtained by the attackers; five convictions for kidnapping for ransom and aggravated robbery","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual investor was targeted at his home for his own cryptocurrency held via a personal mobile app.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=SLDM%2C109%2C%E5%8E%9F%E8%A8%B4%2C3%2C20201015%2C3","source1_name":"Shilin District Court, case 109年度原訴字第3號 (15 October 2020)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA453","date":"2020-03-13","precision":"day","city":"São Paulo (Rua Firmiano Pinto, Belém / Brás district, east zone)","country":"Brazil","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (attempted bitcoin transfer, nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 13 March 2020 at around 9:30 p.m., on Rua Firmiano Pinto in São Paulo, five armed men approached a bitcoin investor (a businessman according to Portal do Bitcoin) and, restricting his freedom, tried to force him to hand over his phone and authorize a bitcoin transfer. The robbery failed \"due to circumstances beyond their control\". The case only became known when the São Paulo Diário da Justiça published, in October 2021, the summons of the defendants who could not be found.","victims":"A bitcoin investor / businessman (name redacted in the sources)","outcome":"Failed attempt; four identified defendants and a fifth known only by the nickname \"Gugu\" were prosecuted for aggravated extortion (article 158 of the Penal Code) before the 9th Criminal Court of São Paulo; one defendant was in custody, the others could not be found and were summoned through the official gazette in October 2021.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An investor targeted for his bitcoins (a transfer was demanded); Portal do Bitcoin describes him as a businessman, with no professional crypto activity mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/grupo-responde-na-justica-por-tentativa-de-roubo-de-bitcoins-por-meio-de-grave-ameaca-em-sao-paulo/","source1_name":"Portal do Bitcoin","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/quadrilha-tenta-sequestrar-investidor-de-bitcoin-em-sao-paulo/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L005","date":"2020-03-18","precision":"day","city":"Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","car (Audi)","valuables"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Vehicle","Valuables"],"amount":"approximately USD 200,000 (value of the stolen bitcoin at the time of the events, according to Police Scotland); reassessed by the press at up to GBP 1.2 million by the time of the 2023 trial due to the rise in price","amount_usd":200000,"description":"Three men, one of them armed with a machete, broke into the home of a bitcoin holder in Blantyre at night and forced him to transfer his cryptocurrency while his brother watched; a woman present was struck repeatedly on the head with a personalized Toblerone chocolate bar until she bled, before the attackers fled in an Audi belonging to the household. John-Ross Rennie (also known as John-Ross D'Alfonso), 28, a delivery driver who was not present during the raid, was found guilty in 2023 of handling the stolen bitcoin following an unprecedented investigation by Scottish police into tracing stolen cryptocurrency funds; he was acquitted of the charges of assault and robbery, and the direct perpetrators of the break-in have not been publicly identified in the sources consulted.","victims":"An unidentified bitcoin holder, his brother, and a woman present at his home during the raid","outcome":"John-Ross Rennie (D'Alfonso) was found guilty of handling ('reset') the stolen cryptocurrency, acquitted of assault and robbery; the verdict was delivered on 31 October 2023 at the High Court in Glasgow, sentencing deferred to a later hearing; the three armed burglars have not been publicly identified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers demanded the transfer of the victim's personal bitcoin at his own home, with no professional entity targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2023/november/lanarkshire-man-convicted-following-the-high-value-theft-of-cryptocurrency-in-blantyre/","source1_name":"Police Scotland (official statement)","source2":"https://news.stv.tv/west-central/man-was-brains-behind-1-2m-bitcoin-theft-which-saw-woman-hit-with-toblerone","source2_name":"STV News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA006","date":"2020-04-29","precision":"day","city":"Novo Hamburgo (city), Rio Grande do Sul","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"50 BTC demanded (BRL 2,814,899.18 according to police at the time); ransom never paid","amount_usd":445000,"description":"On April 29, 2020, around 8:30 a.m. in Novo Hamburgo (Rio Grande do Sul), Marco Antônio Fagundes, one of the founding partners of InDeal — a Bitcoin-based pyramid scheme dismantled by the federal Operation Egypto in 2019 — was abducted by a group of former investors who felt wronged and demanded a ransom of 50 bitcoins from his family (BRL 2,814,899.18 at the time, about USD 445,000 to 520,000). The ransom was never paid, and the victim was released the same day around 5 p.m. in Canoas, after nine hours in captivity. The Rio Grande do Sul civil police, treating revenge as the motive, launched Operation 'Talião' on November 18, 2020: out of an estimated at least five participants, three men — an active-duty military police officer, a financial market trader, and the latter's father — were implicated and arrested, with warrants executed in Canoas, Sapucaia do Sul, Porto Alegre, and Campo Bom.","victims":"Marco Antônio Fagundes, partner and executive of InDeal (a Bitcoin-based financial pyramid scheme, dismantled in 2019)","outcome":"Ransom not paid; victim released the same day after 9 hours in captivity; Operation Talião on 11/18/2020, three suspects implicated and arrested (a military police officer, a trader, and the latter's father), investigation continuing to identify the other perpetrators","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Former investors who felt wronged abducted the executive to obtain a BTC ransom paid by his family, not the funds of a company (already dismantled in 2019).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/operacao-no-rs-investiga-trader-e-policial-por-sequestro-de-socio-de-piramide-financeira/","source1_name":"Portal do Bitcoin (UOL)","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/apos-sequestro-de-socio-da-indeal-pc-investiga-e-prende-tres/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA007","date":"2020-05-11","precision":"day","city":"Taichung","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 3,848,000 in cash (agreed price of 130,000 USDT at TWD 29.8 per unit)","amount_usd":129000,"description":"Burdened with gambling debts, Chen Sheng-lin led USDT buyer You Ke-hsun to believe via Telegram that he could sell him 130,000 USDT for TWD 3,848,000, and lured him on May 11, 2020 to the private room 麗禧廳 in the basement of the RICH19 club in Taichung, where the victim arrived with the cash. Once the money was counted and placed in a bag, Chen called in three accomplices stationed in an adjoining room: two grabbed the victim's arms while a third strangled him with both hands, allowing Chen to grab the bag and flee. You was injured (scratches to the hands and neck, a lumbar sprain, suspected fracture of a finger); the four men were sentenced on December 29, 2020 to 6 years 10 months and 6 years for gang armed robbery and to 1 year 6 months and 1 year 2 months for coercion, the latter sentence raised to 1 year 4 months on appeal on September 1, 2021.","victims":"You Ke-hsun (游克勳), USDT buyer","outcome":"TWD 3,848,000 stolen; 6 years 10 months and 6 years in prison for two perpetrators, 1 year 2 months and 1 year 6 months for two others","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An in-person over-the-counter transaction between private individuals (purchase of USDT for cash) in which the buyer, acting on his own behalf, was robbed by force.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C109%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C1662%2C20201229%2C1","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, case 109年度訴字第1662號 (29 December 2020)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCHM%2C110%2C%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C502%2C20210901%2C1","source2_name":"High Court, Taichung Branch, case 110年度上訴字第502號 (1 September 2021)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA008","date":"2020-05-17","precision":"day","city":"Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, Dong Nai province","country":"Vietnam","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"VND 37,100,000,000 in crypto assets (bitcoins)","amount_usd":1600000,"description":"On May 17, 2020, around midday, Ho Ngoc Tai (32) and Tran Ngoc Hoang (38), investors ruined after following the advice of Le Duc Nguyen (alias Lucas), who had pushed them to exchange their bitcoins for Ifan and Aureus tokens, staged a multi-vehicle collision with about fifteen accomplices near the toll booth of the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway (Dong Nai) to block Nguyen's car, who was returning from Bao Loc with his family. Nguyen and his brother-in-law were tied up and blindfolded, his wife and young child taken away in another vehicle, then, under threat from a BB gun and a syringe claimed to contain HIV-infected blood, Nguyen was forced to open his wallet and transfer crypto assets worth VND 37.1 billion; the group also tried by phone to extort 1,000 BTC from his brother, without success. The Ministry of Public Security arrested about 19 people roughly a month later and charged 16 with robbery with violence, including two Ho Chi Minh City police officers; the mastermind received a life sentence in May 2023.","victims":"Le Duc Nguyen (alias Lucas), crypto promoter/investor, along with his brother-in-law, wife, and young child who were present in the vehicle","outcome":"VND 37.1 billion in BTC stolen; 19 arrests, 16 placed under formal investigation, life sentence for the mastermind in May 2023, sentences upheld on appeal in November 2023","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A crypto investor was abducted along with his family and forced to open his own wallet to transfer his personal crypto assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://vietnamnet.vn/di-sung-bat-coc-dai-gia-tien-ao-de-doi-lai-tien-da-mat-795588.html","source1_name":"VietNamNet","source2":"https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hcmc-cops-charged-with-1-6-mln-bitcoin-robbery-4393892.html","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L006","date":"2020-05-19","precision":"day","city":"East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["cash","bitcoin ATM (BTM)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Crypto ATM"],"amount":"more than USD 20,000 in cash","amount_usd":20000,"description":"Two unidentified individuals forced open, in broad daylight (around 10:26 am), a bitcoin ATM (BTM) installed in an Exxon gas station in East Lansdowne, tore off its front panel, and made off with more than USD 20,000 in cash before fleeing on foot. No weapon or violence against persons was reported; no arrest was reported in the sources consulted.","victims":"Exxon gas station / operator of the bitcoin ATM; no person was assaulted","outcome":"The bitcoin ATM was broken into and emptied of its cash contents (more than USD 20,000); the two suspects fled on foot; no arrest reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The attack targeted the cash box of a bitcoin ATM, a business asset operated within an Exxon gas station, and not the assets of a private individual.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.facebook.com/ELPOLICE/videos/277210370075309/","source1_name":"East Lansdowne Police Department (Facebook)","source2":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9INrVFcyFQ","source2_name":"East Lansdowne Police Department (YouTube video)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA009","date":"2020-05-23","precision":"month","city":"Irvington (Westchester County, New York)","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Tens of millions of USD in bitcoin (targeted)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In May 2020, Dominic Pineda and Shon Morgan, two men from Virginia then aged 21, took part in a plan to break into a home in Irvington (Westchester County, New York) at night to force its occupants to hand over access to what they believed was tens of millions of dollars in bitcoin; the target was young hacker Ellis Pinsky, the alleged perpetrator of a USD 24 million crypto theft via SIM swap. The two men were arrested in Virginia and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) in the U.S. federal court for the Southern District of New York, announced on June 24, 2022.","victims":"Ellis Pinsky, young hacker from Irvington (named by the Lopp list / Rolling Stone); not named in the federal press release","outcome":"Plan not carried out / no cryptocurrency stolen; two arrests and federal indictment in June 2022","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual young hacker was targeted at his home for access to tens of millions of dollars in bitcoin personally attributed to him.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2022/06/24/virginia-men-charged-irvington-robbery-plot-targeting-cryptocurrency-bitcoin/7727078001/","source1_name":"U.S. Attorney's Office, S.D.N.Y. (press release 22-202)","source2":"https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2022/06/24/virginia-men-charged-irvington-robbery-plot-targeting-cryptocurrency-bitcoin/7727078001/","source2_name":"The Journal News / lohud.com","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA010","date":"2020-06-12","precision":"month","city":"Mashhad","country":"Iran","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"'Several billion tomans' worth of bitcoin (چند میلیارد تومان), exact amount not specified","amount_usd":null,"description":"Leaving a pyramid scheme meeting at a villa on Shahid Fakkouri Boulevard in Mashhad, 'Mohammad', 32, was surrounded near his Mercedes by three masked men armed with machetes, knives, and a firearm, who emerged from a stolen black Peugeot 405; an accomplice who had infiltrated the meeting had given the signal by text message. Taken to a garden villa rented two days earlier on Toos Boulevard, he was tortured and forced under threat of death to give up the password to the site where his bitcoin account was held, which the mastermind 'Saeed', 38, immediately used to transfer the assets; the victim was then abandoned, hands and feet bound, by the river on Shahnameh Boulevard 44. The transfer failed due to a network malfunction: Saeed sent his victim a threatening e-mail that allowed him to be identified and arrested on 26 Khordad, followed by the arrest of Kamal, the commando's leader, who had holed up on Sadr Street.","victims":"'Mohammad', a 32-year-old man, member of a pyramid sales company","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transferred but blocked by a network malfunction; the mastermind sent the victim a threatening e-mail, which allowed his identification; Saeed (38) arrested on 26 Khordad at his workplace, then Kamal (the commando's leader, who had fled to Sadr Street) arrested; investigation continuing for the other accomplices","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A member of a pyramid sales company was abducted and tortured into giving up the password to his own personal bitcoin account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/532076/","source1_name":"Hamshahri Online (citing the daily newspaper Khorasan and statements from General Mohammad-Kazem Taghavi, chief of police of Khorasan-Razavi)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA011","date":"2020-09","precision":"month","city":"Castelo Branco / Idanha-a-Nova","country":"Portugal","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Tens of bitcoins, approximately EUR 3,000,000 at September 2020 value","amount_usd":3540000,"description":"In September 2020, a criminal group of nine people (eight men and one woman), all of foreign nationality, acting according to carefully planned \"paramilitary-style\" methods, invaded a rural property in the Castelo Branco / Idanha-a-Nova area where five foreign citizens living in Portugal resided. The five occupants were held captive and one of them was forced, at gunpoint, to transfer tens of bitcoins (approximately EUR 3 million at the value of the time) to several wallets. The investigation by the Polícia Judiciária (Operation \"Miragem\", with Europol) led to the arrest of six men and one woman on December 12, 2023 in Portugal (searches in Lisbon, Loulé, Portimão, Monsanto, Penamacor) and two people in the United Kingdom; eight defendants were sentenced on March 25, 2026 by the Castelo Branco court to prison terms ranging from 3 years 11 months to 9 years.","victims":"Five foreign citizens residing in a rural property (one of them forced to make the transfer at gunpoint)","outcome":"Tens of BTC transferred (~EUR 3 million). Operation \"Miragem\": 7 arrests in Portugal in December 2023, 2 in the United Kingdom; 8 sentenced on 03/25/2026 (3 years 11 months to 9 years); last member extradited from the United Kingdom to Portugal in April 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Foreign residents are held captive at their rural home and one of them is forced to transfer tens of bitcoins from personal wallets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/roubo-bitcoins-operacao-miragem1/","source1_name":"Polícia Judiciária (Portugal) — statement « Roubo bitcoins – Operação Miragem »","source2":"https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/extraditado-do-reino-unido-para-portugal-por-roubo-agravado-e-sequestro/","source2_name":"Polícia Judiciária — « Extraditado do Reino Unido para Portugal por roubo agravado e sequestro »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA012","date":"2020-09","precision":"month","city":"Anápolis, Goiás","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"555 BTC (valued at ~BRL 50,000,000 by G1 and Metrópoles in late 2022; or approximately USD 5.9 million at the September 2020 exchange rate, the date of the events)","amount_usd":5900000,"description":"In September 2020, in Anápolis, Goiás, two armed men overpowered the Brazilian wife of a German businessman as she returned from shopping, while a third accomplice entered the garage driving a vehicle; the couple was taken away, the home computer was seized, and both were driven to a vacant lot near the air base. Under threat (\"if you don't type in the right codes, I'll kill you on the spot\"), the victim transferred his 555 bitcoins, and the couple was abandoned on the spot four hours later. The investigation identified fifteen suspects split between an intellectual-authorship group in São Paulo and an operational group in Goiânia — including trader Edgar Acioli, the couple's first contact — and led to 32 search warrants on December 15, 2022 (BRL 1.2 million in cash, cars, and jewelry seized), but no arrests; traumatized, the couple left Brazil for Europe.","victims":"A German businessman and his Brazilian wife (identities not published)","outcome":"555 BTC transferred under duress; couple released; no arrests as of the date of the articles; victims left again for Europe","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple is abducted at their home and the husband is forced to transfer his personal 555 bitcoins under threat.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/go/goias/noticia/2022/12/27/alemao-que-teve-r-50-milhoes-em-bitcoins-roubados-durante-sequestro-em-anapolis-voltou-para-europa-por-trauma-diz-advogado.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 Goiás","source2":"https://www.metropoles.com/brasil/trauma-casal-sequestrado-por-r-50-mi-em-bitcoins-decide-deixar-pais","source2_name":"Metrópoles","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA013","date":"2020-09-18","precision":"day","city":"Ceará (municipality not specified; mastermind resident in Moraújo)","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"BRL 1,000,000 demanded in bitcoin (≈ USD 187,000 at the September 2020 exchange rate) — ransom never paid","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Friday, September 18, 2020, in the afternoon, a 44-year-old woman was abducted in Ceará outside a dental clinic by two men who approached her as she got into her car, the scene being filmed by CCTV, with a rented Chevrolet Onix providing support. The mastermind, Calebe Barbosa do Carmo (25), who had promised BRL 10,000 to each of the kidnappers and was demanding BRL 1 million in bitcoin, claimed to have been wronged by the victim's sons in a cryptocurrency investment operation and had been planning the crime for a month. The civil police located the vehicle within twelve hours using the SPIA license-plate recognition system; Calebe was arrested in the act, confessed and revealed the hideout location, the victim was released without the ransom being paid, but the three kidnappers fled and remain wanted.","victims":"A 44-year-old woman (mother of two cryptocurrency investors), identity not published","outcome":"Ransom not paid, victim released within 12 hours, mastermind arrested and confessed, two kidnappers identified and still at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The mastermind demands a bitcoin ransom to avenge a loss suffered against the personal assets of the victim's sons, in an individual investment operation.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/sequestro-de-mulher-que-pedia-bitcoin-como-resgate-e-desarticulado-pela-policia/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA014","date":"2020-09-21","precision":"day","city":"Canterbury, Kent","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"GBP 6,000 in bitcoin + GBP 3,000 in student loan funds","amount_usd":11500,"description":"At around 1:30 a.m., eight men from Dagenham, brought in by a flatmate, forced their way into the student accommodation of a first-year student at Canterbury Christ Church University, on Parham Road. They threatened him with a knife, barricaded him in a bedroom and demanded the passwords to his financial apps for about twenty minutes.","victims":"A first-year student (fresher) at Canterbury Christ Church University","outcome":"GBP 6,000 in bitcoin and GBP 3,000 in student loan funds stolen; three men arrested then released for lack of evidence, investigation closed after eight months, no prosecution, nothing recovered; the victim left the university","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A student is threatened at home into handing over the passwords giving access to his own bitcoin wallet and his personal student loan.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/fresher-loses-6-000-in-20-minute-mugging-254519/","source1_name":"KentOnline","source2":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/the-rise-of-wrench-attacks-and-crypto-related-violent-crime","source2_name":"TRM Labs (wrench attacks analysis)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA015","date":"2020-09-24","precision":"day","city":"Paullo, province of Milan","country":"Italy","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 2,000 in cash + a laptop computer","amount_usd":2350,"description":"On September 24, 2020, in Paullo, in the province of Milan, a 46-year-old Romanian man living in Verona, who had posted an online ad to buy and sell bitcoins, had arranged via WhatsApp with two fake sellers to hand over cash in exchange for cryptocurrency. Seeing the wad of banknotes, the two 17-year-old teenagers kicked and punched him in the face until he fell to the ground and tore away his backpack containing a laptop computer and EUR 2,000 in cash before fleeing. Identified thanks to CCTV footage and the victim's immediate complaint, the two minors were arrested on January 29, 2021, and a third 17-year-old minor, considered the \"mastermind\" of the operation, was arrested in late April 2021 by the Paullo carabinieri and placed in the Beccaria juvenile detention center in Milan.","victims":"A 46-year-old man, Romanian citizen residing in Verona","outcome":"EUR 2,000 and a laptop stolen, victim injured; three 17-year-old minors arrested (Beccaria juvenile detention center), including the instigator in April 2021","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery during an in-person, over-the-counter transaction between individuals for the purchase of bitcoins, with the victim acting on his own behalf.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.leggo.it/italia/milano/milano_bitcoin_rapina_ultime_notizie-5927592.html","source1_name":"Leggo (Caltagirone group)","source2":"https://www.affaritaliani.it/milano/offrono-bitcoin-poi-lo-rapinano-minorenni-arrestati-a-milano-719753.html","source2_name":"Affaritaliani Milano","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L007","date":"2020-10-01","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv","country":"Ukraine","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC","laptops","tablet","iPhone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Devices"],"amount":"7 BTC, equivalent to USD 80,000 at the time of the transaction (initial demand of USD 200,000 refused)","amount_usd":80000,"description":"Officers of the SBU's (Ukrainian security service) cyber department abducted, in broad daylight near a pub on Mykhailivska street in Kyiv, an entrepreneur who traded cryptocurrency on exchange platforms, held him captive on the floor of a Volkswagen T5 van, stole the keys to his apartment (where they took two laptops and a tablet) and his iPhone, then took him to a forest near Parkova road where they tortured him for an hour and a half with blunt objects to extort USD 200,000 from him. When he refused, they unlawfully detained him at the Shevchenkivskyi police station and eventually obtained USD 80,000 (7 BTC) that his wife transferred to them from her electronic wallet; a false arrest report presenting him as wanted for extradition to Russia was then drawn up to cover up the operation. In 2021, several senior officers of the SBU's cyber department were charged (cryptocurrency theft, aggravated robbery with violence, kidnapping, abuse of power), suspended from their duties, and placed under restrictive measures, based on a decision of the Pechersk district court in Kyiv; the investigation involved a total of eight SBU agents.","victims":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur/trader not publicly identified, and his wife (who carried out the ransom transfer)","outcome":"The victim eventually gave up 7 BTC (USD 80,000) after several hours of unlawful confinement and torture; in 2021, the deputy head and head of an SBU department, as well as an operational officer, were implicated (charged with cryptocurrency theft, aggravated robbery with violence, kidnapping and abuse of power), suspended from their duties, and placed under house arrest; the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) covers eight SBU agents in total.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The SBU agents demanded and obtained the transfer of personal bitcoin belonging to the entrepreneur-trader, via his wife, with no professional entity targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20210912210457/https://policecontrol.info/novini/kerivnyky-kiberdepartmentu-sbu-vykraly-ta-vyvezly-v-lis-pidpryyemtsya-katuvaly-ta-zmusyly-viddaty-7-bitkoyiniv-80-tys-yim-ogolosyly-pidozryy/","source1_name":"Police Control Ukraine (archived copy, original page down)","source2":"https://antikor.ua/ru/articles/484651-pratsivniki_sbu_vikrali_ta_vivezli_v_lis_pidprijemtsja_katuvali_ta_zmusili_viddati_7_bitkojiniv","source2_name":"Antikor.ua (anti-corruption portal, citing Pechersk Court ruling no. 99212267)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA457","date":"2020-10-05","precision":"day","city":"La Cote district (Vaud), municipality not published","country":"Switzerland","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Nothing obtained (bitcoins demanded, not handed over)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 5 October 2020 at around 3 pm, after several days of scouting, a woman visited the home of a friend, said to be well off 'and notably holding bitcoins', with a bottle of wine; while they were drinking, a hooded man armed with a taser burst into the flat through the balcony and demanded that the victim hand over his bitcoins or money belonging to a third party. When he refused, the attacker gave him several taser shocks, hit him in the face, choked him, put a hand over his mouth and told him 'I am going to kill you', while the accomplice kept watch and a third man waited in a car. The attacker fled empty-handed when the victim's ex-wife arrived. The man behind the plan wanted to recover a drug-related debt.","victims":"A man (T., identity not published), a friend of the accomplice","outcome":"Failed: the attacker fled without loot. The victim was hospitalised (NACA 3): swelling and bruising around the eye, facial wounds (7 stitches), a broken finger. The attacker, identified by his DNA on the hood, was convicted by the La Cote district criminal court, notably of attempted robbery; the Vaud criminal appeals court ruled on his appeal on 19 February 2024. The instigator and the accomplice were dealt with separately.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual attacked at home to make him hand over his personal bitcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://entscheidsuche.ch/docs/VD_FindInfo/VD_TC_003_PE20-017063_2024-02-19.pdf","source1_name":"Tribunal cantonal du canton de Vaud, Cour d'appel penale","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L009","date":"2020-10-07","precision":"day","city":"Riga","country":"Latvia","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 500,000 (targeted amount, no theft occurred, plot foiled)","amount_usd":590000,"description":"A resident of Riga, a repeat offender previously convicted of fraud, was arrested on 7 October 2020 while surveilling his first intended victim in order to abduct him. He planned to abduct two cryptocurrency holders, torture them with instruments prepared in advance to extort their passwords, empty their wallets (approximately EUR 500,000 in total), and then kill them. He confessed to all the facts and was placed in pretrial detention.","victims":"Two unidentified cryptocurrency holders, targeted but never attacked (plot foiled before execution)","outcome":"Plot foiled before any execution; the suspect was arrested on 7 October 2020 while tailing his first victim, confessed to all the facts, and was placed in pretrial detention pending trial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The assets targeted were the personal crypto wallets of two private holders (individuals), targeted at their home/in their private life: personal wealth.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://forklog.com/news/zhitel-latvii-planiroval-ubijstvo-vladeltsev-kriptovalyut-na-polmilliona-evro","source1_name":"ForkLog","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L008","date":"2020-10-07","precision":"day","city":"Kelowna (Guisachan Village), British Columbia","country":"Canada","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["cash (attempted, not taken)","bitcoin ATM (BTM)","stolen pickup truck used as a battering ram"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Crypto ATM","Other"],"amount":"No amount stolen (attempt foiled); property damage estimated at several thousand dollars; according to the operator, the machine potentially contained 'thousands of dollars' in cash","amount_usd":null,"description":"At around 3 am, two suspects driving a GMC Sierra pickup truck repeatedly rammed the front of a Kelowna shopping center in a failed attempt to tear out a HoneyBadger bitcoin ATM installed at Mike's Produce; unable to extract the machine, they fled, abandoning their vehicle's tailgate at the scene, after also tearing open the neighboring store L&D Meats and Deli in the process. No money was stolen, but property damage runs into thousands of dollars; the HoneyBadger operator states it provided police with phone recordings, photos, and the driver's license of a potential suspect, though no arrest has been reported in the sources consulted.","victims":"Mike's Produce and L&D Meats and Deli (Kelowna businesses), HoneyBadger (operator of the bitcoin ATM)","outcome":"Attempted theft of the bitcoin ATM foiled: nothing was taken, but the storefronts of two businesses were seriously damaged; the suspects fled, abandoning their pickup truck's tailgate; HoneyBadger provided identifying information on a potential suspect to police; no arrest confirmed in the sources consulted.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The suspects targeted the machine and cash box of a bitcoin ATM operated by the company HoneyBadger inside a business, and not the assets of a private individual.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20201019160730/https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/suspects-ram-kelowna-business-in-attempt-to-steal-bitcoin-atm/","source1_name":"Vernon Morning Star / Kelowna Capital News (Black Press) — archived copy","source2":"https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Kelowna/Company_behind_Bitcoin_ATM_machine_working_with_Kelowna_RCMP/","source2_name":"KelownaNow","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA016","date":"2020-10-13","precision":"day","city":"Quilmes (victim's home and place of release; intercepted in the city of Buenos Aires, held captive in Los Hornos, La Plata), Buenos Aires province","country":"Argentina","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"USD 65,000 in bitcoins according to the ruling of TOCF No. 2 of La Plata (2020 crypto press reports mentioned 4 BTC, figures ~USD 35,000); 56.5 BTC / ~USD 650,000 initially demanded","amount_usd":65000,"description":"On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, Javier Moscuzza, a 46-year-old shopkeeper who owned a supermarket (\"Don Santiago\", at Allison Bell and Alsina streets) in Quilmes, was intercepted by a gang in the city of Buenos Aires and then held captive for five days in a house in Los Hornos (La Plata). The kidnappers sent proof-of-life and extortion messages via WhatsApp from Colombian and Venezuelan phone numbers, initially demanding the equivalent of USD 650,000; after negotiation, his brother Pablo transferred a ransom in bitcoins (USD 65,000 according to the ruling, 4 BTC according to the press at the time) and the victim was released on October 18 in Quilmes. In November 2024, the Federal Oral Court No. 2 of La Plata sentenced four defendants to terms of 8 to 11 years, while the gang leader Rafael Ángel Carrillo Rodríguez, a former employee of the supermarket, was convicted in Venezuela after fleeing there, and an accomplice remains at large in Brazil; this was the first Argentine kidnapping in which the ransom was paid in cryptocurrency.","victims":"Javier Moscuzza, a 46-year-old shopkeeper, owner of a supermarket in Quilmes (ransom paid by his brother Pablo Moscuzza; both brothers have since left Argentina)","outcome":"Released after five days of captivity in exchange for a ransom in BTC; sentences handed down in November 2024 (Jean Carlos Rivero Marquez 10 years, Junior Argenis Paez Pena 11 years, Jesus Teodocio \"Scorpion\" Ramos Paz 11 years, Matias Carlos Avellaneda 8 years), gang leader sentenced in Venezuela to 13 years and 4 months, one accomplice (Johan Esneider Angarita Leon) still at large in Brazil; forfeiture of the vehicle and the captivity house","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A classic kidnapping for a personal ransom paid by the victim's brother in bitcoin, unrelated to the till or funds of the supermarket he owns.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2020/10/20/quilmes-secuestraron-durante-cinco-dias-a-un-comerciante-y-lo-liberan-tras-el-cobro-de-un-rescate-en-bitcoins/","source1_name":"Infobae","source2":"https://diario5dias.com.ar/noticia/Condenas-secuestro-comerciante-Quilmes-Centro-criptomonedas","source2_name":"Diario 5 Dias (report of the judgment of TOCF No. 2 of La Plata)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA498","date":"2020-10-31","precision":"day","city":"Leshan (Shizhong district), Sichuan","country":"China","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"29.0004844 BTC and 1,258.04064 ETH (CNY 2.64 million + CNY 3.34 million according to the Leshan price assessment centre, close to CNY 6 million in total) plus a Huawei phone (CNY 2,770)","amount_usd":890000,"description":"In debt, Liang (born in the 1990s, from Jingyan county) decided in October 2020 to rob Luo, the wife of a friend, of her bitcoins, and recruited Yuan, who brought in Wang. On the evening of 31 October 2020 they drove an unregistered SUV to the car park opposite the victim's housing estate (Xiaoba, Shizhong district); Wang lured her out by posing as a fresh-food delivery man, then Wang and Yuan dragged her into the vehicle. Liang drove to a patch of wasteland in Jinba village (Shuikou township); inside the car Wang and Yuan used violence and threats to force her to log into her Huobi app account, and Liang transferred 29.0004844 BTC and 1,258.04064 ETH to his own account before they let her go (Wang gave her 50 yuan for the trip home). The next day Liang and Yuan tried without success to sell the bitcoins in Nanchong, then turned themselves in.","victims":"Luo (骆某某), the wife of a friend of the main offender","outcome":"Liang and Yuan surrendered on 1 and 2 November 2020 and Wang was arrested on 2 December; Liang returned 28.997 BTC and 1,258.03 ETH. The Shizhong District People's Court in Leshan convicted all three of robbery (抢劫罪) at first instance (judgment reported in June 2021): Liang was sentenced to 10 years and a CNY 20,000 fine, Wang to 8 years 6 months and Yuan to 7 years 6 months (CNY 10,000 fine each).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual abducted for the bitcoin and ether in her own Huobi account by an indebted friend of her husband.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.163.com/dy/article/GCVG3F88051492T3.html","source1_name":"红星新闻 (reprise sur 网易号), 20.06.2021","source2":"https://www.sohu.com/a/473395631_250147","source2_name":"蓝鲸新闻 (via Sohu), 22.06.2021","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA017","date":"2020-11-09","precision":"month","city":"Istanbul (Fatih and Beyoğlu)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TRY 1,700,000 in total (including TRY 1,300,000 in the August 12 bitcoin case) + USD 30,000 in cash","amount_usd":248000,"description":"A gang of six men lured businessmen in Istanbul under the pretext of buying or trading bitcoins in order to rob them at gunpoint. On August 12, 2020, in Fatih, Osman E. was lured to their offices by a fake bitcoin sale and robbed of TRY 1,300,000; on November 9, 2020, also in Fatih, Kamal A. (29, Moroccan), who had come to a business meeting, was struck with a gun butt by four masked men who took USD 30,000 and his phone; on March 11, 2020, in Beyoğlu, Soner K. had been knocked out in the street with a stun device as he left a bank and relieved of TRY 150,000. The six suspects were arrested on November 18, 2020, and all were placed in detention.","victims":"Three men: Kamal A. (29, Moroccan national), Soner K., Osman E.","outcome":"TRY 1.7 million stolen; 6 suspects arrested and jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims are individually lured under the pretext of bitcoin buy/sell meetings for their own account and robbed of their personal cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/is-adamlarina-tuzak-sokak-ortasinda-elektrosok-cihazi-ile-bayiltmislar-41673905","source1_name":"Hürriyet","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA018","date":"2020-12","precision":"day","city":"Medellín","country":"Colombia","type":"Other","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"COP 1,800 million in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":520000,"description":"In December 2020, in Medellín, women contacted Dominican tourists through dating apps, seduced them and then administered a sedative substance to incapacitate their will, before accessing their accounts and transferring COP 1,800 million in cryptocurrency. The case is cited by El Colombiano as one of the emblematic cases that prompted the creation of the first judicial wallet by the Colombian Fiscalía to recover stolen crypto assets.","victims":"Dominican tourists (several, unidentified)","outcome":"COP 1,800 million in crypto assets stolen; judicial proceedings opened","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Tourists are drugged and then dispossessed of their own cryptocurrency holdings held in their personal accounts.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.elcolombiano.com/medellin/fiscalia-creo-billetera-virtual-para-recuperar-bitcoins-robados-en-medellin-DK23833563","source1_name":"El Colombiano","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L010","date":"2020-12","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Al Barsha district)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"AED 500,000 (dirhams)","amount_usd":136000,"description":"A 33-year-old Egyptian investor and two friends were waiting in an office in Al Barsha for a bitcoin seller to arrive, carrying AED 500,000 in cash intended for the purchase, when four Ukrainians aged 28 to 34 burst in, beat them, and sprayed deodorant in their faces to blind and disorient them. The investor shouted \"thief,\" which panicked the attackers, who fled without any money.","victims":"A 33-year-old Egyptian investor and two friends, gathered for an in-person bitcoin purchase","outcome":"Failed robbery attempt, the attackers left without any loot; the four Ukrainians were arrested by Dubai police, tried for attempted aggravated robbery, and sentenced in April 2021 to two years in prison followed by deportation, a sentence upheld on appeal in August 2021.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The AED 500,000 in cash belonged to a private investor who had come to buy bitcoin for his own account in an in-person P2P transaction; the office was merely a meeting place, and no corporate assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/attempt-to-rob-dh500000-foiled-in-dubai-gang-of-four-members-arrested-1.76204045","source1_name":"Gulf News (31 December 2020)","source2":"https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/ukrainian-gang-sentenced-to-jail-in-dubai-over-attempt-to-rob-dh500000-1.78491879","source2_name":"Gulf News (16 April 2021, verdict)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA019","date":"2020-12-08","precision":"day","city":"Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"RUB 12 million (cash proceeds of an in-person cryptocurrency sale)","amount_usd":163000,"description":"On December 8, 2020, a man who had sold cryptocurrency to a stranger met online was attacked by armed individuals in the restroom of the John Bull Pub, at 25 Krasnaya Presnya Street, building 1, in Moscow, just after collecting the proceeds of the transaction. The attackers took RUB 12 million from him, left the premises through a service exit and fled in a yellow taxi registered in Moscow. No arrests had been announced as of the publication date, with police still searching for the perpetrators.","victims":"A cryptocurrency seller (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"RUB 12 million in cash stolen, investigation ongoing, no arrest reported","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency seller acting as a private individual is robbed just after collecting the proceeds of a P2P sale belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://ren.tv/news/v-rossii/780520-vooruzhennye-bandity-pokhitili-12-mln-v-bare-v-tsentre-moskvy","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/bandidos-armados-atacam-homem-banheiro-bar-roubam-bitcoin/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA020","date":"2020-12-17","precision":"day","city":"Ujire, Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Ransom demanded of 100 BTC (approximately INR 17 crore), not paid","amount_usd":null,"description":"On December 17, 2020, at around 6:30 p.m., Anubhav, 8, who was playing in front of the gate of the family home in Ujire (Belthangady), was abducted by men who got out of a white Indica car; the wife of grandfather A.K. Shivan then received calls demanding a ransom of 100 bitcoins, or approximately 17 crore rupees. The child was found and released by police the following day and accused No. 2 through No. 8 were arrested on the spot; the alleged mastermind, Pradeepa (accused No. 1), a former operator of a bitcoin business (M.M.M. Global / Republic Bitcoin) who knew the details of the family's bitcoin transactions, is being prosecuted under Section 364A IPC (crime No. 97/2020, Belthangady police station).","victims":"Anubhav, 8, grandson of A.K. Shivan (74), a family linked to bitcoin transactions","outcome":"Child found and released, no ransom paid; 8 accused arrested and charged","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The grandson of a former bitcoin operator is abducted to extort the personal bitcoin holdings of his grandfather, the holder of the targeted crypto assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/25984677/","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Mr. Ranjith @ Ranju vs The State of Karnataka (Karnataka High Court, 12 November 2021)","source2":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/156462272/","source2_name":"Indian Kanoon — Mr Pradeepa vs The State of Karnataka (27 July 2021)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L011","date":"2020-12-24","precision":"day","city":"Ternopil","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash (USD, ransom demanded)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"USD 800,000 (ransom demanded)","amount_usd":800000,"description":"A Kyiv businessman active in cryptocurrency trading, who was returning with his wife from a family birthday celebration, had his car blocked by three vehicles on the outskirts of Ternopil; seven attackers pulled him out by force, handcuffed him, and locked him in the trunk of a Toyota Camry while his wife was taken away in another vehicle. Tortured all night and threatened with death, he was ordered to pay a ransom of 800,000 dollars; in the early morning, he managed to alert the police with a phone his captors had not found, which led to his rescue.","victims":"A Kyiv businessman active in cryptocurrency trading (name not disclosed) and his wife","outcome":"Victim rescued in the early morning after a night of torture; three suspects were quickly arrested (the organizer having turned himself in) and released on bail (630,000 and 500,000 hryvnias for two of them), a fourth was arrested after 36 hours; three other suspects out of the seven identified remained at large, one of whom had already crossed the border.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The USD 800,000 ransom was demanded of a businessman/crypto trader abducted with his wife on the road, for his own assets; no source indicates that a company's funds were targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://tp.npu.gov.ua/news/kriminal/operativniki-ternopolya-zatrimali-grupu-osib-yaka-vikrala-avto-pozbavila-voli-cholovika-ta-vimagala-u-nogo-800-tisyach-dolariv/","source1_name":"National Police of Ukraine, Ternopil department","source2":"https://fakty.com.ua/ua/ukraine/20201224-800-tys-abo-smert-u-ternopoli-vykraly-ta-katuvaly-kryptovalyutnyka/","source2_name":"Факти ICTV","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA021","date":"2020-12-29","precision":"day","city":"Xiamen (Siming District), Fujian","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"105,980 USDT (agreed counterpart: CNY 670,000 in cash)","amount_usd":105980,"description":"Late 2020, Mr. Li sought to sell USDT and was put in contact by an intermediary with a buyer, Chen, with the price set at CNY 670,000 in cash to be handed over in person in front of a residence in Siming District. On December 29, 2020 around 1 p.m., the transaction took place in Chen's car: Li counted the CNY 670,000 then transferred 105,980 USDT to the indicated wallet, after which Chen pulled out a telescopic baton, forcibly pulled him out of the vehicle and fled at the wheel with the crypto and the cash. Chen had arranged with three accomplices to rob the victim if he came with few people; three of them were arrested on December 31 in Nan'an (Quanzhou), Chen on January 6, 2021 in Sanming, and all four were placed in detention with authorization from the public prosecutor's office on February 5, 2021.","victims":"Mr. Li, USDT seller","outcome":"CNY 670,000 taken; 4 suspects arrested and placed in pretrial detention","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of a USDT seller during an in-person over-the-counter transaction, with the victim dealing on his own behalf.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"http://www.farennews.cn/law/content/content_8430944.html","source1_name":"闽南网 – « 厦门警方破获一起涉虚拟货币新型违法犯罪案件 »","source2":"https://xw.qq.com/cmsid/20210208V0AYTW00","source2_name":"台海网 / 厦门电视台 – « 抢劫10万多个虚拟货币 4名嫌疑人被批捕 »","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA022","date":"2020-12-31","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Nangang District, abducted toward the mountains of Xizhi/New Taipei)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 12,600,000 in cash (TWD 11,100,000 in USDT sales proceeds collected from 3 clients + TWD 1,500,000 personal), plus 2 phones and bank documents","amount_usd":448000,"description":"A man calling himself \"Ko Wei-chih,\" informed of the collector's cash-collection round, paid TWD 1,000,000 to Yang Kai-hsiang (楊凱翔) to take the victim into the mountains and \"scare him\"; Yang recruited Lu Chia-cheng (陸佳誠) and lured him via Telegram under the pretext of a USDT buyer. On December 31, 2020 at 9:16 p.m., near the THSR Nangang station in Taipei, Hu Tsung-ho got into the designated car with TWD 12,600,000 in cash; with the doors locked, he was threatened (\"if you want to live, cooperate well with us\"), had his suitcase, backpack and two phones taken, then was left in the mountains on Lane 302 of Jiuzhuang St. He walked to a police station at 11:30 p.m.; Yang was convicted of extortion and deprivation of liberty, a verdict upheld after remand from the Supreme Court.","victims":"Hu Tsung-ho (胡宗和), cash collector for USDT trader Hsu Ching-te (許景德)","outcome":"TWD 12,600,000 stolen; convictions for extortion and unlawful confinement, upheld after remand from the Supreme Court","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The USDT trader stripped (via his collector) is an independent trader not incorporated as a company acting on his own behalf, and part of the stolen sum is also the collector's personal money.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPHM%2C113%2C%E4%B8%8A%E6%9B%B4%E4%B8%80%2C70%2C20241029%2C1","source1_name":"Taiwan High Court, 113年度上更一字第70號 (29 October 2024)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA023","date":"2021","precision":"year","city":"Amsterdam","country":"Netherlands","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 40,000 in cash (plus a phone)","amount_usd":47000,"description":"A cryptocurrency trader had an appointment at an Amsterdam hotel to buy bitcoins for cash from a man he had already dealt with without incident. Once in the room, two armed accomplices burst out of the bathroom: the three attackers hit him, threatened him with weapons, restrained him with handcuffs and tape, then left with the EUR 40,000 in cash and his phone, not without photographing his passport while threatening to track him down if he alerted the police. A fourth suspect had booked the room two days earlier with a false ID document; the four men, disguised (caps, glasses, wig), were filmed by the hotel's CCTV and had not been identified at the time of the public appeal for witnesses on August 31, 2021.","victims":"A cryptocurrency trader (man, age not specified)","outcome":"EUR 40,000 in cash stolen; public appeal for witnesses released by Dutch police on August 31, 2021, four suspects filmed by the hotel's CCTV, unidentified as of the publication date","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of a cryptocurrency trader during a P2P meeting in a hotel room to buy bitcoins with his personal cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://opsporingverzocht.avrotros.nl/artikel/bitcoinhandelaar-mishandeld-en-van-40000-euro-beroofd-3978","source1_name":"Opsporing Verzocht (official witness appeal by the Dutch Politie / AVROTROS)","source2":"https://crime-nieuws.nl/video-handelaar-in-bitcoins-vastgemaakt-met-handboeien-en-tape-bij-overval-in-hotel-amsterdam/","source2_name":"Crime Nieuws (31 August 2021)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L026","date":"2021","precision":"month","city":"Abkhazia (Black Sea region)","country":"Abkhazia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"USD 10,000","amount_usd":10000,"description":"A 31-year-old clandestine bitcoin miner, nicknamed Valeri, discovered one morning that thieves had forced the door of the garage where he ran a small illegal mining operation in Abkhazia, making off with 20 mining servers valued at an estimated $10,000. This theft is part of a wave of burglaries, sometimes violent, targeting clandestine miners since mining was banned by the Abkhaz authorities in 2020 to curb an energy crisis.","victims":"Valeri (pseudonym), 31-year-old clandestine bitcoin miner","outcome":"The theft remains unsolved, no arrest was reported; the victim said he had tried on his own, without success, to find the perpetrators and could not afford to replace the equipment.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The theft involved 20 mining servers, the production equipment of a mining operation (even if clandestine and individual), and not Valeri's personal crypto assets or savings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/abkhazias-illegal-bitcoin-miners-face-new-threat-thieves-2022-01-06/","source1_name":"Reuters / Thomson Reuters Foundation","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/20220510234217/https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/abkhazias-illegal-bitcoin-miners-face-new-threat-thieves-2022-01-06/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L046","date":"2021","precision":"year","city":"London (City of London area)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Extortion","assets":["ETH","XRP","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["ETH","Other cryptocurrency","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"£5,000 + £6,000 + £28,700 + £10,000, i.e. approximately £49,700 combined across the 4 cases","amount_usd":67600,"description":"Four separate street attacks, recorded by the City of London Police in reports obtained by the Guardian through a freedom of information request and revealed in May 2022, targeted cryptocurrency holders in the second half of 2021: a phone snatched near Liverpool Street station (£5,000 in ethereum stolen from Coinbase); a victim lured into an alley under the pretext of a drug sale, held against a wall and forced to unlock their phone by facial recognition (£6,000 in ripple stolen); a victim confronted under a bridge, forced to unlock their phone by fingerprint (£28,700 stolen); a pickpocketing after an evening at the pub with access to a Crypto.com account (£10,000 stolen). Note: the Lopp date corresponds to the article's publication date, not to the events themselves, which occurred several months earlier.","victims":"4 anonymous victims, private individuals holding cryptocurrency","outcome":"Thefts confirmed in all 4 cases (approximately £49,700 in total); no arrest reported in the article; British police acknowledge the difficulty of investigating crypto thefts of low individual value.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Four private individuals robbed on the street of their own crypto holdings in personal accounts (Coinbase, Crypto.com); no corporate treasury targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/may/08/crypto-muggings-thieves-in-london-target-digital-investors-by-taking-phones","source1_name":"The Guardian","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA455","date":"2021","precision":"year","city":"Miami (Biscayne Boulevard condo), Florida","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"\"All my crypto\" (testimony) / \"most of his crypto\" (Bloomberg); his share of the March 2021 theft was about $1.6 million, split with an accomplice and partly already spent (BMW M8) — amount stolen unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A few months after cashing in about $1.6 million in cryptocurrency stolen by SIM swap in March 2021 (a share split with an accomplice), Jarod Seemungal, then about 20, was the victim of a home invasion: according to his mother, quoted by Bloomberg Businessweek, two men kicked in the door of his Biscayne Boulevard condo one evening and forced him at gunpoint to transfer most of his crypto to them. Testifying at the federal trial of Remy Ra St Felix (North Carolina, 2024), Seemungal confirmed under oath that he had been \"home invaded\" and robbed of all his crypto at gunpoint; he said that this robbery, and one suffered by his accomplice \"Tidy\"/\"Neb\", led him in summer 2022 to set up the crypto home-invasion network he ran with St Felix.","victims":"Jarod Seemungal (about 20), a SIM-swap crypto thief and later organiser of the Seemungal/St Felix home-invasion network","outcome":"No known prosecution for this robbery; the attackers are not identified in the sources read. The victim went on to organise the crypto home-invasion network (Delray Beach, Homestead, Little Elm, Durham, 2022-2023) and was convicted in federal court with his accomplices.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual robbed at gunpoint at home of his personal crypto (proceeds of his own thefts, as in the Danbury case).","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-crypto-thieves-kidnappers/","source1_name":"Bloomberg Businessweek","source2":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.115.0.pdf","source2_name":"U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina — transcript, testimony of Jarod Gabriel Seemungal (United States v. Remy Ra St Felix, 1:23-cr-00260, Doc. 115)","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA024","date":"2021-01-04","precision":"day","city":"Chai Wan, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"HKD 3,000,000 to 3,600,000 (15 BTC transferred)","amount_usd":400000,"description":"Mr. Li (36-37 years old), a full-time bitcoin trader, met two South Asian buyers via WeChat in North Point then got into their luxury sedan. On the road from Tai Tam to Chai Wan, he transferred 15 BTC and received HKD 3 million in cash; while he was counting it, a second car pulled up and three men pulled him out of the vehicle to grab the money and two phones. The investigation later established that a jeweler had advanced the HKD 3.6 million to his accomplices.","victims":"Mr. Li, 36-37 years old, Bitcoin trader","outcome":"~HKD 3.6 million stolen; 7 Egyptian and Pakistani men arrested in late January 2021, including the jeweler mastermind; HKD 900,000 in cryptocurrency frozen. The two defendants tried were acquitted on 10 October 2023 (District Court, DCCC316/2022); the judgment confirms the date and 17.4 BTC.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A full-time bitcoin trader acting on his own behalf, stripped during a P2P car transaction of his personal crypto and cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/570230","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/article/581714","source2_name":"HK01 — network dismantled (31 January 2021)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA025","date":"2021-01-18","precision":"day","city":"Kwun Tong, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"HKD 3,500,000","amount_usd":450000,"description":"Ms. Yan (33) was selling USDT via the Huobi platform to a buyer she had met in 2020; after four successful transactions (~HKD 6.88 million), she went alone to the Wah Kee Centre in Kwun Tong to hand over 450,000 USDT for HKD 3.5 million. Four masked men armed with knives and stun guns burst in, one pointing a blade at her, and took her bag of cash and her phone.","victims":"Ms. Yan, 33, USDT seller","outcome":"HKD 3.5 million stolen; 3 young men (21-24) pleaded guilty and each received 4 years 8 months in November 2023; the \"buyer\" remains at large. A fourth perpetrator was sentenced to 4 years 2 months on 20 July 2026 (High Court, HCCC125/2023).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ms. Yan acted alone and on her own behalf during an in-person over-the-counter USDT sale, targeting her personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/964735","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/article/638396","source2_name":"HK01 — recap of the facts (15 June 2021)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L013","date":"2021-01-22","precision":"day","city":"Olsztyn","country":"Poland","type":"Other","assets":["physical gold (bars/coins)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"PLN 450,000 in gold","amount_usd":120000,"description":"A masked, armed man broke into the FlyingAtom currency exchange office in Olsztyn, which specializes in selling Bitcoin and gold, on a Friday evening at around 7:00 pm, and stole gold bars worth 450,000 zlotys before shooting two employees (a man and a woman). One of the wounded, named Paweł, was placed in a pharmacological coma due to the severity of his condition; police sealed off several routes in the city without apprehending the suspect at the time, and the company offered a reward of 100,000 zlotys for any information leading to his arrest.","victims":"Two employees of the FlyingAtom exchange office (a man and a woman), one of them named Paweł","outcome":"Two people seriously injured by gunfire (an employee of the exchange office and the girlfriend of a gold courier who was present). The attacker, Jakub D., in debt after failed investments, had arranged the visit on the pretext of selling PLN 500,000 in bitcoin for 60 ounces of gold; he was arrested and sentenced on 14 July 2022 by the Olsztyn Regional Court (II K 51/22) to 25 years in prison for attempted murder and armed robbery of 60 gold coins worth PLN 440,000; the sentence was cut to 16 years by the Bialystok Court of Appeal in February 2023 (final judgment).","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The stolen gold (gold ounces worth 450,000 zł) belonged to the stock of the FlyingAtom exchange office, whose owner Dawid Muszyński is quoted in the article; the two wounded are 'przedstawiciele firmy' (company representatives) targeted in that capacity, not for their own personal assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.tvp.info/51937085/olsztyn-napad-na-kantor-z-uzyciem-broni-strzelal-do-pracownikow-kantoru-skardziono-zloto-policja-szuka-sprawcy-tvp-info","source1_name":"TVP Info","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2021/https://www.tvp.info/51937085/olsztyn-napad-na-kantor-z-uzyciem-broni-strzelal-do-pracownikow-kantoru-skardziono-zloto-policja-szuka-sprawcy-tvp-info","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L014","date":"2021-02","precision":"month","city":"Lahore (arrests in Gujranwala)","country":"Pakistan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (probably BTC)"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"PKR 14.7 million","amount_usd":93000,"description":"Two foreign nationals, a Swiss man and a German man (given the first names Stephen and Maria by the press), were lured to Lahore under the pretext of an investment and then abducted from a five-star hotel by a group led by a man named Rana Irfan, who poured heroin on them and threatened to frame them as drug traffickers in order to force them to transfer cryptocurrency valued at PKR 14.7 million. Two accomplices were arrested in Gujranwala thanks to their vehicle's registration, while the alleged mastermind remained at large; the case was described as the first bitcoin theft of its kind in Pakistan.","victims":"A Swiss national and a German national (given the first names Stephen and Maria by the press)","outcome":"Two accomplices arrested in Gujranwala (via the vehicle's registration); the alleged mastermind Rana Irfan remained wanted; a complaint was registered at the Race Course police station in Lahore; the transferred cryptocurrency funds are not reported as recovered.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Geo News states that the PKR 14.7 million in cryptocurrency was stolen \"from foreign nationals,\" two private individuals (a Swiss man and a German man) lured to Lahore and held captive in a hotel; the transferred assets came out of their own personal wallets, and no victim company is mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.geo.tv/latest/335861-gujranwala-police-catch-two-suspects-in-pakistans-first-bitcoin-robbery-case","source1_name":"Geo News (geo.tv)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA027","date":"2021-02-02","precision":"day","city":"Xiamen (Haicang District), Fujian","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"172,000+ USDT (counterpart: CNY 1,100,000 in cash)","amount_usd":172000,"description":"On February 2, 2021, Mr. Luo, who had come from Longyan to Xiamen, exchanged more than 172,000 USDT for CNY 1.1 million in cash at a tea house; once the crypto was transferred, the buyer claimed a network delay and forcibly seized the bag of cash, while about twenty accomplices stationed in front of the establishment screened him off and blocked the victim, the man with the bag getting into a car parked along the road. The Haicang police, notified on February 3, identified an organized gang (scouts, cash suppliers, crypto launderers, a leader directing the operation on site) and, within five days, arrested fifteen suspects on February 8 at 6 a.m., including the ringleader, Mr. Su, in a simultaneous operation across seven cities; several were placed in detention with authorization from the public prosecutor's office.","victims":"Mr. Luo, USDT trader who had come from Longyan","outcome":"CNY 1.1 million taken; suspects identified and arrested within 5 days","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Luo exchanged USDT in person over the counter on his own behalf, his personal assets were stolen.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_12204862","source1_name":"闪电新闻 – « 交易虚拟货币被抢110余万，厦门警方5天破案 » (accessed via Baidu index)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA028","date":"2021-02-04","precision":"day","city":"Akersberga (Osteraker Municipality, Stockholm County)","country":"Sweden","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"over SEK 1,000,000 in bitcoins (approx. SEK 2 million per the original record, amount not verified)","amount_usd":120000,"description":"In early February 2021, armed robbers forced their way into a couple's home in Stockholm County (Akersberga, Osteraker Municipality) and, at gunpoint, forced the occupants to transfer bitcoins worth several million kronor. Police, having spotted two men fleeing on foot, managed to arrest the gang.","victims":"A married couple (the man was hit)","outcome":"~SEK 2 million in BTC stolen and laundered; two men from Upplands-Bro, aged 18 and 19 at the time of the events, sentenced on June 21, 2021 by the Attunda District Court to 3 years and 4 months in prison each for aggravated robbery","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion of a couple forced at gunpoint to transfer their own bitcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/krim/a/Gajal6/bevapnad-bitcoin-liga-trangde-sig-in-hos-par--kom-over-miljonbelopp","source1_name":"Mitt i (Åkersberga)","source2":"https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/krim/a/Gajal6/bevapnad-bitcoin-liga-trangde-sig-in-hos-par--kom-over-miljonbelopp","source2_name":"Aftonbladet (cited by Lopp)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA029","date":"2021-03","precision":"month","city":"Istanbul (Üsküdar / Ünalan)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 10,000 extorted at gunpoint (after USD 7,000 already paid voluntarily; USD 30,000 demanded)","amount_usd":10000,"description":"In Üsküdar (Istanbul), L.A. had invested USD 200,000 in cryptocurrencies on S.A.'s advice and made a USD 130,000 profit, of which he had paid back USD 7,000; deeming the amount insufficient and demanding USD 30,000 more, S.A. sent him a location for a meeting where R.H. forced him at gunpoint into a vehicle. Taken to premises in Ünalan and threatened, L.A. transferred an additional USD 10,000 to S.A.'s account; the attackers came back a few days later to threaten and insult him at his home to obtain more. After his complaint at the Üsküdar police station, five suspects (S.A., S.S., R.H., A.Ç., A.N.T.) were arrested, the gun used was seized at the premises, and all were referred for unlawful confinement, aggravated robbery (yağma) and firearms offenses.","victims":"L.A., an individual cryptocurrency investor (identity reduced to initials by the Turkish press)","outcome":"USD 10,000 extorted; 5 suspects arrested and referred to the public prosecutor's office; weapon seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"L.A. is an individual investor extorted for his own cryptocurrency gains.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ensonhaber.com/istanbulda-tehditle-para-talep-eden-5-kisi-gozaltina-alindi-h10901654","source1_name":"Ensonhaber (news agency dispatch, 12 March 2021)","source2":"https://www.webtekno.com/kripto-para-tavsiyesi-verdi-silah-zoruyla-para-istedi-h107461.html","source2_name":"Webtekno","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA030","date":"2021-03","precision":"month","city":"New York","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 30,000 in cryptocurrency (identified crypto victim); other victims robbed via bank transfers and Venmo","amount_usd":30000,"description":"Between March 2021 and June 2022, a gang operating in Manhattan bars (Hell's Kitchen, gay establishments) approached patrons and had them ingest drugs (fentanyl, cocaine) before taking their unlocked phones to empty their accounts: at least 40 victims and 7 deaths, including one victim who had USD 30,000 in cryptocurrency transferred from a mobile app while unconscious. Jayqwan Hamilton, Robert Demaio and Jacob Barroso were found guilty on February 10, 2025, with Shane Hoskins and Andre Butts having already pleaded guilty (8 years each).","victims":"At least 40 victims, including Julio Ramirez (25, deceased) and John Umberger (33, deceased); the crypto victim is not identified","outcome":"Bank and crypto accounts emptied, 7 deaths; 5 convictions","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The drugged victims had their personal accounts emptied, including a cryptocurrency transfer from their own app.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://abc7ny.com/post/nyc-bars-drugs-robbery-7-on-your-side-investigation/12486545/","source1_name":"ABC7 New York (7 On Your Side Investigates)","source2":"https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/three-men-behind-deadly-druggings-that-terrorized-nycs-gay-bars-found-guilty/3840924/","source2_name":"NBC (guilty verdict, February 2025)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L015","date":"2021-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Recife, Pernambuco","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"4.78 BTC paid (ransom initially demanded: 100 BTC, reduced to 50 then 6)","amount_usd":267000,"description":"The managing partner of a digital bank was abducted in Recife by an organized criminal group that knew the details of his personal and professional life and threatened members of his family; during the negotiations, the group's leader struck him a blow that broke two of his teeth, causing heavy bleeding. The ransom, initially set at 100 BTC and then negotiated down, ended with the transfer of 4.78 bitcoins that were never recovered; the Pernambuco public prosecutor's office charged ten people in this case.","victims":"Managing partner (identity undisclosed) of a digital bank","outcome":"Ransom of 4.78 BTC paid and never recovered; victim injured (two broken teeth). He was abducted in a car park in Boa Viagem by three armed men and held for about three hours. Operation Dirty Money on 27 April 2021: eight arrests (five in Pernambuco, three in Sao Paulo), including a former Caixa Economica employee; ten suspects charged by the Pernambuco public prosecutor's office with criminal association and kidnapping.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The ransom was demanded for the executive's release, with threats against members of his family: the dominant demand targeted the person. However, the 4.78 BTC was in practice transferred by his business partner after being called \"para que ele liberasse o valor solicitado\" (so that he would release the requested amount), and Livecoins refers to \"a empresa alvo\" (the targeted company): the company's funds were therefore also involved, hence mixed = true.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/brasileiro-dono-de-banco-e-sequestrado-e-perde-48-bitcoins/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA031","date":"2021-03-16","precision":"day","city":"Munich (Dülferstraße parking lot, Hasenbergl)","country":"Germany","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"about EUR 100,000 (nearly 2 BTC)","amount_usd":118000,"description":"During a nighttime transaction organized in a parking lot in the Hasenbergl district, a 29-year-old man from Berlin showed his \"business partners\" his phone with his Bitcoin wallet open and unlocked, containing nearly 100,000 euros (about 2 BTC). Two of them then grabbed him, restrained him, and tore the phone from him before fleeing in two cars. Police intercepted one of the vehicles and arrested three suspects aged 21, 25 and 29 from Waldkraiburg; the fourth, aged 30, was arrested in Munich on March 31, 2021.","victims":"A 29-year-old man from Berlin, a bitcoin holder","outcome":"Phone and wallet stolen through physical force; four suspects arrested and placed in pretrial detention","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The man from Berlin showed and had stolen from him his own personal Bitcoin wallet during an over-the-counter transaction.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/muenchen-polizei-ueberfall-bitcoin-1.5254164","source1_name":"Süddeutsche Zeitung – « Polizei in München: Wie analoge Diebe 100 000 Euro in Bitcoin klauen konnten »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L016","date":"2021-03-18","precision":"day","city":"Guaymallén, Mendoza","country":"Argentina","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC (planned P2P sale)","cash (ARS)","cash (USD)","iPhone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Devices"],"amount":"1 iPhone + ARS 120,000 + USD 2,500","amount_usd":3300,"description":"A 26-year-old young man was on his way to a meeting to sell bitcoin over the counter (P2P) when he was surprised by criminals at the corner of 2 de Mayo and Severo del Castillo streets in Guaymallén, Mendoza; he had an iPhone, 120,000 Argentine pesos, and 2,500 dollars stolen from him. The source consulted does not confirm the use of a weapon, contrary to what Lopp's description indicated. The iPhone was later found by police in a vacant lot, but the money was not recovered.","victims":"A 26-year-old young man (\"F.T.\")","outcome":"The iPhone was found by police in a vacant lot on Reconquista street; the 120,000 pesos and 2,500 dollars were not recovered; no arrest was reported in the source; the investigation was assigned to the Oficina Fiscal N°19 (Comisaría 35°).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private 26-year-old individual going alone to a P2P bitcoin sale meeting; it was his personal belongings and money (iPhone, ARS 120,000, USD 2,500) that were stolen — a typical case of a P2P robbery targeting a private individual acting on his own behalf.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.mendovoz.com/actualidad/policiales/2021/3/19/le-robaron-350-mil-un-joven-en-guaymallen-98425.html","source1_name":"MendoVoz","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA032","date":"2021-03-25","precision":"day","city":"New Taipei (district anonymized, Haishan police precinct)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no assets taken, victim released before any handover)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Suspecting Chi Yen-ming of embezzling funds from a joint virtual currency investment, Yang Tung-hsiang gathered eight accomplices via WeChat in three cars outside his victim's home in New Taipei on the night of March 25, 2021. At 2:12 a.m., as he got out of his taxi, the victim was chased, thrown to the ground, and forced into the back of a vehicle that drove off two minutes later; en route, his hands were bound with tape and cable ties and his eyes and mouth were covered, before he was held captive in a corrugated metal shed. Alerted, police intercepted a first car at 3:40 a.m., then freed the victim — bruised on the knees, side, arms, neck and head — at 4:08 a.m., arresting all nine men.","victims":"紀彥銘 (Chi Yen-ming), the victim's associate in a virtual currency investment","outcome":"Victim released by police in under two hours, multiple bruises; nine convictions (6 to 7 months in prison, suspended for two of them)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A dispute between two private individuals associated in a joint virtual currency investment, with no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c111%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c867%2c20221130%2c1","source1_name":"New Taipei District Court, case 111年度訴字第867號","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c112%2c%e8%a8%b4%e7%b7%9d%2c102%2c20231115%2c1","source2_name":"New Taipei District Court, case 112年度訴緝字第102號 (accomplice tried separately)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L017","date":"2021-04-08","precision":"day","city":"Orikhiv, Polohy raion, Zaporizhzhia region","country":"Ukraine","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware (Antminer S9)"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"No amount extorted (failed attempt, nothing taken); the targeted Antminer S9 was valued at about 40,000 hryvnias","amount_usd":1450,"description":"Three men armed with tear gas attempted to steal a bitcoin mining ASIC (Antminer S9) from the yard of a house on Ivan Mazepa Street in Orikhiv (Zaporizhzhia region) on April 8, 2021 at around 8:40 pm. The owner, a 30-year-old bitcoin miner, repelled the attack by firing several shots with a Fort-12RM traumatic pistol (rubber bullets), without injuring anyone. The three attackers, from the Dnipropetrovsk region, were apprehended, two immediately and the third after a search operation near the Orikhiv bus station.","victims":"A 30-year-old bitcoin miner, owner of the equipment","outcome":"Theft attempt thwarted by the armed owner, no property taken and no injuries reported; the three suspects (born in 1991, 1992 and 1993) were arrested and placed in detention; an investigation for attempted murder and armed robbery was opened.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The source (zbroya.info) describes an ordinary citizen born in 1990 whose Antminer S9 mining equipment was in the yard of his house; no operator, company or mining farm is mentioned — it is a private individual's own equipment, hence personal assets (the 'mining farm = business' category does not apply to a single ASIC at a private home).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://zbroya.info/uk/blog/20398_na-zaporizhzhi-mainer-dav-zbroinu-vidsich-grabizhnikam/","source1_name":"Zbroya.info","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L018","date":"2021-04-13","precision":"day","city":"Calgary, Alberta","country":"Canada","type":"Home invasion","assets":["access keys to cryptocurrency accounts (unspecified cryptocurrency)","computers","jewelry","bank cards"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices","Valuables","Bank cards"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Around midnight on April 13, 2021, two men armed with pistols forced entry into an apartment in the Canyon Meadows neighborhood, in southwest Calgary, and tied up the resident. They searched the premises and took computers, jewelry, bank cards, and keys giving access to cryptocurrency accounts. The victim, slightly injured, managed to free himself after the attackers left and called police, who later released a photo of a wanted suspect.","victims":"Unidentified resident of the targeted apartment","outcome":"Theft carried out (computer equipment, jewelry, bank cards and crypto keys taken); victim slightly injured but unharmed otherwise; police issued a search notice for a suspect, no arrest confirmed in the source consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Calgary Herald describes the home of a private resident (apartment in the 11600 block Elbow Drive S.W.): computers, jewelry, bank cards, PIN codes and crypto account keys taken from the person himself; no economic structure targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://calgaryherald.com/news/crime/police-seek-suspects-in-canyon-meadows-home-invasion","source1_name":"Calgary Herald","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L019","date":"2021-05","precision":"month","city":"Bradford, West Yorkshire","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash (pounds sterling, ransom demanded)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"GBP 900 actually handed over in cash by the mother (GBP 10,000 ransom demanded, not paid in full)","amount_usd":1270,"description":"In May 2021, a 14-year-old boy was intercepted outside a fast-food restaurant in Bradford and then forced into a Toyota Auris by a group who allegedly targeted him after seeing social media posts suggesting he had made money trading bitcoin. One of the kidnappers held his hand over the boy's mouth while he was beaten, then Muhammed Khubaib, 22, owner of the vehicle, struck him in the face with a sand-weighted glove while the doors remained locked; the group called the boy's mother to demand GBP 10,000 for his release. Khubaib was arrested a few days after the incident, while the three other group members were neither identified nor prosecuted.","victims":"A 14-year-old boy, not identified for legal reasons","outcome":"The boy was released without the ransom being paid; Khubaib pleaded guilty to kidnapping and blackmail and was sentenced to four years in prison (judgment handed down on October 18, 2021); the three accomplices remain unidentified and unprosecuted, and the victim has not lived in Bradford since the incident.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ransom demanded from the mother of a teenager believed to have made money trading bitcoin: assets of a private individual and his family, no economic structure involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/18/man-jailed-for-kidnapping-boy-who-was-said-to-have-made-money-from-bitcoin","source1_name":"The Guardian","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L020","date":"2021-05-09","precision":"day","city":"Bethesda, Maryland","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"USD 400,000 (in bitcoin)","amount_usd":400000,"description":"On May 9, 2021 in Bethesda, Liam Ghershony, 24, secretly put benzodiazepine powder into his father's cup of tea, telling him it would give him energy; once his father was unconscious, he used his father's phone to unlock his cryptocurrency account and convert most of the USD 400,000 in bitcoin it held into ethereum, after his father had revoked his access to the shared account. The father remained unconscious on the floor of his apartment for nearly two days, suffering severe dehydration and acute organ failure, until his ex-partner, having received no news from him, alerted police, who found him just in time. Ghershony, addicted to benzodiazepines, cocaine and Adderall, was reported to police by his own mother after confessing to her.","victims":"Liam Ghershony's father (name not published), cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"The father narrowly survived (police estimated he would have died of dehydration without intervention); Ghershony, charged with first-degree attempted murder, ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree assault after prosecutors concluded there was no intent to kill, and received a 20-year suspended sentence, after serving 125 days in detention and completing two months of residential rehabilitation.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Washington Post confirms that the son moved USD 400,000 in bitcoin from his father's investment account — which the father had locked with two-factor authentication — into an account he controlled: assets of a private individual, no economic entity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/02/03/son-spikes-dads-tea-crypto/","source1_name":"The Washington Post","source2":"https://bethesdamagazine.com/2021/05/21/bethesda-man-charged-with-trying-to-drug-and-kill-his-father/","source2_name":"Bethesda Magazine","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA035","date":"2021-05-11","precision":"day","city":"Yichun, Jiangxi province","country":"China","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"at least 5 BTC targeted (approx. RMB 1,275,000 at the time); no assets stolen","amount_usd":197000,"description":"Ruined by speculation, Lai learned in May 2021 that a teacher nicknamed Peng held at least 5 bitcoins (worth about RMB 255,000 each at the time) and posted a call for accomplices on the Baidu Tieba forum to rob him; Xiang joined him from Changsha, and in a hotel room in Yichun the two planned to lure the victim to an isolated location, restrain him with nylon cable ties (Lai gathered seven of them), and extort his accounts and passwords. Police arrested them on the afternoon of May 11, 2021, before any act was carried out and before the other accomplices recruited online arrived. Sentenced at first instance to 3 years (Lai) and 1 year (Xiang) for robbery, their sentences were reduced on appeal to 1 year 6 months and 9 months respectively by the Yichun Intermediate Court, which found the offense had reached only the preparatory stage.","victims":"\"Teacher Peng\", holder of at least 5 BTC, never approached or attacked","outcome":"No assets stolen, arrest made at the preparatory stage; Lai sentenced to 1 year 6 months and Xiang to 9 months on appeal for robbery (ruling (2022)赣09刑终9号, Yichun Intermediate Court)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An attempted robbery targeting the personal bitcoins held by \"Teacher Peng.\"","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.panewslab.com/zh/articles/bnb734g7p4l9","source1_name":"PANews — analysis of the ruling (2022)赣09刑终9号","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA499","date":"2021-05-12","precision":"day","city":"Zhongshan county (Hezhou), Guangxi","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","CNY fiat"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Other"],"amount":"CNY 3,000,000 in cash (payment for a bitcoin purchase; CNY 2,463,600 recovered)","amount_usd":465000,"description":"A gang led by Chen posed online as a bitcoin seller and lured a buyer, Si, who agreed to a CNY 3 million cash deal in Zhongshan county (Hezhou, Guangxi). On 12 May 2021 two of Si's employees (Yang and Wang), who had travelled from Liaocheng (Shandong) with the money, showed the cash to the fake sellers in a hotel; the sellers then suggested completing the deal in a nearby hotel. At around 11 p.m., less than 50 metres from the exit, about ten masked men armed with sticks (hired by Zhou for CNY 150,000) beat them and took the suitcase and bags holding the CNY 3 million, then shared out the loot and fled.","victims":"Yang and Wang, two employees carrying the funds of the buyer Si (司某隆), an investor who wanted to buy bitcoin","outcome":"The victims were beaten and injured; the whole gang (12 people) was arrested within 36 hours and CNY 2,463,600 was recovered. On 22 December 2021 the Hezhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Chen to life imprisonment for robbery (抢劫罪) and the eleven others to between 6 and 13 years.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private buyer who wanted to invest in bitcoin and sent his own cash to an over-the-counter deal, attacked by the fake sellers; the couriers were his employees, but the money was his (\"被害人司某的300万元\").","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://tv.cctv.com/2022/06/13/VIDE2ShG5EkYMX0wkKRDp0i1220613.shtml","source1_name":"CCTV-1 今日说法, « 蹊跷的抢劫 » (13.06.2022)","source2":"https://www.sohu.com/a/514710194_121123826","source2_name":"Sohu (reprise du communique du tribunal intermediaire de Hezhou), 06.01.2022","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA036","date":"2021-05-20","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (Beitun district, Shanjicheng restaurant), then Sanyi, Miaoli County, near the Longteng Broken Bridge","country":"Taiwan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 37,800 (26,000 + 4,800 + 7,000, valued by the court at TWD 1,081,080 at a rate of TWD 28.6/USDT) + 2 Rolex watches + TWD 85,000 in cash (80,000 + 5,000)","amount_usd":41000,"description":"After being introduced to the three investors under the LINE alias \"Lei Luo\" and visiting them in Zhubei on May 18, 2021, the gang lured them on May 20 to an \"investment training\" dinner at the panoramic Shanjicheng restaurant in Beitun district, Taichung. At 7:08 p.m., on the signal \"we're starting to eat\" sent in a Telegram group, five masked men lying in wait upstairs burst into the private dining room armed with a machete, baseball bats and an object resembling a firearm; they bound the victims with cable ties, blindfolded them, seized their phones and a Rolex, then had them driven by two Uber drivers to a mountainous area of Sanyi, Miaoli. There, beaten with bats and kicked, and threatened at gunpoint (one was injured on the head, a cut to the forehead), the victims handed over their access codes: 26,000, 4,800 and 7,000 USDT were transferred, a second Rolex and TWD 85,000 were taken, and they were released around 10-11 p.m.; the offense recorded was armed group robbery and kidnapping for ransom (強盜擄人勒贖).","victims":"Chen Chia-hsien (陳嘉嫻), Ho Wu-chin (何武欽) and Chen Feng-yeh (陳夆燁), three cryptocurrency investors from the Zhubei/Hsinchu area","outcome":"More than 30,000 USDT and a Rolex stolen, victims injured; about ten convictions for \"強盜擄人勒贖\" (armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom), upheld on appeal and before the Supreme Court","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Three private cryptocurrency investors were abducted and forced to hand over their own assets (USDT, Rolex).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C110%2C%E9%87%8D%E8%A8%B4%2C1772%2C20220727%2C6","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, case 110年度重訴字第1772號 (27 July 2022)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPSM%2C112%2C%E5%8F%B0%E4%B8%8A%2C1309%2C20230517%2C1","source2_name":"Supreme Court, case 112年度台上字第1309號 (17 May 2023)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA037","date":"2021-05-28","precision":"day","city":"Lagos (Lekki / VGC, Eti-Osa)","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"USD 5,500 in bitcoin (about NGN 2,200,000)","amount_usd":5500,"description":"On Friday, May 28, 2021, around 3:15 p.m., four Lagos State Police Command officers driving a Toyota Sienna stopped the vehicle of businessman Babatunde Williams as he was leaving Lekki County Estate, near VGC, under the pretext of a document check. Handcuffed with both hands and beaten, first in his own car and then in the Sienna, where they drove him around without telling him where they were taking him, he eventually gave up his phone's passcode; the officers found his Bitcoin wallet on it and transferred USD 5,500 (NGN 2.2 million) to an accomplice's address before abandoning him. He filed a robbery complaint at Maroko police station, and the case was referred to the SCIID; the Lagos police spokesperson said he was not informed of the matter.","victims":"Babatunde Williams, a businessman","outcome":"USD 5,500 in BTC stolen; a robbery complaint was filed at Maroko police station and then forwarded to the SCIID; the Lagos police spokesperson said he was unaware of the matter at the time of publication. No arrests reported.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The officers extorted the contents of the businessman's personal Bitcoin wallet after handcuffing and beating him, without targeting his company's funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://punchng.com/bizman-accuses-policemen-of-assault-extortion-of-5500-bitcoin/","source1_name":"The Punch (Nigeria)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA488","date":"2021-05-28","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (meeting room rented in a tower on Wenxin Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"TWD 1,873,700 in cash taken (1,773,700 + 100,000), out of TWD 3,238,100 brought","amount_usd":67000,"description":"Chen Sheng-lin (陳聖霖), already sentenced to 6 years 10 months for robbing a USDT buyer in 2020 (WA007) but not yet in prison, posed on Telegram (as \"趙子龍\") as a USDT seller to three buyers (47,000, 52,000 and 15,000 USDT at TWD 28 each). At around 4 p.m. on 28 May 2021 he met them in a meeting room rented for the occasion on the 20th floor of a tower on Wenxin Road in Taichung; once the cash had been counted on a counting machine, he came back with two accomplices, Chang Chih-kai and Wang Chun-neng, and all three pepper-sprayed the buyers in the face. They took TWD 1,773,700 lying on the table, plus the backpack (TWD 100,000) and the phone of the third buyer, who had managed to hold on to his bag of TWD 1,465,400, then fled in a ride-hailing car.","victims":"Three private USDT buyers (Li and two others)","outcome":"The three attackers were arrested between 29 May and 4 June 2021. On 21 April 2022 the Taichung District Court (110年度訴字第1390號) convicted them of aggravated robbery by a group carrying a weapon (the pepper spray counting as a weapon): Chen 9 years, Chang 8 years, Wang 7 years 10 months; the Taichung branch of the High Court dismissed the appeal on 4 October 2022 (111年度上訴字第1419號).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private buyers who came with their own cash for an over-the-counter USDT purchase and were robbed by the fake seller.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/3621845","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2c110%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c1390%2c20220421%2c4","source2_name":"Tribunal de district de Taichung, 110年度訴字第1390號 (21.04.2022)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA038","date":"2021-05-29","precision":"day","city":"Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina","country":"Brazil","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"BRL 1,000,000 demanded for release; BRL 50,000 actually paid; dispute concerning approx. BRL 2,000,000, including a loan of 6 BTC (approx. BRL 1,100,000)","amount_usd":190000,"description":"On May 29, 2021, in Balneário Camboriú, two businessmen aged 35 and 41 held captive a 22-year-old young man they had recruited to place about 2 million BRL on sports betting sites and who had diverted part of the funds into cryptocurrency; one of the two had also taken out a loan of six bitcoins (approx. 1.1 million BRL). The victim was held for three days in a penthouse of a luxury condominium rented by one of the kidnappers, guarded by a 37-year-old man and threatened with a firearm, his release being conditional on payment of 1 million BRL; his brother paid 50,000 BRL. Taking advantage of a lapse by the guard, the victim alerted his family: police freed him on May 31, arrested the guard on the spot, and then arrested the two businessmen on June 1.","victims":"A 22-year-old man from São Paulo, described by police as a fraudster","outcome":"Victim freed by police after 3 days; 3 arrests (2 businessmen plus the guard of the captivity site)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The dispute concerned funds diverted by the victim and a personal loan of 6 BTC between private individuals, with the 1 million BRL ransom demanded from the family, not from a business entity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/sc/santa-catarina/noticia/2021/06/10/cativeiro-de-luxo-e-r-2-milhoes-em-criptomoedas-policia-prende-3-pessoas-em-balneario-camboriu-por-sequestro-de-estelionatario.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 Santa Catarina","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/empresarios-sequestram-trader-de-bitcoin/","source2_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA039","date":"2021-06","precision":"month","city":"London (various boroughs)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"more than GBP 115,000 in cryptocurrency (plus phones and bank fraud)","amount_usd":147000,"description":"Between June 2021 and January 2022, four teenagers committed 19 robberies in London with 26 victims: they threatened passers-by with a knife, forced them to hand over their phones and unlock codes, then siphoned their cryptocurrency into hot wallets and used the stolen banking details. One victim lost GBP 28,700 while vomiting under a bridge, another lost GBP 5,000 in ether near Liverpool Street, and a third lost GBP 6,000 in ripple in an alley. The gang was identified because they had takeaway meals delivered and paid for with the stolen bank details; arrests took place on May 3 and 4, 2022, and sentencing on July 6, 2023 totaled more than 23 years in prison combined.","victims":"26 victims (19 robberies), crypto-holding passers-by, London","outcome":"More than GBP 115,000 in crypto stolen; four convicted in July 2023 (Nathan Mohalland 12 years plus 5 years on license, Daniel Boakye 6 years 5 months, Justin Popoola 2 years 6 months, a 17-year-old minor 2 years 9 months), totaling 23 years","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Passers-by were threatened with a knife in the street for their personal cryptocurrency stored on their phones.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://protos.com/london-teens-jailed-for-stealing-150k-crypto-in-mugging-spree/","source1_name":"Protos","source2":"https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/knifepoint-four-jailed-for-stealing-115-000-of-cryptocurrency-and-spending-on-taxis-and-takeaways","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L021","date":"2021-06-11","precision":"day","city":"Yongin (Cheoin-gu district), Gyeonggi province","country":"South Korea","type":"Other","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"KRW 100,000,000","amount_usd":87000,"description":"A woman in her twenties, met via a messaging/dating app, invited a 43-year-old man to a motel in Yongin and put sleeping pills in his drink. While he was unconscious, she used his phone (unlocked with his fingerprint) to transfer the equivalent of 100 million won in cryptocurrency to her own wallet. She was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Suwon District Court for theft, threats, injury, and narcotics law violations; part of the funds was not recovered.","victims":"A 43-year-old man (South Korea)","outcome":"The perpetrator was sentenced to 5 years in prison (Suwon District Court, 12th Criminal Division); part of the stolen funds remains unrecovered.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Theft targeting the personal crypto assets of an individual (a man in his forties), stolen from his smartphone wallet unlocked by fingerprint while he was drugged in a motel.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cryptonews.com/news/woman-20-gets-5-year-jail-term-after-stealing-usd-87k-worth-of-crypto-from-man-in-dating-app-scam.htm","source1_name":"Cryptonews.com","source2":"https://v.daum.net/v/20220522104954695","source2_name":"Daum News (v.daum.net)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA040","date":"2021-06-15","precision":"day","city":"Kwun Tong, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"HKD 2,000,000","amount_usd":256000,"description":"Mr. Mok (22), a USDT buyer, went with HKD 2 million in cash to an office at Ning Chun Centre, 7 Shing Yip Street, in Kwun Tong. In the 7th-floor parking lot, two men appeared and sprayed an irritant liquid in his face before snatching his bag of cash and fleeing in a car with fake license plates.","victims":"Mr. Mok, 22, a USDT buyer","outcome":"HKD 2 million stolen; 3 men and 1 woman (aged 26-29) arrested on June 18, HKD 470,000 and a Rolex recovered","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Mok, a private individual, was in person to buy USDT over the counter with his own cash when he was robbed.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/638396","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/article/640217","source2_name":"HK01 — arrests (19 June 2021)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA041","date":"2021-06-24","precision":"day","city":"Leeuwarden","country":"Netherlands","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (several years of crypto savings)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On June 24, 2021 around 8:40 PM, three men wearing green jackets posing as repair technicians rang the doorbell of a 39-year-old cryptocurrency collector in Leeuwarden. They grabbed him by the throat, dragged him into the living room, tied him up and punched him repeatedly in the head to force him to give up the access code to his cryptocurrency (\"they literally punched the code out of me\"). He was hospitalized with severe head injuries.","victims":"A 39-year-old man, cryptocurrency collector","outcome":"Victim seriously injured and hospitalised; part of the stolen funds frozen on the blockchain by police. A 20-year-old man from Amsterdam was arrested on 19 April 2022 and a second, aged 23, at the end of May 2022; police suspect that someone close to the victim or a colleague tipped off the attackers. Prosecutors sought more than five years in prison in November 2022.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency collector was attacked at his home for the access code to his own cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.destentor.nl/binnenland/brute-overval-op-crypto-verzamelaar-overvallers-sloegen-de-code-uit-me~a00672d7/","source1_name":"De Stentor","source2":"https://opsporingverzocht.avrotros.nl/zaken/item/overvallers-aan-de-haal-met-waardevolle-cryptomunten/","source2_name":"Opsporing Verzocht (AVROTROS)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA042","date":"2021-06-25","precision":"day","city":"Mersin (Toroslar, Gözne road)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (no transfer completed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Ş.Ö., a 28-year-old software engineer, was approached in front of a restaurant on Gözne road (Toroslar district, Mersin) by individuals posing as police officers, who held a gun to his head and forced him into a vehicle. The abductors wanted to seize the funds in his cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) account, if necessary with the help of a hacker; having failed to do so, they released him on Okan Merzeci boulevard in Yenişehir. Following the victim's complaint, the Mersin anti-racketeering unit used surveillance cameras to identify the vehicle's license plate: four suspects (M.B.Y. in Tarsus, S.Y. in Mersin, C.Y. and M.T. in Adana) were arrested and then jailed for armed robbery committed at night by a group and unlawful confinement.","victims":"Ş.Ö., a 28-year-old software engineer","outcome":"Failed attempt (no transfer completed); victim released; 4 suspects jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The software engineer was abducted so the kidnappers could seize the funds in his personal cryptocurrency account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.sabah.com.tr/yasam/bitcoin-icin-adam-kacirdilar-mersinde-akillara-durgunluk-veren-olay-5558486","source1_name":"Sabah","source2":"https://www.ntv.com.tr/yerel-haberler/mersin/mersinde-kripto-para-hesabi-icin-adam-kacirma-4-kisi-tutuklandi,zuRroKW3DkuQj1JmD3ZszA","source2_name":"NTV (AA/DHA dispatch)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA043","date":"2021-06-30","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (district not specified — address redacted in the judgment; case tried by the Shilin District Court)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 200,000 (resold for TWD 5,500,000) + TWD 100,000 transferred from the victim's bank account; TWD 10,000,000 demanded","amount_usd":201000,"description":"During a partners' meeting on the crypto platform 'Rocket Project' on June 30, 2021 around 1:00 PM in Taipei, investor Cheng Min-chung (鄭閔中), unhappy with development delays, said \"I've waited too long, I'm giving up\": Chiang Ting-chou (江定洲) then fired an air pistol and four men beat developer Wu Ming-han with a bat, an iron bar and a stick, demanding TWD 10,000,000 in compensation and forbidding him to leave. Held captive for nearly eleven hours, forced to call his relatives and claim to have cash available to buy USDT (with a video of banknotes supplied by the attackers), he obtained a transfer of USDT 200,000 from his friend Chiu Jo-yu (邱若瑜) to a wallet provided by the abductors, which was resold for TWD 5,500,000 recovered in Sanchong; TWD 100,000 was also transferred from his Taishin bank account through forced facial unlock. He was released at 11:52 PM only when Chiu Jo-yu, having geolocated his car, arrived on the scene announcing that she had alerted the police.","victims":"Wu Ming-han (吳明翰), developer and technical partner of the cryptocurrency platform 'Rocket Project' (火箭計畫)","outcome":"USDT 200,000 resold for TWD 5,500,000 and TWD 100,000 stolen; four convictions for assault, unlawful confinement, coercion and threats; TWD 3,000,000 seized. The High Court dismissed the appeals on 17 June 2025, with suspended sentences for two perpetrators.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Although the dispute arose from a crypto platform project between partners, the extorted funds came from the personal account of the victim's friend and from his individual bank account, not from the project's treasury.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=SLDM%2C111%2C%E9%87%91%E8%A8%B4%2C532%2C20240823%2C1","source1_name":"Shilin District Court, case 111年度金訴字第532號 (23 August 2024)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA044","date":"2021-07","precision":"day","city":"Yuzhnouralsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"approximately RUB 300,000 in cash","amount_usd":4100,"description":"A resident of Yekaterinburg had spotted an ad on Avito for the sale of a 'mining farm' in Yuzhnouralsk and traveled there with approximately 300,000 rubles in cash to buy it. At the time of the meeting arranged with the seller, the transaction did not take place: three men, previously convicted and from Troitsk and Chelyabinsk, attacked him and took the money. The three attackers were arrested and proceedings opened for 'razboi' (robbery) involving a large amount (Article 162(3) of the Russian Criminal Code), information made public on Saturday, July 31, 2021, by the Chelyabinsk Oblast Directorate of the MVD.","victims":"A resident of Yekaterinburg who came to buy mining hardware (identity not published)","outcome":"RUB 300,000 stolen; the three attackers were arrested, prosecuted under Article 162(3) (7 to 12 years' imprisonment faced)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The individual buyer traveled with his own cash to acquire a mining farm in a peer-to-peer meeting, and it was this personal money that was stolen from him.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.e1.ru/text/criminal/2021/07/31/70054409/","source1_name":"E1.RU (Yekaterinburg, Hearst Shkulev group), citing the Main Directorate of the MVD for Chelyabinsk Oblast","source2":"https://74.ru/text/criminal/2021/07/31/70054241/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA045","date":"2021-07","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Al Barsha), then Fujairah","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","cash (AED 3 million)","2 luxury watches"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"AED 3,000,000 in cash + 2 luxury watches valued at AED 750,000 (total AED 3,750,000)","amount_usd":1021000,"description":"In July 2021, an Asian businessman found a flyer on his car advertising bitcoin below market price; after a phone contact, he went with AED 3 million in cash to a villa in Al Barsha, Dubai. While the banknotes were being counted, three accomplices burst in wearing anti-Covid protective suits and masks, posing as police officers from his home country: with his hands tied and his eyes blindfolded, he was robbed and then driven to Fujairah, where he was held captive for four hours in the vehicle, before being transferred to a second car whose driver demanded AED 500,000 to take him back to Dubai and tore off his luxury watch. Two defendants — an Asian and a Gulf national — were sentenced to three years in prison, a joint fine of AED 3.75 million and deportation, a sentence upheld on appeal in June 2022, with several accomplices still at large.","victims":"An Asian businessman who came to buy bitcoin with cash","outcome":"AED 3 million in cash and 2 watches (AED 750,000) stolen; victim released; 2 convicted (an Asian and a Gulf national) to 3 years in prison, a joint fine of AED 3.75 million and deportation, upheld on appeal in June 2022; other accomplices at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The businessman went in person with his own cash to buy bitcoin in a peer-to-peer transaction, targeting his individual assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/gang-jailed-for-stealing-dh37-million-from-bitcoin-investor-in-dubai-1.88283245","source1_name":"Gulf News — 'Gang jailed for stealing Dh3.7 million from Bitcoin investor in Dubai' (3 June 2022)","source2":"https://www.alkhaleej.ae/2022-03-22/%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%82%D8%AF-375-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B5%D9%81%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%83%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%87%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A7/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1","source2_name":"Sahifat Al-Khaleej (صحيفة الخليج) — « يفقد 3.75 مليون درهم في صفقة بيتكوين وهمية » (22 March 2022) — most detailed Arabic version (facts dated to July 2021, held in Fujairah, confession)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L022","date":"2021-07","precision":"month","city":"Bogotá","country":"Colombia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["bitcoin (largely protected by a Casa multisig wallet)","cryptocurrency in another account/exchange (amount unspecified)"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (amount not quantified by sources)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A German national invited a woman he had met on Tinder, who presented herself as a cryptocurrency trader, to his home in Bogotá; his drink was drugged (scopolamine/\"devil's breath\" or a benzodiazepine according to different sources), and he woke up about three days later in a hospital with injuries and scratches. While he was unconscious, the attacker attempted to access his crypto accounts and passwords: his Casa multisig wallet was almost entirely protected, but assets held on another platform (exchange) were stolen.","victims":"A German national, bitcoin holder (Casa customer)","outcome":"The victim was hospitalized after being drugged; the funds protected by the Casa multisig were saved, but part of the crypto assets held elsewhere were stolen; no arrest was reported by the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual drugged at his own home for his personal bitcoin holdings and cryptocurrency held on an exchange; an individual Casa customer, no business entity was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2021/07/13/ciudadano-aleman-termino-atracado-por-su-match-en-tinder-tras-invitarla-a-su-casa-en-bogota/","source1_name":"Infobae Colombia","source2":"https://dailycoin.com/unlucky-holder-gets-roofied-and-robbed-by-a-tinder-date/","source2_name":"DailyCoin","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L023","date":"2021-07-14","precision":"day","city":"Lagos (Ikoyi/Ajah Expressway)","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["bitcoin"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"NGN 22,000,000","amount_usd":50000,"description":"Two young men, Morakinyo Tobiloba Peter and Yusuf Samson Dayo, were stopped by plainclothes officers of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (Alagbon, Lagos) while driving on the Ikoyi/Ajah Expressway. Falsely accused of online fraud, handcuffed, beaten, and threatened with death, they were forced by Inspector \"Austin\" to transfer bitcoin worth 22 million naira, while DSP Cordelia Nwawe allegedly demanded an additional ransom of 20 million naira.","victims":"Morakinyo Tobiloba Peter and Yusuf Samson Dayo","outcome":"The Inspector General of Police ordered an investigation (special panel led by DCP Olaolu Adegbite, appearance on December 21, 2021); according to a later source, DSP Cordelia Nwawe was ultimately cleared, the investigation having found no direct involvement on her part, and the matter was settled amicably (the complaint was withdrawn).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Bitcoin owned outright by two private individuals (real estate agents who had converted their own savings into bitcoin as the naira fell), extorted at gunpoint for the personal benefit of the police officers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"http://saharareporters.com/2021/12/20/breaking-inspector-general-orders-probe-police-extortion-n22million-worth-bitcoin-real","source1_name":"Sahara Reporters","source2":"https://thesun.ng/police-officer-alleged-of-n22m-extortion-exonerated-after-investigation/","source2_name":"The Sun (Nigeria)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA046","date":"2021-07-15","precision":"day","city":"Istanbul (Bağcılar, 15 Temmuz neighborhood, 1502 Street)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 30,000 in cryptocurrency converted and transferred + TL 5,000 in cash (~USD 570) + a promissory note for USD 200,000 signed under duress","amount_usd":30570,"description":"Bahador K., a 34-year-old Iranian businessman active in cryptocurrency, was set up by a woman introduced to him by suspect Asgar T.: after staying at his home for five days, she informed the gang about his wealth and bank accounts, then lured him outside by transmitting his real-time location. Three vehicles cut him off on 1502 Street in Bağcılar; men posing as police officers forced him into a minibus, drove him to a parking lot where they beat him and threatened to kill him to obtain the passwords to his crypto account, converted his cryptocurrency and transferred USD 30,000 to their own accounts, took TL 5,000 in cash from his car, and made him sign a promissory note for USD 200,000, before abandoning him blindfolded in the middle of the street. After a two-month investigation and review of about 2,400 hours of surveillance footage, nine suspects were arrested: Serkan A. and Asgar T. were jailed for aggravated armed robbery, unlawful confinement and forced signature of a commercial instrument, with the other seven placed under judicial supervision.","victims":"Bahador K., a 34-year-old Iranian businessman working in cryptocurrency","outcome":"USD 30,000 in cryptocurrency transferred; victim beaten and then released; 9 suspects arrested, 2 jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The businessman was abducted and beaten to hand over the passwords to his own crypto account and sign a personal promissory note.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.dha.com.tr/gundem/iranli-is-adamini-kacirip-kripto-paralarini-gasbettiler-1848963","source1_name":"DHA (Demirören Haber Ajansı)","source2":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/iranli-is-insanina-tuzak-kacirip-kripto-paralarini-gasp-ettiler-41896861","source2_name":"Hürriyet","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA047","date":"2021-07-20","precision":"day","city":"Carapicuíba, Greater São Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 300,000 in virtual currencies (subject of the dispute); R$1.8 million according to CriptoFácil","amount_usd":300000,"description":"On July 20, 2021, a businesswoman of Chinese origin was approached by two men inside a McDonald's in downtown Carapicuíba (Greater São Paulo) and forcibly dragged into an armored car, with a second vehicle providing support; the motive recorded in the police report was a 'business disagreement' and the disappearance of USD 300,000 in virtual currencies. Alerted, military police officers from Rocam and the 5th BAEP intercepted the two vehicles near the border with Osasco and arrested six people, three of them of Chinese origin, carrying large-caliber firearms, holsters and a stun gun; one of the suspects was posing as a prison officer despite having been dismissed from that role. All were charged in the act with criminal association and kidnapping for extortion.","victims":"A businesswoman of Chinese origin, described as working with cryptocurrency","outcome":"Victim released the same day; 6 arrests in the act, with large-caliber weapons","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The businesswoman was abducted in connection with a business dispute over the disappearance of USD 300,000 in virtual currencies belonging to her personally, with no mention of company funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/mulher-sequestrada-em-mcdonalds-na-grande-sp-relata-perda-de-us-300-mil-em-criptomoedas/","source1_name":"Portal do Bitcoin","source2":"https://www.criptofacil.com/empresaria-e-sequestrada-em-sp-e-resgate-e-1-milhao-em-criptomoedas/","source2_name":"CriptoFácil","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA048","date":"2021-07-22","precision":"day","city":"Araruama, Rio de Janeiro","country":"Brazil","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Foiled kidnapping attempt: two men from Rio in a white Hyundai HB20 with a cloned license plate were intercepted on July 22, 2021, on the RJ-106 (Rodovia Amaral Peixoto), near Iguabinha, by a military police intelligence and GAT operation. They admitted they were heading to Araruama to kidnap an entrepreneur working with bitcoin; the vehicle contained fake civil police uniforms, a replica 5.56 rifle and a replica pistol. The two suspects were taken to the 118th police station.","victims":"A bitcoin entrepreneur from the Lakes Region (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Attempt foiled before it was carried out; two arrests; fake police uniforms seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The foiled attempt aimed to kidnap a bitcoin entrepreneur for his personal assets, not those of a company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.criptofacil.com/empresario-de-criptomoedas-escapa-de-sequestro-no-rio-de-janeiro/","source1_name":"CriptoFácil","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA049","date":"2021-07-28","precision":"day","city":"Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"HKD 3,290,000","amount_usd":422000,"description":"A 39-year-old Korean restaurant manager was asked by a contact he had met on social media to withdraw HKD 3.28 million from a crypto exchange company on Ashley Road (Tsim Sha Tsui) in exchange for a commission of a few thousand dollars. In the building's service stairwell, four masked South Asian men surrounded him; one brandished a 5-inch knife, cutting his right palm, then they tied him up with a rope and took his bag containing HKD 3.28 million plus HKD 10,000 of his own money.","victims":"A 39-year-old Korean man, restaurant manager","outcome":"HKD 3.29 million stolen, victim injured on the hand and tied up; 5 Pakistani men arrested, one charged with robbery on August 9, 2021","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The restaurant manager was withdrawing cash for a third party in exchange for a commission, acting as a private individual in an in-person crypto transaction, not in an official capacity for an employer.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/660924","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA050","date":"2021-08","precision":"month","city":"Seoul","country":"South Korea","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"KRW 100,000,000 demanded (nothing obtained); the victim held KRW 8 billion in bitcoin","amount_usd":null,"description":"In August 2021, a man in his twenties facing financial difficulties spotted on YouTube a streamer who had shown on air an account holding the equivalent of KRW 8 billion in bitcoin. Disguised as a delivery man, he got the victim to open the door under the pretext of an 'identity check,' sprayed pepper spray in the victim's face, shocked him with a stun gun and demanded KRW 100 million in cash. The victim overpowered him and threw him out of the apartment; he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for robbery with violence by the Seoul Central District Court (decision announced on December 8, 2021).","victims":"A Korean YouTuber who had shown an account holding KRW 8 billion in bitcoin","outcome":"Failed attempt: the victim overpowered the attacker and threw him out of the apartment; sentenced to 5 years in prison for robbery with violence by the Seoul Central District Court (December 8, 2021)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attacker directly targeted the streamer's personal bitcoin account spotted on YouTube, at his home.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/016/0001922257","source1_name":"Herald Business (via Naver)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA051","date":"2021-08","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Al Nahda)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"AED 363,000 stolen (AED 300,000 intended for the bitcoin purchase + AED 63,000)","amount_usd":98800,"description":"In August 2021, a woman who had agreed to buy AED 300,000 worth of bitcoins in cash was lured to Al Nahda (Dubai) along with two friends; four men threatened them with blunt or edged weapons and grabbed the bag containing the AED 300,000, a second bag with AED 63,000, valuables and their passports. The driver of one of the victims noted the license plate of the getaway vehicle, allowing three of the four perpetrators to be identified and arrested. In February 2022, the Dubai Criminal Court sentenced them to one year in prison, a joint fine of about AED 342,000, and deportation upon completion of the sentence.","victims":"Three women (including the bitcoin buyer) and their driver, a witness","outcome":"AED 300,000 stolen; four men sentenced to one year in prison, deportation and a fine of AED 342,188","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, a private individual, was robbed in person during a cash-for-bitcoin purchase, an over-the-counter transaction between individuals.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/dubai-court-sentences-four-to-jail-for-robbing-woman-of-dh300000-in-bitcoin-scam-1.85729037","source1_name":"Gulf News","source2":"https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2022/02/14/4-steal-dhs350000-through-fake-bitcoin-deal","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA052","date":"2021-08","precision":"month","city":"Omsk","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"3 million rubles (~USD 41,000) + 25 BTC","amount_usd":1000000,"description":"Three residents of Moscow traveled to Omsk with fake police ID cards, rented several cars and apartments to cover their tracks, and studied the daily routine of a 34-year-old programmer employed by an international financial organization. Posing as police officers, they intercepted him at the entrance to his building, forced him into a car and drove him to an isolated location where, under psychological pressure and threats of violence, he transferred 3 million rubles and 25 bitcoins. The three suspects were arrested on their way back to Moscow and prosecuted for large-scale organized theft and document forgery.","victims":"A 34-year-old programmer, employee of an international financial organization (not identified)","outcome":"RUB 3 million and 25 BTC extorted; three arrests, pretrial detention","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnapped programmer transferred his own personal 25 BTC and RUB 3 million, unrelated to his employer's funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/investidor-de-bitcoin-e-sequestrado-e-roubado/","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L024","date":"2021-08-04","precision":"day","city":"São Pedro da Aldeia (Lakes Region, Rio de Janeiro)","country":"Brazil","type":"Killing","assets":[],"asset_classes":[],"amount":"Unknown (no theft of crypto assets reported; approximately R$40,000 paid to the hitman/hitmen)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Wesley Pessano Santarém, a 19-year-old trader who presented himself as the \"Rei do Pullback\" and was known for showing off his luxurious lifestyle on social media, was shot (at least four bullets) in his Porsche by the occupants of a vehicle that chased him. The investigation (Operation \"Pullback\") led to the arrest of three gunmen and then of the alleged mastermind, Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, alias \"Faraó dos Bitcoins,\" head of a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, who is alleged to have paid about 40,000 reais for the killing. The motive cited by police is either a rivalry for control of crypto investor groups in the region or the elimination of an inconvenient witness; no theft of crypto assets is reported.","victims":"Wesley Pessano Santarém, 19-year-old cryptocurrency trader (\"Rei do Pullback\")","outcome":"Contract killing; four people arrested (three gunmen and the alleged mastermind Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, already held separately on financial fraud charges linked to a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme); the latter was committed to trial by jury after his request to avoid it was rejected.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"A contract killing with no theft or attempted appropriation of crypto assets; sources are divided between a business rivalry for control of investor groups and the elimination of a witness, which does not allow a clear determination between personal and business assets.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://cryptonews.com/news/crypto-trader-s-murder-blamed-on-social-media-bragging-11376.htm","source1_name":"Cryptonews.com","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/familia-de-trader-rei-do-pullback-morto-a-tiros-comemora-decisao-contra-farao-dos-bitcoins/","source2_name":"LiveCoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L025","date":"2021-08-18","precision":"day","city":"Plancher-Bas, Haute-Saône","country":"France","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":236000,"description":"Simon Arthuis, a 19-year-old engineering school student, was drugged and then tortured by several attackers to make him give up access to about €200,000 in cryptocurrency, before being killed; his body was found riddled with about twenty stab wounds in a pond in Plancher-Bas, Haute-Saône. Three suspects were initially placed under formal investigation and jailed shortly after the body was discovered; two months later, a couple was arrested, placed under formal investigation, and jailed for complicity in murder, according to the Besançon public prosecutor's office.","victims":"Simon Arthuis, 19-year-old engineering school student","outcome":"The victim died. The planner was sentenced to 30 years in prison and his two accomplices to 25 years each; the twin brother received 5 years, upheld on appeal in January 2026; on September 15, 2026 the Belfort criminal court sentenced Benjamin Ardoin's grandmother to 4 years, 3 of them suspended, for failing to prevent a crime, closing the case. What became of the targeted crypto assets is not specified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The €200,000 in cryptocurrency sought were the personal holdings of Simon Arthuis, a 19-year-old student, tortured in a personal capacity to give up access to them; no business assets are involved.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.estrepublicain.fr/faits-divers-justice/2021/10/22/assassinat-a-plancher-bas-l-etudiant-tue-pour-200-000-de-cryptomonnaie","source1_name":"L'Est Républicain","source2":"https://www.vosgesmatin.fr/faits-divers-justice/2021/10/22/jeune-homme-assassine-pres-d-un-etang-il-a-ete-tue-pour-200-000-euros-de-cryptomonnaie","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA055","date":"2021-08-31","precision":"year","city":"Rio de Janeiro (held captive in Copacabana; additional arrests in Magé)","country":"Brazil","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"BRL 350,000 demanded (no payment reported)","amount_usd":67000,"description":"Alerted by a video from an informant, Rio's civil police raided an apartment in Copacabana where a gang specializing in unlawful confinement was holding two men bound and tortured: one had part of his ear cut off with scissors, the other had several fingers severed, with the kidnappers demanding 350,000 reais for their release. Two men were arrested in the act, then six more people (two men and four women) in a motel in Magé; the victims turned out to be former members of the same group of scammers. In December 2021, the courts refused to release one of the women, the ruling stating that the extortion and torture were aimed at obtaining the proceeds of the so-called \"pyramid\" scheme and cryptocurrencies.","victims":"Two men, former members of the criminal group linked to a crypto pyramid scheme (identities not public)","outcome":"Victims mutilated (ear, fingers); 8 arrests in total","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The extortion and torture were aimed at obtaining the victims' personal share of the crypto pyramid scheme's profits, not the funds of a legal structure.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/mulher-envolvida-com-sequestro-e-piramide-de-criptomoedas-e-mantida-na-prisao/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"https://odia.ig.com.br/rio-de-janeiro/2021/09/6226345-denuncia-de-sequestro-termina-com-prisao-dos-criminosos-e-vitimas.html","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA056","date":"2021-09-09","precision":"day","city":"Westmere (Auckland)","country":"New Zealand","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","jewelry","cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables","Cash"],"amount":"safe containing the equivalent of NZD 4,000,000 in cryptocurrency, plus cash, jewelry and family heirlooms","amount_usd":2800000,"description":"In September 2021, a safe containing the equivalent of about NZD 4 million in cryptocurrencies, along with cash, jewelry and family heirlooms, was taken from the home of businessman Mark Geor in Westmere (Auckland) during a burglary. The investigation gained new momentum after a private investigator hired by the victim passed information to police in mid-2024: in August 2025, a 31-year-old man was charged with burglary and four counts of laundering NZD 4 million in cryptocurrency, and a 30-year-old woman was jointly charged with laundering.","victims":"Mark Geor, business owner","outcome":"Safe and contents stolen; two people charged in August 2025, four years after the events","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The safe stolen from the businessman's home contained his personal cryptocurrency, cash and jewelry, unrelated to his professional activity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and-justice/570600/pair-charged-over-cryptocurrency-jewellery-robbery-four-years-ago","source1_name":"RNZ","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA057","date":"2021-09-24","precision":"day","city":"Monte Mor (target residing in Sousas, Campinas)","country":"Brazil","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"up to BRL 3,000,000 hoped for by the kidnappers; nothing stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On September 24, 2021, an operation by Gaeco (the Public Prosecutor's Office) backed by the Military Police's BAEP unit arrested six people at a rented farmhouse (chácara) in Monte Mor (31 km from Campinas) and thwarted the planned kidnapping of a cryptocurrency investor residing in the Sousas district of Campinas; two accomplices remained at large. The group — four military police officers and an Army reserve officer, all from Rio de Janeiro, one of them still serving, plus a civilian — planned to stay in the area for fifteen days and pose as São Paulo's Civil Police using a stolen vehicle being disguised as a police car, hoping to obtain up to BRL 3 million by accessing the cryptocurrency wallet stored on the target's phone. Seized: three stolen vehicles, a 12-gauge shotgun, a loaded 9mm pistol, ten phones, handcuffs, police badges and ID bands, a computer and cash.","victims":"Businessman and cryptocurrency investor residing in the Sousas district of Campinas (not named)","outcome":"Attack prevented before execution; 6 arrests, 2 suspects at large; nothing stolen","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The planned kidnapping aimed to access the personal cryptocurrency wallet stored on the targeted investor's phone.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/campinas-regiao/noticia/2021/09/24/operacao-em-monte-mor-frustra-acao-de-quadrilha-que-planejava-sequestrar-investidor-de-criptomoedas.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 Campinas e Região","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/policia-desarticula-quadrilha-que-iria-sequestrar-investidor-de-criptomoedas-em-campinas/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA058","date":"2021-09-27","precision":"day","city":"Kaliningrad (abduction) / Sovetsk (held captive), Kaliningrad Oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"RUB 39,800,000 in cryptocurrency + RUB 403,000 of stolen equipment","amount_usd":550000,"description":"Two residents of Sovetsk (29 and 39 years old), informed in June 2021 that an acquaintance held a large sum in cryptocurrencies, surveilled the victim for about two months then kidnapped him outside his home in Kaliningrad on September 27, 2021, hooded, bound with tape and cable ties, and held captive for about a day and a half in an apartment in Sovetsk. Under threats of death, they obtained his passwords and transaction codes; one of them went to his home to retrieve the phone linked to the wallet (also taking computers, a tablet, a hard drive worth RUB 403,000, and stealing his Mercedes), and they transferred the equivalent of 39.8 million rubles in cryptocurrency to themselves. They then injected him with drugs twice, took him into a forest, tried to strangle him with a scarf, believed him dead, stripped him and covered him with branches before going to buy a shovel; the victim regained consciousness and fled naked to a neighboring house.","victims":"A 29-year-old cryptocurrency trader/holder (resident of Kaliningrad), an acquaintance of the attackers","outcome":"RUB 39.8 million in crypto stolen, attempted murder, victim survived; two defendants tried (verdict issued in March 2024)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers targeted a cryptocurrency holder they knew personally, demanding his passwords and transferring his personal holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://klops.ru/news/2023-04-13/268808-nakachali-narkotikom-dushili-i-razdeli-dogola-delo-o-pohischenii-kriptovalyutchika-iz-kaliningrada-peredayut-v-sud-video","source1_name":"Klops (according to the Investigative Committee and the public prosecutor's office of Kaliningrad Oblast)","source2":"https://klops.ru/kaliningrad/2024-03-05/290607-dvum-zhitelyam-sovetska-kotorye-pohitili-kriptovalyutchika-obkololi-ego-narkotikami-i-brosili-v-lesu-vynesli-prigovor","source2_name":"Klops (verdict, 5 March 2024)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA059","date":"2021-10","precision":"month","city":"Tomsk","country":"Russia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"more than 85 BTC (≈RUB 362,000,000 / ≈USD 5,100,000 at the time of the events)","amount_usd":5100000,"description":"In October 2021 in Tomsk, three men waited for an acquaintance in the lobby of his building; one of them, threatening him with an object resembling a pistol, handcuffed him and forced him into his apartment, where the other two joined them. Under threat of reprisals, they forced him to log into his exchange platform account and transfer more than 85 BTC (≈RUB 362 million, or about USD 5.1 million at the time), and also took his passport, phones, laptop, hard drives and cash. One of the attackers stayed with the victim until evening to prevent him from alerting the police and contesting the transactions.","victims":"Cryptocurrency holder/miner from Tomsk, an acquaintance of the attackers","outcome":"85 BTC stolen; sentences of 8 years and 9 years 6 months, one accomplice at large (verdict June 2026)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, a cryptocurrency holder/miner, was forced to transfer more than 85 BTC from his own personal exchange account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://cryptonews.net/ru/news/security/32968431/","source1_name":"CryptoNews.net (citing Bits.media)","source2":"https://news.bitcoin.com/court-to-try-2-russians-for-stealing-86-bitcoins-from-crypto-miner/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA060","date":"2021-10-01","precision":"day","city":"Hoorn (site of the abduction) / Middelie (site of abandonment), North Holland","country":"Netherlands","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"almost EUR 190,000 in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":220000,"description":"On October 1, 2021 at around 7:00 a.m., in a parking lot in Hoorn (North Holland), a man was approached by an individual who pointed a firearm at his head; two accomplices then appeared, took his car keys and forced him into the back seat of his own vehicle, where his wrists were bound with cable ties. During a one-hour drive, under threat of the weapon, he had to hand over his phones as well as the access codes to his phone and his crypto wallet management app; abandoned alone and without a phone in Middelie, he discovered that almost EUR 190,000 in cryptocurrency had been stolen, transferred to the attackers' wallets. The mastermind was a work colleague who knew about his crypto holdings: on April 29, 2024, the Rechtbank Noord-Holland sentenced him to 4 years in prison and his two accomplices to 42 months each, along with nearly EUR 200,000 in joint damages (including EUR 10,000 for moral damages) and confiscation of the proceeds; the victim, long unable to work, had left the Netherlands for his country of birth out of fear.","victims":"Unidentified man, colleague of the main defendant; returned to his country of birth after the events, long unable to work","outcome":"~EUR 190,000 in crypto stolen; 3 convictions on April 29, 2024 by the Rechtbank Noord-Holland (4 years in prison for the mastermind, a colleague of the victim, and 42 months for each of the two accomplices), nearly EUR 200,000 in joint damages (including EUR 10,000 for moral damages) and an obligation to surrender the proceeds from the cryptocurrency to the State","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A colleague who had spotted the victim's personal crypto holdings organized his abduction to empty his personal wallet, unrelated to any company funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie-en-contact/Organisatie/Rechtbanken/Rechtbank-Noord-Holland/Nieuws/Paginas/Celstraffen-voor-verdachten-overval-en-roof-cryptovaluta-in-Hoorn.aspx","source1_name":"De Rechtspraak / Rechtbank Noord-Holland (official statement of 29 April 2024)","source2":"https://www.blikopnieuws.nl/nieuws/302197/verdachten-die-slachtoffer-gijzelden-en-beroofden-van-cryptovaluta-moeten-cel-in.html","source2_name":"BlikopNieuws - Verdachten die slachtoffer gijzelden en beroofden van cryptovaluta moeten cel in","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA061","date":"2021-10-08","precision":"day","city":"Sunnyvale, South Bay, California","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (BTM)","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On October 8, 2021 at around 4:50 a.m., thieves wrapped a cable around the Bitcoin ATM of a Sunnyvale liquor store and attached it to the back of a white pickup truck, ripping the machine out through the store entrance and smashing the door. The store's regular cash ATM was not touched. The scene was captured by surveillance video and no arrests have been reported.","victims":"A Sunnyvale liquor store (owner not named)","outcome":"ATM taken; no arrests reported, police investigating based on video footage","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The stolen Bitcoin ATM belonged to the liquor store (a business), which operated it as professional equipment.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/thieves-break-into-silicon-valley-liquor-store-to-steal-bitcoin-atm/2677196/","source1_name":"NBC Bay Area","source2":"https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/silicon-valley-thieves-nab-bitcoin-atm/","source2_name":"ATM Marketplace (« Silicon Valley thieves nab Bitcoin ATM »)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA062","date":"2021-10-13","precision":"day","city":"Gerli (Lanús), Greater Buenos Aires","country":"Argentina","type":"Killing","assets":["mining hardware","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Mining racks transported in the trunk (nothing taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the afternoon of October 13, 2021, Gonzalo Refi, 32, a merchant from La Plata, was lured into an ambush on Honduras Street at number 1600 in Gerli (Lanús) by three individuals posing as buyers of computer 'racks' for cryptocurrency mining. As he tried to flee at the wheel of his Audi S3 loaded with the equipment, he was shot twice in the face at nearly point-blank range, crashed into a truck and parked vehicles, and died on the spot. The attackers fled without taking the loot; several suspects were arrested in the following days, including the son of a Boca Juniors executive, with the last fugitive caught shortly after.","victims":"Gonzalo Refi, 32, a merchant from La Plata, seller of computer mining equipment","outcome":"Victim killed; robbery not completed; several detained in the following days (including a young footballer), the last fugitive arrested on October 15, 2021","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Gonzalo Refi was an independent merchant lured into an ambush to sell mining equipment he was transporting himself in his own car, acting on his own account.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2021/10/13/hombre-de-familia-leal-y-emprendedor-quien-era-gonzalo-refi-el-comerciante-asesinado-cuando-fue-a-vender-equipos-para-minar-criptomonedas/","source1_name":"Infobae","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L027","date":"2021-10-20","precision":"day","city":"Aatsy, Abkhazia","country":"Abkhazia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Astamur Ardzinba was part of a group of at least five men armed with Kalashnikovs and Makarov pistols who were defending cryptocurrency mining servers in a house in the village of Aatsy, Abkhazia, against thieves who had come to steal the equipment. In the exchange of gunfire that followed, Ardzinba was accidentally killed, shot at close range by one of his own companions, a man named Pachial R.G., who was placed in police custody for involuntary manslaughter according to the Abkhaz general prosecutor's office.","victims":"Astamur Ardzinba, a young man taking part in defending a cryptocurrency mining operation","outcome":"One death (accidentally killed by one of the operation's defenders); a suspect, Pachial R.G., placed in police custody for involuntary manslaughter; the fate of the thieves and the mining equipment is not specified in the sources consulted.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The thieves had come to steal the mining servers of an operation run by a group in a house in Aatsy: the targeted assets are the production equipment of a mining farm.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/abkhazias-illegal-bitcoin-miners-face-new-threat-thieves-2022-01-06/","source1_name":"Reuters / Thomson Reuters Foundation","source2":"https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7nwwq/man-shot-dead-in-hail-of-gunfire-over-crypto-mining-rigs-police-say","source2_name":"Vice","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA063","date":"2021-11","precision":"year","city":"London (Maida Vale)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"GBP 34,000 in total across three victims (Bitcoin and Tether)","amount_usd":42000,"description":"Karim Hassan, 21, a resident of Maida Vale, contacted people via Snapchat who were looking to exchange their cryptocurrency for cash and arranged to meet them in the back of his black Audi A6, where he threatened them with a knife (\"I'll stick it in your neck\") and with rape to make them authorize transfers of Bitcoin and Tether using fingerprint verification. Three victims were identified: Zain Hankin (GBP 20,000 under knife threat), Abbas Mamuod (over GBP 10,000) and Abdullahi Goloid (GBP 2,500 after being beaten in an underground car park and threatened with being tied up, stripped and raped). After Goloid noted the car's license plate, Hassan was arrested, and another victim identified him on November 11, 2021; he pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery with violence and was sentenced on May 11, 2022 to five years in prison by Southwark Crown Court.","victims":"Zain Hankin, Abbas Mamuod, Abdullahi Goloid","outcome":"GBP 34,000 in cryptocurrency stolen; Karim Hassan pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery with violence and was sentenced on May 11, 2022 to five years in prison by Southwark Crown Court","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims were private individuals exchanging their own cryptocurrency for cash at P2P meetings arranged via Snapchat.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/crypto-robber-who-lured-victims-via-snapchat-and-stole-34-000-jailed/","source1_name":"BleepingComputer","source2":"https://courtnewsuk.co.uk/robber-grabbed-bitcoin-from-desperate-sellers/","source2_name":"Court News UK (court news agency)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA064","date":"2021-11","precision":"month","city":"Castelo Branco / Idanha-a-Nova","country":"Portugal","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (bitcoin transfer not completed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In November 2021, fourteen months after the first raid, the same foreign criminal group carried out a second violent, \"paramilitary-style\" action in the Castelo Branco / Idanha-a-Nova area, again aiming to seize cryptocurrency held by foreign nationals residing in Portugal. Five people were held captive, but this time the attackers failed to carry out the bitcoin transfer they had planned. The case was prosecuted under the charges of roubo agravado (aggravated robbery) and five counts of sequestro (unlawful confinement), joined with those from the 2020 raid (Operation \"Miragem\").","victims":"Five people held captive (foreign nationals residing in Portugal)","outcome":"Failed attempt: no bitcoin transfer completed. Proceedings joined with those of the 2020 raid (Operation \"Miragem\"), with convictions in March 2026 and extradition of the last member from the United Kingdom in April 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The five people held captive were foreign nationals targeted for the cryptocurrency they held personally.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/roubo-bitcoins-operacao-miragem1/","source1_name":"Polícia Judiciária (Portugal) — statement « Roubo bitcoins – Operação Miragem »","source2":"https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/extraditado-do-reino-unido-para-portugal-por-roubo-agravado-e-sequestro/","source2_name":"Polícia Judiciária — « Extraditado do Reino Unido para Portugal por roubo agravado e sequestro »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA065","date":"2021-11","precision":"month","city":"Haifa / Acre (Akko) / Atlit / Tirat Carmel region — northern Israel","country":"Israel","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"About ILS 680,000 according to the indictment (up to approx. ILS 1,000,000 across six robberies according to police); an attempted ILS 145,000 theft from undercover officers","amount_usd":215000,"description":"Between summer and November 2021, a gang from Acre, Jadeidi and Haifa used Telegram to contact people looking to buy cryptocurrency for cash below market price, arranged meetings with them in northern Israel (the Haifa region, Atlit, Acre), and then robbed them using fake or compressed-air pistols, in broad daylight, in the middle of town and near a school, injuring several victims who had come with suitcases of cash. An undercover operation by the Lahav 433 cyber unit and the \"Gidonim\" unit (with the Acre and Tirat Carmel police stations) trapped the gang, which attempted to steal 145,000 shekels from undercover officers before being arrested. On November 25, 2021, seven defendants were indicted for aggravated robbery and criminal conspiracy before the Haifa District Court, with total damages estimated at about 680,000 shekels (up to 1 million according to police).","victims":"Several cryptocurrency buyers (private individuals), at least six robbery victims; including a businessman from central Israel who came with about ILS 200,000","outcome":"About ILS 680,000 stolen; 7 suspects arrested and charged (aggravated robbery, criminal conspiracy); detention requested until the end of proceedings","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims were private individuals who bought cryptocurrency, contacted via Telegram and robbed at cash-exchange meetings arranged for their own account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ice.co.il/law/news/article/836425","source1_name":"ice (אייס) — court news column","source2":"https://www.mako.co.il/nexter-news/Article-9a3e21650815d71027.htm","source2_name":"mako (Keshet 12) — 'Police arrested a gang of bitcoin thieves in the north' (24 November 2021)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA066","date":"2021-11","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Al Barari; Gulf News places the abduction in Bur Dubai)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","243 \"digital coins\""],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"243 units of cryptocurrency valued at AED 2,500,000","amount_usd":681000,"description":"In November 2021, five Asian nationals attacked an investor as he was parking his car near his home in the Al Barari neighborhood of Dubai: one threatened him with a weapon and death, a second hit him, and a third placed a black plastic bag over his head before putting him in a vehicle. Tortured during the drive and then at a secret location — the attackers pushed needles under his fingernails and struck him in the face — he eventually made five transfers totaling 243 units of cryptocurrency valued at AED 2.5 million to the kidnappers' wallets, the motive being a financial dispute with one of them. The five defendants, two of whom were fugitives, were sentenced to three years in prison, an AED 2.5 million fine and deportation, a sentence upheld on appeal on January 27, 2022.","victims":"A businessman / cryptocurrency investor (Asian expatriate, not named)","outcome":"AED 2.5 million in cryptocurrency stolen; victim released near his home under threat of death; 5 convicted (2 in absentia) to 3 years in prison + AED 2.5 million fine + deportation, sentence upheld on appeal","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The investor was abducted and tortured to make transfers of cryptocurrency belonging to him personally, arising from a private financial dispute with one of the kidnappers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/dubai-appeals-court-upholds-sentence-against-gang-that-kidnapped-businessman-and-robbed-dh25-million-in-cryptocurrency-1.85245423","source1_name":"Gulf News — « Dubai: Appeals court upholds sentence against gang that kidnapped businessman and robbed Dh2.5 million in cryptocurrency » (28 January 2022)","source2":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-5-jailed-for-kidnapping-forcing-businessman-to-transfer-dh2-5-million-in-digital-coins","source2_name":"Khaleej Times — « Dubai: 5 jailed for kidnapping, forcing businessman to transfer Dh2.5 million in digital coins » (27 January 2022)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA067","date":"2021-11-02","precision":"day","city":"Madrid","country":"Spain","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Target: 500 BTC valued at approximately EUR 25,000,000 — transfer failed; actual haul: approx. EUR 70,000 in goods (five Rolex watches) and EUR 2,000 withdrawn using bank cards","amount_usd":78000,"description":"On November 2, 2021 at around 3:35 p.m., four individuals (three men and a woman) broke into the Madrid home of Zaryn Dentzel, founder of the social network Tuenti, having lured him there with fake meeting messages. Armed with knives, pepper spray, two Taser guns and handcuffs, they sprayed him, hooded him, wrapped him in a carpet, covered the surveillance cameras and tortured him for nearly four hours — electric shocks, blows, a cut from the chest to the navel, threats to cut off his limbs — to gain access to his wallet of 500 bitcoins valued at approximately EUR 25 million; a maintenance technician who was present was also beaten and tied up. The transfer failed (the wallet's security blocked the operation) and the attackers left with five Rolex watches and two bank cards (EUR 2,000 withdrawn); the four, arrested outside Spain and jailed in October 2022, accepted a nine-year prison sentence on May 14, 2024.","victims":"Zaryn Dentzel, founder of Tuenti (American, born 1983); a maintenance technician present at the home, also beaten and tied up","outcome":"Victim tortured; four arrests by the Policía Nacional, case referred to the Audiencia Provincial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers tortured Zaryn Dentzel at his home to access his personal wallet of 500 bitcoins, with no mention of company funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.elespanol.com/espana/20211103/fundador-tuenti-denuncia-secuestro-manos-millones-bitcoin/624188600_0.html","source1_name":"El Español","source2":"https://forbes.es/actualidad/462379/los-secuestradores-del-fundador-de-tuenti-pactan-9-anos-de-carcel/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA068","date":"2021-11-06","precision":"day","city":"Kowloon Bay, then New Territories, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"HKD 30 million (approx. USD 3.85 million) demanded; victim's crypto assets valued at over HKD 20 million","amount_usd":3850000,"description":"A 39-year-old trader was lured on November 6, 2021 during a Tether (USDT) sale transaction and held captive in an industrial unit in Kowloon Bay, where the gang beat him with hammers and metal chairs to extract the passwords to his bank accounts and crypto wallets, while demanding a ransom of HKD 30 million. He was then moved to a residence in the New Territories, where he suffered multiple fractures to his arms and legs requiring surgery, before escaping through a window during a police raid. Seven men aged 25 to 32 were arrested, with police searching for about eight other suspected members of the Sun Yee On triad, including a division leader.","victims":"A 39-year-old man, cryptocurrency trader/investor (not identified)","outcome":"Victim seriously injured (multiple fractures); seven arrests. Seven fugitives were handed over by mainland China to Hong Kong on 25 March 2022; the ransom was initially set at HKD 8 million, then raised to HKD 30 million.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The trader was lured during a USDT sale transaction as a private individual and held captive for his own personal bank accounts and crypto wallets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3156021/hong-kong-police-hunt-triad-gang-members-who-kidnapped","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/investidor-e-sequestrado-e-espancado-para-entregar-criptomoedas/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA069","date":"2021-11-08","precision":"day","city":"Kaohsiung (Sanmin, Renwu and Nanzi districts)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 2,600,000 in cash (proceeds from the USDT sale)","amount_usd":93500,"description":"Two Kaohsiung residents, Su (38) and Zhao (34), had traveled to Taichung to sell USDT to a couple of buyers for TWD 2.6 million in cash; on the night of November 8, 2021, on the way back, Su was intercepted in his car in Sanmin District by four or five men who took him to a vacant lot in Renwu and beat him with a baseball bat and a stun gun while filming the scene. At dawn on the 9th, the attackers used Su's phone to lure Zhao to Nanzi and beat him until he had a friend bring the 2.6 million. Both victims, having suffered fractures, sought treatment without filing a complaint; Kaohsiung police opened an investigation on their own initiative after the video leaked, with no suspect identified as of the date of the article.","victims":"Su, 38, and Zhao, 34, USDT sellers from Kaohsiung","outcome":"TWD 2,600,000 taken, two victims injured with fractures, no complaint filed, investigation opened by police on their own initiative","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The two USDT sellers were attacked following a P2P cash transaction carried out for their own account (one of the amounts was even recovered via a friend).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/3741263","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA070","date":"2021-11-10","precision":"day","city":"Calabar (Akim and Effio Ette neighborhoods, Cross River State)","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"NGN 1,700,000 in total (NGN 1,000,000 on October 19, 2021, NGN 700,000 on November 10, 2021)","amount_usd":4100,"description":"Emeka Okoro, a cryptocurrency trader in Calabar, was extorted twice in three weeks by police officers from the Akim station: on October 19, 2021, he was stopped in the street in Effio Ette with his brother, had a gun pointed at him and their phones seized, and was ordered to pay 2 million naira or be handed over to the EFCC, ending up paying 1 million; on November 10, armed police officers broke into his apartment, called him a fraudster, demanded 10 million naira and extorted 700,000 naira from him, with the officer holding him at gunpoint being drunk. Subsequently harassed by threatening calls and texts from the gang leader known as \"Sir Lion,\" he fled Calabar with his brother, abandoning his belongings; a spokesperson for the Cross River police promised FIJ full reimbursement.","victims":"Emeka Okoro, cryptocurrency trader, and his younger brother","outcome":"NGN 1,700,000 extorted under threat of weapons, victim fled, restitution promised by the police spokesperson","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency trader and his brother were extorted by police officers demanding money from his personal funds under threat of weapons, with no connection to any corporate structure.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://fij.ng/article/crypto-trader-flees-calabar-after-police-extorted-n1-7m-from-him-in-3-weeks/","source1_name":"Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA071","date":"2021-11-11","precision":"day","city":"Taoyuan (Taoyuan district, in front of a Tai Ji Men dojo facing Jianguo Elementary School; license plates disguised in Daxi, victims abandoned in Bade)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 9,990,000 in cash (4,000,000 belonging to Sun Chen-jung, 5,990,000 to Pei Wen-hsin and four other people)","amount_usd":360000,"description":"Wang Sheng-hung (王盛弘) gained his victims' trust through a Facebook ad for selling USDT and the Telegram alias \"Alan\", carrying out three genuine transactions on October 20, November 1 and November 6, 2021 in front of a Tai Ji Men dojo in Taoyuan. On November 11 at 8:15 PM he had Lu Wei-chen (陸韋辰) disguise the license plate of their car near Nanxing Park in Daxi, then at 9:46 PM the two buyers got into the vehicle; once the money was counted, the robbers pointed a realistic-looking air pistol and a second weapon at them, with Wang showing the magazine containing a real military round to claim the weapons were real, before making off with TWD 9,990,000 and ejecting the victims at two separate locations. Sun Chen-jung alerted a patrol at 10:10 PM, but the attackers forced their way past the checkpoint and fled to a garage in Changhua; they were sentenced to 10 years and 8 years 2 months in prison for armed robbery, sentences upheld on appeal.","victims":"Sun Chen-jung (孫振榮) and Pei Wen-hsin (裴文心), USDT buyers also acting on behalf of third parties","outcome":"TWD 9,990,000 stolen; 10 years and 8 years 2 months in prison","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The two USDT buyers (acting in part on behalf of private third parties) were robbed during a cash P2P transaction organized via Facebook/Telegram.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TYDM%2C111%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C273%2C20220630%2C3","source1_name":"Taoyuan District Court, case 111年度訴字第273號 (30 June 2022)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPHM%2C111%2C%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C2855%2C20230307%2C3","source2_name":"Taiwan High Court, case 111年度上訴字第2855號 (7 March 2023)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA493","date":"2021-11-11","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Zhongshan district, Japanese restaurant in a lane off Zhongshan North Road, section 2)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"TWD 5,540,000 in cash targeted (nothing taken); the Liberty Times reported TWD 1,000,000 for 40,000 USDT","amount_usd":198000,"description":"On 11 November 2021 a Telegram group (aliases \"範馬\", \"Anthony\", \"巴菲特2.0\", \"BillGates\") posted a fake offer of 300,000 USDT in the channel \"OTC新手入門討論區\"; through a broker acting in good faith, the buyer Chen Ko-wei (陳科維), 33, agreed to buy 200,000 USDT for TWD 5.54 million. That evening at around 7 p.m., in a private room of the Yoshimatsu Japanese restaurant near Zhongshan North Road in Taipei, Yu Shao-heng (22) counted the money on a counting machine; his accomplice Yang Lo-chuan (21) said he needed the toilet and, while Chen was opening the door for him, Yu grabbed the paper bag holding the cash. Chen seized the bag, which tore, and shouted for help; Yang briefly held him from behind, then both men fled empty-handed.","victims":"Chen Ko-wei (陳科維), 33, a private USDT buyer","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing taken, victim unhurt. The two attackers were arrested on 12 and 13 November 2021. The Taipei District Court (113年度訴字第344號, 25 August 2025) rejected robbery with violence and convicted them of attempted snatch theft: Yu 6 months, Yang 4 months; on appeal (114年度上訴字第5718號, 28 January 2026) the High Court raised the sentences to 1 year 6 months for Yu and a suspended 1 year for Yang. A third accomplice, Sung Yu-yang, was tried separately.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private buyer who came with his own cash for an over-the-counter USDT purchase, targeted by the fake sellers.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/3735841","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPDM%2c113%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c344%2c20250825%2c1","source2_name":"Tribunal de district de Taipei, 113年度訴字第344號 (25.08.2025)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA072","date":"2021-11-12","precision":"day","city":"Barcelona (Sarria-Sant Gervasi)","country":"Spain","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (contents of the ATM)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Crypto ATM"],"amount":"1 cryptocurrency ATM taken (serving as the shop's safe); amount of cash unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of November 12, 2021 around 3 AM, criminals aboard two Land Rover Evoques (one of them reported stolen) broke through the metal shutter of the GBTC Finance shop at Calle Beethoven No. 6 in Sarria (Barcelona), and made off with the cryptocurrency ATM that served as the store's safe. They fended off with a fire extinguisher neighbors who tried to stop them, then fled before the Mossos d'Esquadra arrived; only cash in euros could be stolen, the exact amount remaining unknown and no arrest having taken place.","victims":"GBTC Finance, a cryptocurrency buy-sell business (BTC, Cardano, Ethereum, Dogecoin), Calle Beethoven 6, Sarria, Barcelona","outcome":"ATM taken, thieves fled, no immediate arrest","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The stolen cryptocurrency ATM served as the safe of the GBTC Finance business, a cryptocurrency buy-sell shop.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://elcaso.elnacional.cat/es/noticias/alunizaje-cajero-bitcoins-barcelona-video-mossos_56989_102.html","source1_name":"El Caso (ElNacional.cat)","source2":"https://es.euronews.com/2021/11/12/espana-crimen-bitcoin","source2_name":"Euronews (Spanish edition)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA073","date":"2021-11-12","precision":"day","city":"La Fortuna de Bagaces, Guanacaste","country":"Costa Rica","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately CRC 200,000,000 in cryptocurrency (~USD 310,000)","amount_usd":310000,"description":"On November 12, 2021, a man named Varela set up a fake bitcoin purchase: through a broker (Rodriguez), he lured cryptocurrency holders to a ranch at a tourist center in La Fortuna de Bagaces (Guanacaste) — a man named Murillo and his father, then a certain Zhang, who held larger sums. Five armed accomplices emerged from the kitchen, tied the victims' hands and feet, taped their mouths, beat them and threatened to kill them; Rodriguez fled under gunfire without being hit, Murillo was wounded in the arm, buttock and leg, and Zhang was forced to transfer approximately 200 million colones. Murillo and Zhang, doused with flammable liquid and locked in a car trunk, managed to escape en route, while a third victim, Jimenez, was taken near a national park and burned alive in the vehicle to destroy evidence; Varela, who had gone to the OIJ in Liberia posing as a victim, was sentenced to 50 years in prison.","victims":"Mr. Murillo and his father, Mr. Zhang (cryptocurrency holders), Mr. Rodriguez (broker), Mr. Jimenez (killed, burned alive)","outcome":"One victim burned alive, two wounded by gunfire, ~CRC 200 million in cryptocurrency transferred; Varela sentenced by the Liberia Criminal Court to 50 years in prison (homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated robbery, aggravated deprivation of liberty)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims are individual cryptocurrency holders (Murillo, his father, Zhang) lured by a fake bitcoin purchase to extort their personal assets.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://crhoy.com/nacionales/secuestros-calcinamiento-y-asesinato-todo-lo-que-hizo-hombre-para-robar-mas-de-%E2%82%A1200-millones-en-criptomonedas/","source1_name":"CR Hoy — 'Kidnappings, incineration and murder…' (18 April 2024)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA074","date":"2021-11-19","precision":"day","city":"Orlando, Florida","country":"United States","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USD"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"approximately USD 650 stolen (USD 200 in cash + USD 450 via an app); USD 30,000 contract extorted","amount_usd":650,"description":"On November 19, 2021, in a house rented via Airbnb on Skyview Drive in Orlando, Amony Robillard (30), a Brevard County Sheriff's corrections officer, emerged from behind a curtain with two semi-automatic pistols as the victim, a 34-year-old man, was coming out of the shower, and held him at gunpoint naked for about three hours. He forced him to sign a USD 30,000 contract — the amount he claimed to have lost on a crypto deal recommended by the victim — by bringing in a notary and the victim's wife, and threatened to release compromising videos to his family and his church; USD 200 in cash and USD 450 via an app were stolen. Robillard was charged with armed robbery, armed extortion and armed unlawful confinement, and his accomplice Jerise Richer (19) with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit extortion.","victims":"A 34-year-old man from Kissimmee, Florida, an associate of the attacker","outcome":"About USD 650 stolen; Amony Robillard (30) charged with armed robbery, armed extortion and armed unlawful confinement; Jerise Richer (19) charged with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit extortion","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Extortion targeting a private individual for an amount he personally owed following a crypto deal, unrelated to any business structure.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/01/07/brevard-sheriffs-deputy-held-naked-man-at-gunpoint-for-hours-during-armed-robbery-report-shows/","source1_name":"WKMG / ClickOrlando (News 6)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L029","date":"2021-11-21","precision":"day","city":"Los Angeles (incident occurred in Riverside County)","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","laptop computer (containing, according to the DOJ, more than $100 million in cryptocurrency)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount was extorted (attempt: E.Z. fled in November 2021, the March 2022 attackers fled without the computer). Amounts sought/mentioned, noted here for reference: a $300,000 exchange mentioned by Iza on the day of the incident, and more than $100,000,000 in cryptocurrency the computer was said to contain according to the DOJ.","amount_usd":null,"description":"On November 21, 2021, as E.Z. was driving with his business associate Adam Iza (a crypto entrepreneur nicknamed \"The Godfather\") after stopping at a gas station, a vehicle intercepted them and two men armed with a semi-automatic pistol ordered E.Z. to get into their car; he fled on foot and called the police. According to the Riverside County Sheriff's report, Iza was seeking to seize E.Z.'s digital assets (a $300,000 exchange for cryptocurrency was reportedly at stake according to Iza's own statements), and the matter continued over months of harassment and then, in March 2022, an attempted armed home invasion of E.Z.'s residence by three men seeking to steal a laptop computer containing, according to the DOJ, more than $100 million in cryptocurrency — information obtained via an illegal search warrant provided by a corrupt sheriff's deputy working for Iza.","victims":"\"E.Z.\", business associate of Adam Iza","outcome":"Adam Iza was arrested by the FBI in September 2024 and pleaded guilty in January 2025 (conspiracy against civil rights, wire fraud, tax evasion); the corrupt sheriff's deputy Eric Chase Saavedra, who obtained the illegal warrant, pleaded guilty in February 2025. Iza was also sentenced to 15 years in Connecticut for a 2024 kidnapping linked to a $245 million bitcoin theft. Sentences in the Los Angeles case (C.D. Cal.): Eric Chase Saavedra was sentenced on September 28, 2026 to 21 months in federal prison; Adam Iza was sentenced on October 5, 2026 to 78 months, concurrent with his 15-year Connecticut sentence, and ordered to pay USD 23,402,766 in restitution.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim is a rival/business associate of Iza's targeted in a personal capacity: the DOJ states that Iza believed that \"a victim possessed a laptop computer containing more than $100 million in cryptocurrency\" and had an invasion of HIS home attempted in March 2022 to steal THIS computer; no corporate assets are involved. Assets of a private individual.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/crypto-godfather-and-lasd-detective-agree-plead-guilty-violating-civil-rights-business","source1_name":"Department of Justice - U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California","source2":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69198689/1/united-states-v-iza/","source2_name":"FBI, affidavit in support of the criminal complaint (United States v. Iza, CourtListener)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA075","date":"2021-11-27","precision":"day","city":"Amsterdam","country":"Netherlands","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 9,689 taken (withdrawals at Geldmaat with his card + transfers from his ING account to buy bitcoins on an account opened in his name under duress); total material damages awarded by the court: EUR 10,546.24 (including EUR 9,998 in amounts taken)","amount_usd":11000,"description":"On the night of November 27-28, 2021, a man lured via Instagram into an Amsterdam hotel room was surprised naked in the bathroom by about seven attackers, one of them armed with a knife: bound with tape then handcuffed, gagged, his head covered with a taped towel, he spent the night locked in the toilet under the guard of two men, with a knife held to his throat to make him give up his banking codes. Forced to call ING claiming he wanted to buy bitcoins in order to get his account unblocked, he saw 8,698 euros transferred between 00:04 and 05:36 to a cryptocurrency platform where a verified account had been opened in his name; the verification selfie, later handed over to police by the platform, shows him bare-chested and handcuffed. One of the participants was sentenced on January 11, 2024 by the Amsterdam court to 3 years in prison for these acts and two other violent robberies.","victims":"A man referred to as \"aangever 2\" in the judgment (identity protected), lured via Instagram","outcome":"EUR 8,698 converted to cryptocurrency + EUR 1,000 withdrawn; at least one defendant sentenced on January 11, 2024 by the Amsterdam court to 3 years in prison for these acts and two other violent robberies (Sadiyat and Segam investigations)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual lured via Instagram is forced to transfer funds from his personal bank account to a crypto account opened in his name.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://data.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraken/content?id=ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2024:110","source1_name":"Rechtbank Amsterdam, judgment ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2024:110 of 11 January 2024 (Rechtspraak.nl, official judicial source)","source2":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2024:110","source2_name":"Rechtspraak.nl — accessible version of the same judgment","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA076","date":"2021-12","precision":"month","city":"London (Neasden Recreation Ground, Brent)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"In December 2021, Abdi Hassan, 27, lured a man to Neasden Recreation Ground in Brent (London) by making him believe he would sell him cryptocurrency. With two accomplices, he put him on the ground, pulled out a Rambo-style knife and slashed his back, arms and legs, before throwing him into a body of water and robbing him. Hassan was sentenced on October 30, 2023 to 14 years in prison, plus an extended license period of 4 years, for grievous bodily harm, robbery with violence and possession of an offensive weapon.","victims":"A man in his twenties (unnamed), a potential cryptocurrency buyer","outcome":"Victim seriously injured (multiple stab wounds) then thrown into the water; Abdi Hassan found guilty of GBH, robbery with violence and possession of a weapon, sentenced on October 30, 2023 to 14 years in prison plus a 4-year extended license; two accomplices still at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of a potential cryptocurrency buyer during an in-person peer-to-peer (P2P) meeting.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.itv.com/news/london/2023-11-02/man-who-attacked-victim-with-rambo-knife-and-threw-him-into-lake-is-jailed","source1_name":"ITV News London","source2":"https://harrowonline.org/2023/11/02/man-who-attacked-man-with-knife-and-threw-him-into-a-lake-in-brent-jailed/","source2_name":"Harrow Online","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA078","date":"2021-12","precision":"month","city":"Falkoping","country":"Sweden","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"more than SEK 135,000 in cryptocurrency + SEK 12,000 in cash + a stack of Pokemon cards","amount_usd":16200,"description":"In December 2021, four men in their twenties, from Vasteras and Stockholm, showed up at the home of a man about 40 years old in Falkoping wearing work vests and helmets, posing as electricity meter readers from the utility company. They knocked him out, tied him to his bed and threatened him with a knife to force him to bring out his computer and hand over his cryptocurrency. According to the Skaraborg district court ruling, they left with a little more than SEK 135,000 in cryptocurrency, SEK 12,000 in cash and a stack of Pokemon cards.","victims":"A man in his forties","outcome":"Haul of about SEK 147,000; the four perpetrators sentenced in June 2022 for aggravated robbery to terms of 3 to 4.5 years in prison","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting a private individual's personal cryptocurrency at his home, under the pretext of an electricity meter reading.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vast/killar-latsades-mata-el-ranade-man-i-falkoping-pa-kryptovaluta","source1_name":"SVT Nyheter Väst","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA079","date":"2021-12","precision":"month","city":"Alanya (Antalya), Tepe neighborhood (suspects arrested in Alanya/Mahmutlar, Antalya and Istanbul)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"10 BTC (market value ~USD 500,000) + USD 150,000 in cash + TL 600 + a luxury 4x4; haul valued by police at ~USD 650,000","amount_usd":650000,"description":"A gang of twelve nationals of the Chechen Republic robbed two foreigners living in a villa in the Tepe neighborhood of Alanya: O.P. had a luxury 4x4, USD 50,000 and TL 600 stolen from him, while D.A. was robbed of 10 bitcoins worth approximately USD 500,000 on the market and USD 100,000 in cash, for a total haul of about USD 650,000. Alanya police first recovered the stolen 4x4 in a parking lot, then identified the network's members and carried out a simultaneous operation at five addresses in Alanya (Mahmutlar), Antalya and Istanbul: six suspects were arrested and referred to the criminal magistrate, while four others (G.M., S.A., C.M., R.K.) had already left Turkish territory.","victims":"O.P. and D.A., two foreign residents of a villa in the Tepe neighborhood of Alanya","outcome":"~USD 650,000 stolen; 6 of the 12 gang members arrested and jailed, 4 at large abroad","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two foreign residents were robbed at their home of their personal bitcoins and cash, with no reference to any targeted professional activity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/650-bin-dolarlik-vurgun-cecen-cetesi-cokertildi-41962097","source1_name":"Hürriyet","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L030","date":"2021-12","precision":"month","city":"Sukhumi, Abkhazia","country":"Abkhazia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["mining hardware (3 servers)","cash (Russian rubles)"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Cash"],"amount":"RUB 150,000 in cash (about USD 2,040) plus 3 mining servers (value not specified)","amount_usd":2040,"description":"In December 2021, two masked men broke into the home of an unidentified family at night in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, and threatened them with a firearm before fleeing with three mining servers and 150,000 rubles (about $2,040) in cash. The incident is part of a wave of burglaries, sometimes violent, targeting clandestine cryptocurrency miners since mining was banned by the Abkhaz authorities in 2020 due to an energy crisis; a month earlier, in October 2021, a man had been mistakenly killed by his own accomplices during a shootout targeting server thieves in another house in the region.","victims":"Unidentified family, clandestine bitcoin miners","outcome":"According to local police, an arrest was made in connection with this burglary; theft of mining equipment remained a widespread phenomenon in Abkhazia, with victims reluctant to file complaints because of the illegality of their activity.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Reuters describes a break-in \"into a home in Sukhumi\" where a family was held at gunpoint: the three servers and the 150,000 rubles belonged to private individuals mining clandestinely at home, with no established company or mining farm involved (the \"farm\" in a garage mentioned elsewhere in the article concerns a different victim, Valeri).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/abkhazias-illegal-bitcoin-miners-face-new-threat-thieves-2022-01-06/","source1_name":"Reuters (Thomson Reuters Foundation)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L041","date":"2021-12","precision":"month","city":"Pune (Wakad area, Maharashtra)","country":"India","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Amount not specified","amount_usd":null,"description":"A Pune cyber-police officer, called in at the request of an acquaintance involved in a financial dispute with an electronics dealer from Wakad who also traded cryptocurrency, arranged a meeting with the dealer even though she had no jurisdiction over the matter. During this meeting, she threatened to implicate him in a fraud case and have him arrested unless he transferred cryptocurrency to her.","victims":"An electronics dealer from Wakad (Pune), also a cryptocurrency trader","outcome":"The officer was suspended by the Pune police (on the order of Deputy Commissioner Ramnath Pokale) following an internal inquiry conducted by Deputy Commissioner (Cyber) Bhagyashri Navatake; the matter was also being followed up by Pimpri Chinchwad police. No information is available on any criminal proceedings against her.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Times of India describes an electronics dealer from Wakad, an individual who also traded cryptocurrency on his own account, from whom the officer demanded a transfer of cryptocurrency to herself: personal assets, with no business entity targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/woman-cop-suspended-for-bid-to-extort-crypto-from-trader/articleshow/89980215.cms","source1_name":"The Times of India (Pune) — via Internet Archive, as the original page is blocked","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA080","date":"2021-12-01","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (North District, Chongde Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 8,700,000 taken (agreed transaction: TWD 9,486,000 for 340,000 USDT at TWD 27.9)","amount_usd":314000,"description":"Song Yu-yang and an accomplice pretended to want to sell 340,000 USDT at TWD 27.9 per unit (TWD 9,486,000) through broker Hsu Ming-chih, with a meeting set for December 1, 2021 at 5:30 PM at his office on Chongde Road, North District of Taichung. At 7:34 PM, when the buyer showed up with a suitcase containing TWD 8,700,000 in cash, four men stationed in front of the building sprayed him with tear gas, one of them armed with a switchblade knife, knocked him down and grabbed the suitcase from him; the victim, having climbed onto the roof of the getaway car, was thrown off and injured. Seven defendants were sentenced on appeal to terms of 7 years 2 months to 7 years 10 months for armed group robbery.","victims":"The USDT buyer (anonymized as 丙○○ in the ruling), accompanied by Huang Zi-wei; broker Hsu Ming-chih (徐銘志) acted as intermediary","outcome":"Sentences of 7 years 2 months to 7 years 10 months for the main defendants; phones and TWD 173,200 confiscated","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of an individual buyer during an over-the-counter USDT transaction organized through an intermediary broker.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCHM%2C111%2C%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C2541%2C20230309%2C2","source1_name":"Taiwan High Court, Taichung Branch, case 111年度上訴字第2541號/原上訴字第67號 (9 March 2023)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C111%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C218%2C20220727%2C4","source2_name":"Taichung District Court, case 111年度訴字第218號 (27 July 2022)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA470","date":"2021-12-04","precision":"day","city":"Krakow (Nowa Huta, osiedle Kazimierzowskie)","country":"Poland","type":"Killing","assets":["Unspecified crypto","Cash","Gold"],"asset_classes":["Other","Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"About PLN 260,000 (PLN 80,000, USD 10,000 and 20 gold coins taken from the safe); the crypto transfer failed","amount_usd":64000,"description":"Marek W., 32, a bar employee in Krakow, had made about one million zlotys by investing in cryptocurrencies during the pandemic. In autumn 2021, Aleksander K., 29, answered an ad he had posted online and won his trust; during a visit, he heard a safe being opened. With his brother Krystian K., 32, a former boxer who came from Germany, he planned a robbery aimed mainly at the cryptocurrencies and opened an exchange account to receive the funds. On 4 December 2021, the two brothers overpowered the victim at his door, taped his hands and feet and taped his mouth shut, forced him to open the safe and then tried to make him transfer his cryptocurrencies; because the codes entered were wrong, the account was locked, and the attackers beat him to death.","victims":"Marek W., 32, a bar employee in Krakow and a cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"The victim was killed (beaten to death; an expert cited at trial pointed to asphyxiation) and was found by work colleagues. Aleksander K. was arrested four days later (he injured two police officers); reported sentences differ between sources (15 years at first instance in 2023 with an appeal by the prosecution according to Krakow dla Was; 14 years increased to 25 years on appeal according to LoveKrakow; 13 years handed down by the Krakow Regional Court in August 2026 according to Super Express). Krystian K. fled, was placed on Europe's most wanted fugitives list, and was arrested in January 2025 in Etten-Leur (Netherlands), awaiting extradition.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who had grown rich through personal cryptocurrency investments, attacked at home to force him to transfer his crypto to an account prepared by the attackers.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.se.pl/krakow/zatlukli-milionera-kiedy-szukal-seksu-bokserzy-opracowali-morderczy-plan-aa-VSn3-avwh-4M7c.html","source1_name":"Super Express","source2":"https://krakow.dlawas.info/wiadomosci/krakowski-milioner-z-nowej-huty-szukal-niewolnicy-aleksander-k-mial-mu-pomoc/cid,30046,a","source2_name":"Krakow dla Was","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA081","date":"2021-12-11","precision":"day","city":"Denpasar, Bali","country":"Indonesia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"IDR 5.8 billion (cash + bitcoin)","amount_usd":400000,"description":"On December 11, 2021 in Bali, attackers invaded the home of an Italian couple, tied their hands and feet, beat them, and threatened them with a knife until they obtained the passwords to their phones and exchange accounts. Six phones were taken and three transfers were made from the victims' Binance account to an Exodus wallet, for total damage of IDR 5.8 billion (approximately USD 400,000 in cash and bitcoin). Denpasar police arrested two foreigners on December 28, 2021: Nicola, an Italian national and former employee of the victims, and Gregory, a British national; two accomplices remained at large.","victims":"Camilla Guadagnuolo and Principe Nerini, an Italian couple residing in Bali","outcome":"Cryptocurrency and cash stolen; two arrests of British nationals, two suspects at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple was attacked at their home to obtain the passwords to their personal exchange accounts and phones.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20211228141520-12-739596/bule-rampok-uang-dan-bitcoin-wn-italia-di-bali-senilai-total-rp58-m","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/casal-e-assaltado-e-perde-r-226-milhoes-em-bitcoin/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA077","date":"2021-12-15","precision":"day","city":"Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs, Laurentides","country":"Canada","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["ETH","luxury watches","jewelry"],"asset_classes":["ETH","Valuables"],"amount":"7.70 ETH (~USD 30,000) + luxury watches and jewelry","amount_usd":30000,"description":"In December 2021, French crypto influencer Michael Monteverde ('mickalamasse') and his associate Antoine Luce, who had come to Quebec to meet a business contact, were lured to a chalet in Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs where, in the middle of the night, three masked men armed with rifles broke in, beat Monteverde with a speaker and a bottle, broke down the bathroom door where he had taken refuge, tied him up then plunged his face into a jug of water to force him to open his eyes and unlock his phone by facial recognition. The attackers left with luxury watches, jewelry and 7.70 ETH (about USD 30,000) redirected to an account belonging to Michael-Elie Moussalem of Montreal, the only one who knew the address. Charged with armed robbery, unlawful confinement, assault causing bodily harm and conspiracy, Moussalem fled to the United States in October 2022 and has been the subject of an arrest warrant since July 2024; he has never been tried.","victims":"Michael Monteverde (French crypto influencer) and his associate Antoine Luce","outcome":"Victim seriously injured (head surgery, major leg wound, scarring); 7.70 ETH diverted to the defendant's account (USD 25,000 in crypto and a Rolex according to the victim's testimony at trial). Michael-Elie Moussalem, believed to have been hiding in Lebanon since August 2024, has been tried in absentia in Saint-Jerome since 5 October 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The influencer and his associate were held captive in a chalet for their crypto and personal belongings (ETH, watches, jewelry), with no mention of company funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2024-02-28/vol-de-cryptomonnaie/pris-au-piege-dans-un-chalet-des-laurentides.php","source1_name":"La Presse — 'Cryptocurrency theft | Trapped in a cabin in the Laurentians'","source2":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/vols-de-cryptomonnaies/terrorises-pour-une-poignee-de-bitcoins/2025-08-04/vol-de-cryptomonnaie-extremement-violent/trois-voleurs-armes-terrorisent-un-couple-le-bebe-pleure-a-l-etage.php","source2_name":"La Presse — 'Three armed robbers terrorize a couple, baby crying upstairs' (recap of the Moussalem case)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L031","date":"2021-12-15","precision":"day","city":"Amsterdam","country":"Netherlands","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Bitcoin (no amount specified, nothing was taken)"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"None (nothing was taken, Everts refused to comply; no figure demanded is quantified in the source)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the evening of December 15, 2021, Dutch \"trendwatcher\" and television personality Vincent Everts was attacked at his home in Amsterdam during a live YouTube stream with Maurice de Hond: three young men in their twenties, one disguised as a DHL delivery driver, broke into his home, tore the camera connected to his laptop, and pointed a gun at his head demanding bitcoins. Everts refused to comply despite threats made against his wife and children; after prolonged shouting, the attackers fled without taking anything, and Everts called the police (112).","victims":"Vincent Everts, Dutch trendwatcher and television personality","outcome":"No loot taken; Everts and his family were physically unharmed but shaken. No arrest is reported in the source consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers entered Everts's private home and shouted \"Bitcoin! Bitcoin!\" while threatening him, his wife and his children: they demanded his personal bitcoins (he replied \"Ik heb helemaal geen bitcoin\" — \"I don't have any bitcoin at all\"). No corporate assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/5274213/vincent-everts-overvallen-trendwatcher-bitcoin-amsterdam","source1_name":"RTL Nieuws","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA082","date":"2021-12-22","precision":"day","city":"Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"More than BRL 7.23 million in bitcoin targeted (nothing was ultimately stolen)","amount_usd":1350000,"description":"On December 22, 2021 in Moscow, three masked individuals armed with stun guns broke into a house sheltering a family of three, including a wealthy bitcoin miner, who was targeted for more than BRL 7.23 million in BTC. Mistaking the miner's brother-in-law for their target, they tortured him (electric shocks, death threats) to obtain bitcoins he did not hold; the victim escaped by jumping out of a window and alerted the police. The facts were disclosed by Russian prosecutor Anastasia Bragina; one suspect was arrested, two remain at large, and the trial is held behind closed doors.","victims":"Brother-in-law of a bitcoin miner (victim targeted by mistake); a family of three at the home","outcome":"Victim escaped through a window; one suspect arrested, two at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The intended target was an individual bitcoin miner and his personal assets; his brother-in-law was tortured due to mistaken identity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/bitcoin-cunhado-torturando-por-engano/","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil, citing the Russian public prosecutor's office)","source2":"https://incrypted.com/buyer-robbed-cryptocurrency-seller-1-million/","source2_name":"Incrypted","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L032","date":"2021-12-27","precision":"day","city":"Thunder Bay, Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no figure quantified in the sources)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Between December 27 and 28, 2021, at the Thunder Bay District Jail (Ontario), eleven inmates held two fellow inmates captive in cells and beat them repeatedly over about 30 hours, forcing them between beatings to make phone calls to transfer cryptocurrency from accounts they had access to into accounts controlled by the attackers. The victims were hospitalized at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for their injuries; 137 charges (including assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement, kidnapping, extortion, and intimidation by violence) were laid against the 11 accused, aged 18 to 32, most of them from the Toronto area.","victims":"2 inmates (men, not identified) at the Thunder Bay District Jail","outcome":"11 inmates were charged with a total of 137 counts (assault, forcible confinement, kidnapping, extortion, intimidation) and held in custody pending further court appearances. The final judicial outcome (any convictions) is not documented in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The police statement says the two victim inmates were forced \"to transfer crypto currency from accounts they had access to the accounts of the accused\": these were accounts belonging to detained individuals, with no corporate assets involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/news/eleven-inmates-charges-following-serious-30-hour-assault-and-extortion-incident","source1_name":"Thunder Bay Police Service (official statement)","source2":"https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/eleven-inmates-charged-following-serious-30-hour-assault-and-extortion-incident-4912560","source2_name":"Thunder Bay News - TBNewsWatch.com","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA084","date":"2022","precision":"day","city":"Shymkent, Karatau district","country":"Kazakhstan","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"46 mining machines, damage of nearly 44 million tenge","amount_usd":97600,"description":"Three friends, one of whom had previously come to repair the electrical system of the mining farm and had scouted the premises on that occasion, broke into a private property in Shymkent at night by climbing over the fence and took 46 mining machines installed in an outbuilding of the house, causing damage of nearly 44 million tenge. Identified through video surveillance and their vehicle, they were arrested in town, confessed, fully compensated the victim, and were sentenced to five years of restriction of liberty for theft (article 188 of the Kazakh criminal code); the sentence was made public on June 14, 2022.","victims":"A resident of Shymkent operating a mining farm in an outbuilding of his house","outcome":"Suspects identified via video surveillance and their vehicle, arrested in town, full confessions and full compensation for the damage; the three men sentenced to five years of restriction of liberty for theft (article \"Kража\" [Theft] of the Kazakh criminal code). Date given = date of judgment/publication; the events occurred earlier.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The theft targeted 46 mining machines from a mining farm, professional equipment, even though it was installed in an outbuilding of the owner's home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.zakon.kz/tekhno/6017034-mnogomillionnaia-krazha-iz-maining-fermy-zloumyshlennikov-osudili-v-shymkente.html","source1_name":"Zakon.kz (source: Karatau district police, Shymkent)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA085","date":"2022","precision":"year","city":"Dubai","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC (8,000 units valued at AED 30,000)","cash","handbag"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"8,000 units of cryptocurrency (valued at AED 30,000) + AED 8,000 in cash + a handbag worth AED 7,200, i.e. AED 45,200","amount_usd":12300,"description":"After several prior transactions meant to build her trust, the former private driver of a cryptocurrency investor offered her a new purchase and lured her to a meeting; he displayed a fake police badge accusing her of corruption, before three accomplices forced her into a vehicle and drove for about two hours with a plastic bag covering her head. They extracted her phone password, transferred 8,000 units of cryptocurrency (AED 30,000), stole AED 8,000 in cash and a handbag worth AED 7,200, searched through her conversations, and unsuccessfully tried to have one of her friends transfer an additional 100,000 units, then photographed her while threatening her against filing a complaint. Having memorized the vehicle's license plate, she enabled the arrest of the four men within a few days: three years in prison on January 19, 2023, reduced to two years on appeal on September 4, 2023, with an AED 45,200 fine and deportation.","victims":"An Asian woman, cryptocurrency investor/seller (unnamed)","outcome":"Approximately AED 45,000 stolen; the victim noted the vehicle's license plate and Dubai police arrested the 4 perpetrators within a few days; 3 years in prison at first instance, reduced to 2 years on appeal with an AED 45,200 fine","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual investor lured via a fake one-on-one crypto transaction, stripped of her personal cryptocurrency and cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-gang-of-4-jailed-for-stealing-bitcoin-worth-dh30000","source1_name":"Khaleej Times — 'Dubai: Gang of 4 jailed for stealing bitcoin worth Dh30,000' (19 January 2023)","source2":"https://www.emaratalyoum.com/local-section/accidents/2023-09-04-1.1779959","source2_name":"Al-Emarat Al-Youm (الإمارات اليوم) — « سائق يخطف مخدومته مع أصدقائه لسرقة عملاتها الرقمية » (4 September 2023) — report of the appeal ruling","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L047","date":"2022","precision":"month","city":"Dubai","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Home invasion","assets":["luxury watches","diamond ring"],"asset_classes":["Valuables"],"amount":"AED 390,000 in luxury watches and a diamond ring valued at USD 200,000 (i.e. AED 735,600), total ≈ AED 1,125,600","amount_usd":306200,"description":"A cryptocurrency consultant was attacked at his home by six investors he had advised, who had suffered losses after the collapse of a digital coin and then the failure (within 15 minutes, following a cyberattack) of a new project meant to repay them. The attackers threatened to kill him and his family, then beat him in the face until he bled, before stealing three luxury watches and a diamond ring.","victims":"An unidentified cryptocurrency consultant","outcome":"Five of the six attackers arrested (one at large); sentenced to six months in prison followed by deportation, sentence upheld on appeal by the Dubai Court of Appeal, which added a fine of approximately 1 million dirhams.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers targeted the consultant at his home and took his personal belongings (three watches, a ring); no company cash register, treasury or client funds were targeted or stolen.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/dubai-cryptocurrency-expert-assaulted-by-investors-for-losing-money-1.88182017","source1_name":"Gulf News","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA087","date":"2022-01","precision":"month","city":"Casablanca (Dar Bouazza)","country":"Morocco","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"approximately MAD 15,000,000 in cash seized by police; targeted loot estimated at ~MAD 10,000,000 (1 billion centimes)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A gang lured a Casablanca money changer active in bitcoin by offering him a fake bitcoin transfer deal, then, posing as police officers, abducted him and held him captive, and conducted a fake search of his home in Dar Bouazza to seize his money. The National Brigade of the Judicial Police arrested seven people around January 19, 2022, and seized approximately 15 million dirhams in cash, four vehicles, a motorcycle, and two weapons. On May 31, 2023, the Casablanca criminal court sentenced five defendants, including a police officer (10 years) and a woman, to a total of 41 years in prison for organized crime, arbitrary acts, abduction, unlawful confinement, and armed robbery.","victims":"\"F.A.\" (also referred to as \"F.E\"), a Casablanca money changer active in currency and bitcoin exchange","outcome":"Victim released; approximately 7 arrests and seizure of large sums of money","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The victim is a professional money changer active in currency and bitcoin exchange, targeted for the cash/funds of his exchange business.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.bladi.net/casablanca-arrestation-extorsion,89868.html","source1_name":"Zanka20 (زنقة 20) — 'National Brigade dismantles a gang that kidnapped a billionaire active in bitcoin trading' (19 January 2022, title and date obtained via Google News RSS; article inaccessible)","source2":"https://al3omk.com/846747.html","source2_name":"Medias24 — 'Casablanca: 7 arrests in a case involving a fictitious Bitcoin transfer deal' (19 January 2022, title obtained via Google News RSS; site returns a 403 error)","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA088","date":"2022-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Tathawade / Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Maharashtra","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"INR 300 crore in bitcoin demanded (~USD 40 million); nothing was obtained","amount_usd":40000000,"description":"Constable Dilip Tukaram Khandare, assigned to the Pune cybercrime cell, discovered in the course of his duties that trader Vinay Naik held bitcoins valued at INR 300 crore and, with seven repeat offenders, devised a plan to abduct and extort him. The victim was abducted on January 14, 2022 at a hotel in Pimpri-Chinchwad, but the gang released him and dropped him off nearby for fear of being identified, without having obtained the bitcoins. After a friend of the victim filed a complaint, all eight members of the group, including the police officer, were arrested and placed in police custody in early February 2022.","victims":"Vinay Naik, a share trader holding bitcoins, residing in Tathawade (Pune)","outcome":"Victim released unharmed; eight arrests including a police officer from the cybercrime cell","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent trader (share trader) holding his own bitcoins, abducted for his personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/pune/story/8-including-cop-arrested-for-kidnapping-man-to-extort-bitcoin-worth-rs-300-crore-1907933-2022-02-02","source1_name":"Incrypted","source2":"https://incrypted.com/cop-india-kidnapped-crypto-dealer/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L034","date":"2022-01-16","precision":"day","city":"Memphis, Tennessee","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["cryptocurrency ATM (Bitcoin ATM)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of January 16, 2022, suspects used a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck to smash through the glass doors of a Mobil gas station at 6133 Macon Road in northeast Memphis, then made off with the establishment's cryptocurrency ATM (Bitcoin ATM). Memphis police, alerted by an alarm, released surveillance video of the suspects and issued a call for tips through Crime Stoppers.","victims":"Operator of the Mobil gas station at 6133 Macon Road, Memphis","outcome":"No arrest had been made at the time of the articles; police were searching for the suspects' vehicle, and a reward from Crime Stoppers of Memphis and Shelby County was offered for information.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The property taken was the cryptocurrency ATM operated inside the Mobil gas station: equipment and cash of a business, hence corporate assets (explicit ATM/operator rule).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://wreg.com/news/local/suspects-steal-atm-after-crashing-into-gas-station-police-say/","source1_name":"WREG News Channel 3 (Memphis)","source2":"https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/atm-taken-truck-crash-memphis-tennessee-gas-station/522-de0f5754-0996-436b-9ca0-8b62fb7831bd","source2_name":"Local Memphis (ABC24)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA089","date":"2022-01-17","precision":"day","city":"Fabreville (Laval), Quebec","country":"Canada","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"CAD 300,000 (disputed bitcoin transaction); no amount stolen reported","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Monday, January 17, 2022, around 8 p.m., four men wearing clown masks forced their way into a residence on Rue Clemence in Fabreville (Laval): the 30-year-old occupant was beaten severely and a shot was fired, then a 26-year-old pregnant woman was abducted and driven away in a car. Having had time to call 911, she was found with two of her abductors in a vehicle in Boisbriand less than an hour later. The case is linked to a CAD 300,000 bitcoin transaction gone wrong; Sylvain Kabbouchi (23, Chomedey 45 street gang) and Darnel Adrian Lovelace (35) were arrested and charged with breaking and entering, discharging a firearm, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, assault causing bodily harm, and illegal possession of weapons.","victims":"A 30-year-old man and his 26-year-old pregnant partner","outcome":"Victim freed by police within 40 minutes; two men arrested (Sylvain Kabbouchi, 23, and Darnel Adrian Lovelace, 35) and charged with breaking and entering, discharging a firearm, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, assault, and illegal weapon possession","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion linked to a disputed personal bitcoin transaction between private individuals, with the pregnant partner abducted to get to the couple.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://lavalnews.ca/fabreville-home-invasion-and-kidnapping-linked-to-cryptocurrency-dispute/","source1_name":"The Laval News","source2":"https://www.thesuburban.com/news/city_news/invasion-and-abduction/article_87f02f3b-bba6-5bfa-8614-9a375ab32252.html","source2_name":"The Suburban","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA090","date":"2022-01-21","precision":"day","city":"Hoboken, Antwerp","country":"Belgium","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately EUR 1,000,000 in cryptocurrencies","amount_usd":1100000,"description":"Four members of the \"Krugergroep,\" an Antwerp jihadist cell, carried out a home invasion at the residence of a cryptocurrency trader/banker on Hertog van Brabantlei in Hoboken. The victim was held down and tortured for several hours in his bedroom until he handed over approximately EUR 1 million in crypto assets, intended to finance the terrorist group.","victims":"Cryptocurrency trader/banker (Pieter De K.), a 34-year-old teacher according to other sources","outcome":"Approximately EUR 1 million in crypto assets stolen. On October 24, 2023, sentences of up to 17 years in prison were handed down (2 x 17 years, 1 x 15 years, 1 x 13 years); other members received 18 months to 8 years along with deradicalization courses.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting the personal crypto assets held by the trader/banker at his home.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/10/24/celstraffen-tot-17-jaar-voor-terreurgroep-die-home-invasion-plee/","source1_name":"VRT NWS","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA091","date":"2022-01-22","precision":"day","city":"Bogota","country":"Colombia","type":"Other","assets":["ETH"],"asset_classes":["ETH"],"amount":"298 ETH (about COP 3,213 million)","amount_usd":750000,"description":"On January 22, 2022, a member of a criminal network from Medellin, presenting herself on Bumble under the pseudonym 'Daniela Cardona' as a cryptocurrency expert, convinced an American citizen to come to Colombia. During the meeting at a hotel in Bogota at 8 p.m., she administered an incapacitating substance to him that made him sleep for more than 18 hours, while the group accessed his phone and his Coinbase account to transfer 298 ETH (about 3,213 million pesos). The network was dismantled in May 2025 with four arrests in Medellin (Juan Guillermo Betancur Arboleda, Yeraldin Gomez Alzate, Luz Elena Munoz Chavarria, Vanessa Chaverra Ceballos); the alleged leader Juan David Munoz was arrested in Brazil along with nine accomplices awaiting extradition.","victims":"An unidentified American citizen (and several other foreign nationals targeted by the same network)","outcome":"298 ETH stolen; network dismantled, 4 arrests in Medellin and the leader arrested in Brazil awaiting extradition","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Lured through a meeting arranged via a dating app, his personal funds on his own Coinbase account were transferred.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/asi-operaba-la-red-delictiva-de-medellin-que-le-robo-mas-de-3-000-millones-de-pesos-en-criptomonedas-a-extranjeros-3456647","source1_name":"El Tiempo","source2":"https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2025/05/23/desarticularon-en-medellin-una-red-criminal-que-robo-mas-3000-millones-en-criptomonedas-a-extranjeros/","source2_name":"Infobae Colombia","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L035","date":"2022-01-26","precision":"day","city":"Not specified (Paris region)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["cryptocurrency (type and amount not specified)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no theft succeeded)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A man showed up at the home of Owen Simonin (real name Simon Owen), a crypto influencer known under the alias \"Hasheur\" and followed by more than 700,000 subscribers on YouTube, posing as an expert sent to resolve an insurance issue; the address had been located after the individual followed him for several days. Once the door was opened, the attacker pulled out a handgun (described as fake by Le Parisien) in an attempt to extort cryptocurrency from him, but Simonin physically pushed him back, locked himself inside, and called the police. The attacker fled and then turned himself in to police a few days later; Simonin filed a complaint and publicly recounted the episode on Twitter that same evening.","victims":"Owen Simonin, alias \"Hasheur\" (Simon Owen), crypto influencer and entrepreneur (+700,000 YouTube subscribers)","outcome":"The attempt was thwarted by the victim, with no financial loss; the attacker, who had fled, turned himself in to police a few days after the incident; Simonin filed a complaint, then moved and tightened his personal and digital security.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attacker showed up at Owen Simonin's private home to extort HIS cryptocurrency; Le Parisien notes that the apartment also served as the company's registered office, which was how the address was found, but no demand concerned company funds — only personal assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/nous-sommes-une-cible-avant-laffaire-ledger-linfluenceur-crypto-owen-simonin-a-lui-aussi-ete-agresse-23-01-2025-32542HXKKNAV5J2QWFPTGQHX2I.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://freelanceinfos.fr/hasheur-agresse-domicile-cryptomonnaies/","source2_name":"Freelance Infos","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA092","date":"2022-01-29","precision":"day","city":"Chekchema (Shekshema), Charia district, Kostroma oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"more than RUB 4,000,000 of mining hardware","amount_usd":52000,"description":"On January 29, 2022, six armed members of an organized criminal group from the neighboring Yaroslavl oblast entered the site of a disused sawmill in the village of Chekchema (Charia district), where a cryptocurrency mining farm was set up inside a railway wagon. They threatened the 63-year-old guard and took the mining equipment, causing damage exceeding 4 million rubles. The six men were found guilty of robbery with violence (razboi) and sentenced by the Charia district court to 5, 6 and 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony (ruling handed down in August 2023, not final as of the date of the article).","victims":"A 63-year-old guard of the mining farm (owner of the facility not publicly identified)","outcome":"Mining hardware (>RUB 4 million) stolen; six sentenced to 5, 6 and 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Armed raid targeting the equipment of a mining farm installed in a railway wagon, operational property rather than the personal assets of the assaulted guard.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://novosti44.ru/2023/osuzhdeny-chleny-yaroslavskoj-opg-ograbivshie-fermu-dlya-majninga-kriptovalyuty-v-kostromskoj-oblasti","source1_name":"Novosti44 (Kostroma)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA093","date":"2022-02","precision":"day","city":"Sao Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"BRL 200,000 withdrawn from the bank account + an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency on Binance","amount_usd":38000,"description":"Thiago Asmar, known as Pilhado, a host on Jovem Pan, was robbed inside an Uber vehicle in the Bela neighborhood of Sao Paulo: the perpetrators, whose target was his phone, forced him to unlock it before handing it over. They then emptied his bank accounts (BRL 200,000) and his Binance account, going as far as opening an account in his name at Juno bank (Parana) to funnel the funds. The bank reimbursed him, the exchange refused, and the victim announced legal action; no arrest is mentioned.","victims":"Thiago Asmar, known as Pilhado, host on Jovem Pan radio","outcome":"BRL 200,000 plus cryptocurrency stolen; bank reimbursement, exchange refused; no arrest","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbed in an Uber for his personal phone, his personal bank accounts and Binance account were emptied.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/apresentador-e-assaltado-perde-r-200-000-e-criptomoedas-e-uma-quadrilha/","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L036","date":"2022-02","precision":"month","city":"Missouri (Ozarks region, exact location not disclosed)","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cryptocurrency (type and amount not specified)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"According to the account of his brother Richard, Dr. John Forsyth, an emergency-room physician and co-founder of the cryptocurrency OnFo, was abducted in February 2022 by unknown individuals who bound him with zip ties, drove him to a bridge, and threatened him, in an episode relatives described as \"crypto-related.\" Forsyth was released but never filed a police report out of fear for his safety, and kept the episode secret to protect those close to him. Reported missing on May 21, 2023, he was found dead of a gunshot wound nine days later in Beaver Lake near Cassville, Missouri; his brother suspects, without formal proof, a link between the 2022 abduction and his death.","victims":"Dr. John Forsyth, 49, emergency-room physician and co-founder of the cryptocurrency OnFo","outcome":"Forsyth was released with no ransom reported and no police report filed or known arrest for this abduction. He was found dead of a gunshot wound in May 2023 under separate circumstances examined by Missouri police, with no formally established link to the 2022 episode.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The sources describe only an abduction of John Forsyth's person, described as a crypto holder, \"crypto-related\" according to his relatives; there is no mention of OnFo's treasury or funds, only his own personal assets are referenced.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://protos.com/crypto-millionaire-found-dead-in-ozarks-was-involved-in-kidnapping/","source1_name":"Protos","source2":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12145317/Missouri-doctor-shot-dead-Ozarks-lake-previously-kidnapped-claims-brother.html","source2_name":"Daily Mail","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L038","date":"2022-02-03","precision":"day","city":"Brooklyn – Brighton Beach, New York","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["luxury watches (Rolex Presidential, Audemars Piguet)"],"asset_classes":["Valuables"],"amount":"USD 350,000 (value of the two stolen watches)","amount_usd":350000,"description":"Ilya Basin, a 37-year-old cryptocurrency consultant living in Brighton Beach (Brooklyn), was lured out by two masked men who left a fake package at his door to get him to come outside, then pinned him to the ground, bound him with zip ties and gagged him with tape for about 30 minutes, kicking him in the face. The attackers searched his apartment demanding \"where is the money\" and left with a Rolex Presidential watch and an Audemars Piguet watch, worth a combined USD 350,000; no cryptocurrency was stolen despite the victim's profession. A celebrity news site raised, without official or police confirmation, the possibility of revenge by clients dissatisfied with his cryptocurrency advice.","victims":"Ilya Basin, 37, cryptocurrency consultant","outcome":"Theft of two luxury watches estimated at USD 350,000; victim slightly injured (kicked in the face); no arrest reported at the time the articles were consulted, police investigation ongoing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The two luxury watches (Rolex Presidential and Audemars Piguet) belonged personally to Ilya Basin and were taken from his apartment; the attackers were looking for \"the money\" at his home, and no client or employer funds were accessible or targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://nypost.com/2022/02/09/brooklyn-crypto-consultant-hog-tied-beaten-during-home-invasion/","source1_name":"New York Post","source2":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/crypto-robbery-apartment-new-york-watches-b2012476.html","source2_name":"The Independent","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L037","date":"2022-02-04","precision":"day","city":"Surat, Gujarat","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash (Indian rupees)","cryptocurrency (promised transaction never carried out)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"INR 20,000,000 (Rs 2 crore)","amount_usd":268000,"description":"Vinay Jain, a 29-year-old businessman from Hyderabad, traveled to Surat with 2 crore rupees in cash to invest in cryptocurrency, on the advice of a middleman (Lakshminarayan) who had put him in touch with Pintoo Kumar alias P K Jha. During the meeting at the premises of a money-transfer (angadia) firm in Varachha, the money was never credited to his crypto account (he was shown a fake transaction screen), and a gang of about ten men beat him and his three companions before fleeing with the funds. Three of the suspects (Suman Singh, Shahrukh Vohra, and ringleader P K Jha) were arrested a week later by Surat police and remanded to nine days of judicial custody.","victims":"Vinay Jain, 29, businessman (auto parts), accompanied by his brother Aakash, a middleman, and a driver","outcome":"The 2 crore rupees (about $260,000-270,000) were taken by the gang; three of the suspects named in the complaint were arrested and remanded to 9 days of judicial custody; the final judicial outcome (trial) is not known from the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Times of India states that Vinay Jain had raised the funds from his relatives (\"collected the amount from his relatives to invest in crypto\") and was acting on his own behalf in an in-person, over-the-counter transaction; no company was targeted, only his private assets (his trade as an auto-parts dealer is unrelated to the stolen funds).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/cryptocurrency-deal-turns-into-2cr-dacoity/articleshow/89392699.cms","source1_name":"Times of India","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/police-arrest-three-in-2cr-dacoity-case/articleshow/89464452.cms","source2_name":"Times of India (arrests)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA094","date":"2022-02-05","precision":"day","city":"Alto Paraíso de Goiás (São Jorge district)","country":"Brazil","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"4.485 BTC (nearly BRL 1,000,000)","amount_usd":186000,"description":"On February 5, 2022, around noon, a businessman (in the overseas casino sector) on a tourist stay in the São Jorge district was approached as he left his guesthouse by three men armed with a pistol, an assault rifle and a submachine gun who identified themselves as police officers; taken back to the guesthouse with a gun to his head, he was forced to transfer 4.485 BTC (nearly BRL 1 million), the attackers showing him photos of his relatives and then giving him 24 hours to pay more under threat of death to his family. The investigation established that they were three civil police officers from the Coordenadoria de Operações e Recursos Especiais of Goiânia and a civil guard from Cristalina; one of them, Willian da Silva Ribeiro (40), was arrested at his home in Cristalina (a luxury car, a weapon and ammunition were seized), and all four were charged with extortion by kidnapping on February 25, 2022.","victims":"A Brazilian businessman in the casino sector, unnamed (presented as a tourist)","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transferred; one police officer arrested in Cristalina (luxury car, weapon and ammunition seized); four public officers charged","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Businessman on a tourist stay forced to transfer his own BTC under threat from corrupt police officers.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/go/goias/noticia/2022/02/25/policiais-civis-viram-reus-por-extorquir-quase-r-1-milhao-em-criptomoedas-em-alto-paraiso-de-goias.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 Goiás","source2":"https://www.criptofacil.com/policiais-civis-teriam-ameacado-empresario-para-roubar-1-milhao-em-bitcoin-em-goias/","source2_name":"CriptoFácil","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA476","date":"2022-02-15","precision":"day","city":"Hong Kong / Hung Hom (Hung Hom Bay, The Metropolis Tower, 10 Metropolis Drive)","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","HKD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"HK$3,000,000 in cash (intended USDT purchase)","amount_usd":385000,"description":"Five Hong Kong men aged 32 to 55 had agreed in early February 2022 with a South Asian woman to buy Tether (USDT) for HK$3 million in cash. At around 4 p.m. on 15 February 2022, they went with the money to a flat in The Metropolis Tower (10 Metropolis Drive, Hung Hom) rented by the woman; inside, several South Asian men armed with knives and wooden sticks surrounded and beat them, then fled with the rucksack holding the HK$3 million. Two victims who resisted were injured (Mr Lam, 55, on the forehead; Mr Tang, 32, on the hand). At around 11 p.m. on 17 February, the Kowloon West Regional Crime Unit raided a unit in Wah Wing Industrial Building (14-20 Wing Yip Street, Kwai Chung) and arrested nine South Asian men aged 18 to 25.","victims":"Five Hong Kong men aged 32 to 55, USDT buyers, including Mr Lam (55, owner of the cash) and Mr Tang (32), who were injured","outcome":"HK$3 million in cash taken; two victims injured and taken to hospital. Nine South Asian suspects (aged 18-25, Hong Kong identity card holders) arrested on 18 February 2022 in Kwai Chung for robbery, three of whom tested positive for COVID-19; three cars seized to check whether they were proceeds of crime. No court outcome found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private buyers who came with their own cash for an over-the-counter USDT deal and were lured into a flat by the fake sellers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.wenweipo.com/epaper/view/newsDetail/1494736868019933184.html","source1_name":"Ta Kung Wen Wei Po (香港文匯報)","source2":"https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/police-arrest-9-south-asian-suspects-for-robbing-five-men-of-hk3m-during-transaction-of-tether-virtual-coins-one-of-them-tests-positive-for-covid-19/","source2_name":"Dimsum Daily","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA096","date":"2022-02-28","precision":"day","city":"Barranquilla (Betania neighborhood; body found near Tubara, Atlantico)","country":"Colombia","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"more than USD 10,000 in cryptocurrency + a pickup truck","amount_usd":10000,"description":"Jairo Medina Vega, having learned that Liliana Segovia Navarro (36) owned a new pickup truck and more than 10,000 dollars in cryptocurrency, contacted her via social media and arranged a meeting under the pretext of a business deal on February 28, 2022; he struck her and then asphyxiated her in the vehicle, concealed the body in a plastic drum at his apartment in the Betania neighborhood before dumping it in an uninhabited area near Tubara (Atlantico), then robbed her by electronically transferring her crypto assets. According to Major Diego Molina (police Gaula unit), he confessed to killing her because she resisted the theft of her Bitcoin investments; he was sentenced on February 14, 2023, to 223 months (18.5 years) for aggravated homicide, aggravated theft and non-consensual asset transfer, plus 105 minimum wages in damages. An alleged accomplice, her cousin Andres Alvarez Vega, was captured on June 13-14, 2026, four years after the events.","victims":"Liliana Segovia Navarro, 36","outcome":"Victim killed; crypto assets and vehicle stolen; Jairo Medina Vega sentenced to 18.5 years, an accomplice arrested in 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victim killed for her personal crypto assets and vehicle after being identified as holding funds in Bitcoin.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://periodicopalabrasmayores.com/condenado-a-mas-de-18-anos-de-prision-por-quitarle-la-vida-a-una-mujer-y-robarle-10-mil-dolares-en-criptomonedas/","source1_name":"Periódico Palabras Mayores (citing the statement of the public prosecutor's office - Fiscalía seccional Atlántico)","source2":"https://emisoraatlantico.com.co/destacado/liliana-segovia-fue-asesinada-al-oponerse-al-robo-de-sus-inversiones-en-bitcoin/","source2_name":"Emisora Atlántico (statements from the police GAULA unit)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L033","date":"2022-03","precision":"month","city":"Ufa","country":"Russia","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"More than RUB 20,000,000 in bitcoins","amount_usd":200000,"description":"A major in the Ufa transport police, Elchin Aliev, used his access to the phones of people held in police custody to empty their cryptocurrency wallets: according to the public prosecutor's office, he stole more than 20 million rubles' worth of bitcoins belonging to a detainee described as the operator of a drug lab, and used physical force against him to extract information about his accomplices. The case was referred to trial in April 2025 and ended in a conviction on December 25, 2025.","victims":"A detainee described as the operator of a drug-production lab (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Elchin Aliev, a former transport police major, was convicted on December 25, 2025 by the Sovetsky District Court of Ufa and sentenced to 7 years in a general-regime penal colony for aggravated theft, fraud and abuse of power; the court also ordered compensation for the victims.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mediazona confirms that the officer accessed detainees' phones and emptied THEIR personal crypto wallets (the bitcoins of the \"lab operator\"), using physical violence: this involved an individual's personal assets, with no company funds or accounts at stake.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://zona.media/news/2025/12/25/aliev","source1_name":"Mediazona (zona.media)","source2":"https://www.analyticsinsight.net/news/russian-officer-jailed-for-bitcoin-theft-as-market-prices-slide","source2_name":"Analytics Insight","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L039","date":"2022-03","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Naif district)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Home invasion","assets":["cash (United Arab Emirates dirhams, in a safe)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"AED 1,700,000","amount_usd":462900,"description":"A bitcoin trader was attacked at his home in the Naif district of Dubai by four men who used a false pretext of a wrong address to force entry, threatened him with a knife at his throat, then tied his hands and feet with plastic rope before retrieving the key to a safe hidden under a table. The attackers stole AED 1.7 million belonging to the victim's business partner, who discovered the scene after being alerted by phone. Having entered the country illegally, the four suspects were arrested and confessed to the facts; on appeal (September 2022), they were sentenced to 3 years in prison each and a joint fine of AED 1.7 million, with deportation upon completion of their sentence.","victims":"A bitcoin trader (identity not disclosed), resident in Dubai","outcome":"Part of the stolen sum was recovered in the suspects' possession; the 4 attackers were sentenced to 3 years in prison each and a joint fine of AED 1.7 million (upheld by the Dubai Court of Appeal in September 2022), followed by deportation from the country.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"Khaleej Times states only that the AED 1.7 million was in \"a safe that belonged to his trading partner\": the source does not say whether this cash was the partner's private funds or the shared treasury of a two-person trading operation (the victim was therefore not acting \"alone and on his own behalf\"). No company is named, but nothing allows one to state that this was purely personal wealth either: undetermined.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-four-men-fined-dh1-7-million-for-stealing-cash-from-bitcoin-trader","source1_name":"Khaleej Times","source2":"https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2022/09/05/gang-jailed-for-stealing-dhs17-million-from-trader","source2_name":"Gulf Today","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L040","date":"2022-03-02","precision":"day","city":"Miami (Edgewater)","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["luxury watch (Patek Philippe rose gold, USD 400,000)","unspecified cryptocurrency (phone wallet, drained)"],"asset_classes":["Valuables","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"about USD 1,000,000 (watch USD 400,000 + crypto wallet, amount not separately quantified)","amount_usd":1000000,"description":"A businessman from the Edgewater neighborhood of Miami was robbed by an armed man at around 11 p.m. as he returned home; the robber, who appeared to be waiting for him, pointed a gun at his face shouting for him to hand everything over, while an accomplice waited behind the wheel of a getaway vehicle. He was stripped of his Patek Philippe rose gold watch (USD 400,000, taken out of the safe that day for a business meeting) and his phone containing a cryptocurrency wallet, which the attackers subsequently drained. The victim estimates the total loss at about USD 1 million; he says he fears for his life, has since sold his watch collection and moved house; no arrest was reported at the time the articles were consulted.","victims":"An anonymous businessman from the Edgewater neighborhood, Miami","outcome":"Theft of a USD 400,000 watch and draining of a crypto wallet (amount unspecified); total loss estimated at USD 1 million by the victim; no arrest reported, investigation opened by the Miami PD with a call for witnesses via Crime Stoppers.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Patek Philippe watch taken from his personal safe and the crypto wallet on his private phone are assets belonging to the victim, who was robbed while returning home; no company funds are involved (he himself describes the watch as an \"investment\").","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/edgewater-man-says-hes-out-about-1m-after-armed-robber-steals-phone-with-crypto-wallet-app-pricey-watch/","source1_name":"WSVN 7News","source2":"https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/armed-robber-steals-watch-and-crypto-wallet-worth-1m","source2_name":"CoinMarketCap","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA097","date":"2022-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Czeladz (Katowice metropolitan area), Silesia","country":"Poland","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"ransom in bitcoin, amount undisclosed (about 4,500 BTC potentially under his exclusive control)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Sylwester Suszek, founder of the Polish exchange platform BitBay (later Zonda, then Zondacrypto), disappeared on March 10, 2022, after going to a meeting at a fuel depot in Czeladz with an associate linked to organized crime; his phone signal cut out shortly after 3:08 p.m., and his white Porsche Taycan was found abandoned. His family subsequently received messages claiming he had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom in bitcoin, with his sister receiving death threats among other things. The former associate Marian Wszolek was charged with kidnapping and money laundering; no body has been found four years later, and about 4,500 BTC under his exclusive control remain inaccessible.","victims":"Sylwester Suszek, founder of the exchange platform BitBay/Zondacrypto","outcome":"Victim still missing four years later; the associate Marian W. charged with kidnapping and money laundering","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers demanded a bitcoin ransom from Suszek's family for his release, targeting his personal assets, although the uncertainty surrounding the 4,500 BTC under his exclusive control (linked to the platform's collapse) leaves open a possible corporate component.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://crypto.news/zondacrypto-collapse-leaves-founder-missing/","source1_name":"crypto.news","source2":"https://cryptobriefing.com/bitbay-suszek-disappearance-zondacrypto/","source2_name":"Crypto Briefing","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA098","date":"2022-03-12","precision":"day","city":"Los Angeles, California","country":"United States","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","laptop computer"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices"],"amount":"Unknown (laptop computer containing cryptocurrency)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 12, 2022, on the orders of Adam Iza ('Crypto Godfather'), the brother of a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy ('LASD Deputy 2') watched and then physically grabbed an associate of the victim 'E.Z.' in front of his building, in order to steal a laptop computer containing cryptocurrency that Iza claimed as his own. A private investigator employed by Iza ('K.C.') had attended the preparatory meeting bringing together Iza, the deputy and his brother, kept watch from a car, and then came back to pick up the attacker and drive him to Iza's home. These facts are detailed in paragraph 10 of the federal complaint filed on September 23, 2024.","victims":"An associate of the victim 'E.Z.' (not identified in the complaint)","outcome":"Computer seized; the facts were included in the federal complaint of September 23, 2024, against Iza (C.D. Cal.). Iza was separately sentenced on September 9, 2026, to 15 years in the Danbury case. Sentences in the Los Angeles case (C.D. Cal.): Eric Chase Saavedra was sentenced on September 28, 2026 to 21 months in federal prison; Adam Iza was sentenced on October 5, 2026 to 78 months, concurrent with his 15-year Connecticut sentence, and ordered to pay USD 23,402,766 in restitution.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Adam Iza had an associate's laptop stolen to recover cryptocurrency he claimed as belonging to him personally, outside of any identified corporate framework.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.942083/gov.uscourts.cacd.942083.1.0.pdf","source1_name":"Criminal Complaint, United States v. Adam Iza, 2:24-mj-05809 (C.D. Cal.), 23 September 2024","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA099","date":"2022-03-13","precision":"day","city":"Okene / Nagazi (Abuja-Okene road, near the Federal College of Education), Kogi State","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"NGN 101,000 in cash (NGN 100,000 extorted + NGN 1,000 in POS withdrawal fees); the USD 23 in the Binance account was not taken","amount_usd":240,"description":"Abuja-based musician Eche Abraham (aka Soundboi BME) was intercepted on March 13, 2022, on the Okene road by officers of the SWAT unit traveling in an unmarked Hilux; having refused to comply, he was slapped and forced into their vehicle, then taken to a bushy area near Nagazi. The police searched his phone, opened his Binance app showing a balance of USD 23, labeled him a 'Yahoo boy,' demanded NGN 250,000, and prevented him from freely making calls before extorting NGN 100,000 from him via a POS terminal and releasing him.","victims":"Eche Abraham, alias Soundboi BME, musician based in Abuja","outcome":"NGN 100,000 extorted; account went viral on social media, followed by a detailed interview in Punch; no arrest of the officers reported. Note: cash was extorted rather than cryptocurrency, but the Binance account is what triggered the targeting.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Police officers extorted an individual musician after spotting his personal Binance account on his phone.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://punchng.com/how-policemen-kidnapped-me-extorted-n100000-by-pos-abuja-artiste/","source1_name":"The Punch (Nigeria) — interview with the victim","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA100","date":"2022-03-16","precision":"day","city":"San Francisco (Bernal Heights), California","country":"United States","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet (CoolWallet)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"USD 3,000,000 in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":3000000,"description":"On March 16, 2022, a man wearing a ski mask and goggles broke into the home of a 32-year-old woman in Bernal Heights (San Francisco), threatened her with a knife and bound her with tape, then communicated his orders by typing them on an iPad to avoid being identified by voice. He forced her to transfer about 3 million dollars in crypto assets held on CoolWallet hardware wallets, before fleeing to Taiwan two days later. The suspect, Tianze Zhang, the victim's former personal assistant, was arrested in Kaohsiung on May 30, 2022, and later extradited; charged on six counts including aggravated kidnapping, he was still awaiting his preliminary hearing as of January 2026.","victims":"A 32-year-old woman, employee of a crypto venture capital fund (identity not published)","outcome":"USD 3 million in cryptocurrency stolen; Tianze Zhang arrested in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) on May 30, 2022, while trying to flee to the Philippines, extradited to San Francisco, charged on six counts including aggravated kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and criminal threats; pleaded not guilty, released pending trial as of 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was forced to transfer crypto assets held on her own CoolWallet hardware wallets, with no indication that these funds belonged to her employer.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://sfstandard.com/2022/06/06/how-a-cryptocurrency-robbery-in-sf-led-to-an-international-manhunt-in-taiwan/","source1_name":"The San Francisco Standard (2022)","source2":"https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/10/ski-mask-knife-ipad-3-million-crypto-heist/","source2_name":"The San Francisco Standard (2026, before trial)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA101","date":"2022-03-21","precision":"day","city":"Taichung","country":"Taiwan","type":"Torture","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"140,000 USDT demanded (about TWD 4,000,000); TWD 5,000,000 in promissory notes (10 x TWD 500,000) and more than TWD 2,000,000 in extorted loans; crypto wallet and online bank accounts emptied","amount_usd":140000,"description":"On the evening of March 21, 2022, in Taichung, a woman named Zhuo lured her ex-boyfriend Yu into a motel room, then, under the pretext of a food delivery, let in about ten men sent by Xu, who suspected Yu of having misappropriated his 140,000 USDT (about TWD 4 million). Yu was stripped, blindfolded and tied up, beaten with bars, and plunged into a bathtub of ice-cold water and then boiling water until he handed over his codes: his crypto wallet and online bank accounts were emptied, and he was forced to sign ten TWD 500,000 promissory notes and take out more than TWD 2 million in loans before being released in early April. On appeal, the charge of aggravated robbery was set aside in favor of unlawful deprivation of liberty: 2 years and 10 months for Huang, and 1 year 6 months with a 5-year suspended sentence for the ex-girlfriend Zhuo.","victims":"\"Yu\" (余), a man described by the press as a member of a fraud network, suspected of having misappropriated \"Xu\"'s (許) USDT","outcome":"Victim tortured for 10 days and stripped of his wallet; sentences reduced on appeal. On appeal (High Court, Taichung branch, 14 April and 5 August 2026), several perpetrators were reconvicted of deprivation of liberty: sentences of 2 to 3 years, Zhuo 1 year 6 months suspended.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"One private individual tortures another to recover USDT he believes was misappropriated from his own wallet, in a private dispute with no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://udn.com/news/story/7321/9565664","source1_name":"United Daily News (UDN)","source2":"https://www.setn.com/news/1887124","source2_name":"SETN (三立新聞網)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L043","date":"2022-03-30","precision":"day","city":"Los Angeles","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","laptop"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices"],"amount":"No amount stolen (failed attempt); the value of the crypto on the targeted laptop is not quantified in the FBI affidavit","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three unidentified armed men attempted to force their way into the home of a victim identified only by the initials E.Z. in Los Angeles to steal a laptop that investigators say contained more than $100 million in cryptocurrency. The victim fired a shot at the attackers, who fled without taking anything. The federal investigation established that the burglary had been ordered by self-proclaimed crypto promoter \"The Godfather,\" Adam Iza, who had obtained the victim's address through a corrupt Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) deputy who had fraudulently obtained a location warrant by claiming to be investigating a firearms case.","victims":"\"E.Z.\" (identity protected by initials), a private individual targeted for a laptop holding substantial cryptocurrency holdings","outcome":"The attackers fled without taking anything after the victim fired a shot. The FBI investigation uncovered a wide-ranging corruption scheme involving Adam Iza and sheriff's deputy Eric Chase Saavedra; Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 and Saavedra in February 2025 (conspiracy against civil rights, wire fraud, tax evasion). Sentences in the Los Angeles case (C.D. Cal.): Eric Chase Saavedra was sentenced on September 28, 2026 to 21 months in federal prison; Adam Iza was sentenced on October 5, 2026 to 78 months, concurrent with his 15-year Connecticut sentence, and ordered to pay USD 23,402,766 in restitution.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The FBI affidavit (para. 18) describes three armed suspects forcing the door of victim E.Z.'s home; Iza's prior messages had demanded that E.Z. \"turn over his laptop with cryptocurrency,\" a laptop held by E.Z. personally. This involved an individual's personal assets, attacked at his home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/crypto-godfather-and-lasd-detective-agree-plead-guilty-violating-civil-rights-business","source1_name":"United States Department of Justice (USAO C.D. Cal.), press release","source2":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69198689/1/united-states-v-iza/","source2_name":"FBI Affidavit, USA v. Iza (CourtListener, criminal complaint dated 23 September 2024)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA102","date":"2022-04","precision":"month","city":"Udomlya urban okrug (unnamed village), Tver Oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"more than RUB 5,700,000 (company funds + mining servers)","amount_usd":70000,"description":"In April 2022, in a village in the Udomlya urban okrug (Tver Oblast), three men committed a violent robbery against employees of a company responsible for guarding and maintaining equipment, in order to steal company funds as well as server hardware used for cryptocurrency mining. The damages exceeded RUB 5.7 million; the attackers fled in vehicles fitted with fake license plates. The Udomlya court sentenced them to terms of 8 years 6 months to 9 years 6 months of imprisonment in strict- and special-regime penal colonies (ruling reported in March 2025).","victims":"Employees of a company providing guarding and maintenance of mining equipment","outcome":"Damages exceeding RUB 5.7 million; three men sentenced to terms ranging from 8 years 6 months to 9 years 6 months","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The robbery targeted the funds of a guarding/maintenance company as well as its mining server hardware, i.e. corporate assets.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://gorod-kimry.ru/news/11556/","source1_name":"Gorod-Kimry (Tver Oblast)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L044","date":"2022-04","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Al Nakhil area)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Other","assets":["cash (AED dirhams)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"AED 4,120,000 (United Arab Emirates dirhams)","amount_usd":1122000,"description":"Nine men knocked on the door of a Bitcoin trading company's headquarters in the Al Nakhil area of Dubai, forced their way in, assaulted the owner while he was at work, and stole AED 4,120,000 in cash from the company's premises.","victims":"Owner of a Bitcoin trading company based in Al Nakhil, Dubai","outcome":"All nine attackers were identified and arrested by Dubai Police, then convicted by the Dubai Criminal Court and sentenced to three years in prison each, to be followed by deportation from the country at the end of their sentence.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Khaleej Times: the nine attackers knocked on the door of the Bitcoin trading company's headquarters (\"his company's headquarters\"), assaulted the owner \"while he was at work,\" and made off with cash present on the business premises — the company's funds, not assets from a private home.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/crime/dubai-dh4-million-stolen-from-bitcoin-trader-9-people-jailed","source1_name":"Khaleej Times","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA103","date":"2022-04-01","precision":"day","city":"Ede (Sekona), Osun State","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 504 in crypto transferred from a Binance account","amount_usd":504,"description":"On Friday, April 1, 2022, officers of the Osun State Police Command stopped the vehicle of Ifeoluwa Lawal, a Nigerian student based in Cyprus who was returning to Abeokuta with his family, near Sekona Grammar School in Ede; one of them took his phone and found a screenshot of his Binance app on it, which led to him being called a \"Yahoo boy\" and threatened with being handed over to the EFCC. The officers successively demanded NGN 50,000, then USD 2,000, then USD 500, moving the family from place to place for hours and striking his brother, injuring his knee with a van door; he eventually scanned a QR code for a wallet address provided by the officers and transferred USD 504 from his Binance account. His brother photographed the police vehicle's license plate, and Osun police spokesperson Yemisi Opalola announced that an investigation had been opened.","victims":"Ifeoluwa Lawal, a Nigerian student based in Cyprus, accompanied by his father and brother","outcome":"USD 504 in crypto extorted; the family photographed the police vehicle's license plate; victim released, no arrests reported at the time of publication (Punch, April 6, 2022).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Police officers extort an individual student via his personal Binance account discovered on his phone.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://punchng.com/osun-policemen-accuse-cyprus-based-student-of-internet-fraud-extort-504-crypto-from-victim/","source1_name":"The Punch (Nigeria)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA104","date":"2022-04-08","precision":"day","city":"Timișoara","country":"Romania","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (RON 236,000)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"RON 286,000 in damages (RON 236,000 in cash + RON 50,000 in equipment)","amount_usd":62800,"description":"On April 8, 2022, at around 9:00 p.m., a 19-year-old man from Arad stole a cryptocurrency ATM from a shopping center in Timișoara, then abandoned the machine in a field near the town of Vinga. The damages amounted to RON 286,000 (RON 236,000 in cash contained in the machine and RON 50,000 for the ATM itself). Arrested the following Saturday in Vinga, he was held in police custody for 24 hours before being brought before magistrates; RON 180,200 was recovered, including RON 8,500 buried in the garden of his home.","victims":"The operator of the cryptocurrency ATM and the Timișoara shopping center","outcome":"RON 180,200 recovered (RON 44,000 from the suspect, RON 8,500 buried in his garden, RON 127,700 left in the machine found in a field); RON 55,800 not recovered; suspect arrested","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The stolen cryptocurrency ATM belongs to an operator/shopping center, i.e. business property.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.gandul.ro/actualitate/un-tanar-de-19-ani-a-furat-un-bancomat-de-criptomonede-din-timisoara-e-incredibil-unde-au-fost-gasiti-banii-19774599","source1_name":"Gândul (Romania)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L045","date":"2022-04-21","precision":"day","city":"Norrköping, Östergötland","country":"Sweden","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (value described as \"considerable\" by Swedish police, not quantified in the source)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A couple was attacked early in the morning at their home, west of Norrköping, by armed assailants who tied them up and beat them before forcing the man to transfer cryptocurrency \"of considerable value.\" Both victims were taken to hospital with injuries deemed non-life-threatening; police opened an investigation for aggravated robbery, with no arrest reported in the article.","victims":"An unidentified couple","outcome":"Cryptocurrency theft confirmed (amount not quantified); victims hospitalized but not in life-threatening condition; police investigation ongoing at the time of the article, no arrest reported.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple held captive, tied up and beaten at their own home to force them to transfer their personal cryptocurrency; no business entity appears in the SVT source.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/ost/par-bands-och-misshandlades-i-hemmet-ranades-pa-kryptovaluta","source1_name":"SVT Nyheter","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA105","date":"2022-04-26","precision":"day","city":"Ningde (Jiaocheng District), Fujian","country":"China","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"20,000,000 USDT targeted (no actual theft occurred)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In debt, Zhou learned that Ruan held large quantities of USDT and recruited Li via a foreign messaging app to attack him: a first expedition in late December 2021 (target 10 million USDT) was abandoned after a dispute over splitting the proceeds, and a second was organized in late April 2022 (target 20 million USDT), with Li and two recruits traveling from Fuzhou to Ningde on April 26 in a vehicle chartered by Zhou. The group prepared cable ties, adhesive tape, gloves, protective suits, masks and a stun baton, scouted Ruan's home, and planned to pose as anti-COVID officials in order to abduct him and extort his USDT. Two recruits, drawn by the reward for reporting, warned the victim and the police on April 27; Li was arrested in Jiaocheng and Zhou in the Dongqiao development zone the same day, each sentenced to 1 year and 10 months for armed robbery at the preparatory stage.","victims":"Mr. Ruan, holder of large amounts of USDT in Ningde","outcome":"Attempt foiled, no property stolen; Zhou and Li each sentenced to 1 year and 10 months in prison for armed robbery (preparatory stage)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The group planned to abduct Mr. Ruan, an individual holding USDT in a personal capacity, to extort his own assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_23018419","source1_name":"澎湃新闻 / 蕉城法院 (Jiaocheng Court) – « 就怕贼惦记！二男子欲抢劫他人虚拟币，在蕉城落网获刑！ »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA106","date":"2022-05","precision":"month","city":"Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"15.08322957 BTC (about BRL 2,500,000)","amount_usd":460000,"description":"In May 2022, a friend of the couple, who regularly visited their home, tipped off a gang about roughly BRL 2.5 million in cryptocurrency held on a Trezor hardware wallet; the wife, a business owner, was abducted and taken to a hideout while other gang members entered the apartment and forced the husband to hand over the private key. 15.08322957 BTC were transferred and then split across about 120 addresses from a base in Imperatriz (Maranhão); the wife was released. Operação Kirvem on November 9, 2022 (Ribeirão Preto civil police and CyberGaeco) executed 5 of 6 arrest warrants and 9 searches across four states (São Paulo, Ceará, Maranhão, Tocantins); 14 of the 15 bitcoins were frozen and returned to the couple.","victims":"A couple of investors from Ribeirão Preto (a businesswoman and her husband), unnamed","outcome":"15 BTC transferred under duress; victims released; blockchain tracing and arrests in 4 states during Operação Kirvem","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The gang targeted cryptocurrency held by the couple on a personal Trezor hardware wallet, despite the wife's status as a business owner.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/ribeirao-preto-franca/noticia/2022/11/09/amiga-informou-quadrilha-sobre-r-25-milhoes-em-criptomoedas-de-vitimas-de-sequestro-e-extorsao-em-ribeirao-preto-diz-delegado.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 Ribeirão Preto e Franca","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/advogado-diz-que-binance-deixou-criptomoedas-de-brasileiro-sequestrado-serem-movimentadas-apos-pericia/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA107","date":"2022-05","precision":"day","city":"Istanbul (Küçükçekmece)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"USD 65,000 in cryptocurrency (cold wallet) + TRY 45,000 in cash","amount_usd":68000,"description":"Five men, including two active-duty police officers from Menteşe (Muğla), Emin Yıldırgan and Beytullah Özgaznep, put on police vests and staged a fake official search at a villa in Küçükçekmece where wealthy Chinese tourists were staying, having been identified by the ringleader Erkan Selimoğlu. They took the cold wallet containing USD 65,000 in cryptocurrency along with its password, as well as TRY 45,000 in cash. Identified via CCTV footage, the five men (including civilians Ali Yılmaz and Oktay Çam) were arrested at their homes in Menteşe and then jailed in Istanbul on May 13, 2022; neither the wallet nor the cash was recovered.","victims":"A group of Chinese nationals staying at a villa in Küçükçekmece (identities not published)","outcome":"USD 65,000 in crypto and TRY 45,000 stolen and not recovered; 5 suspects, including 2 police officers, arrested and jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The fake police squad stole the personal cold wallet of wealthy tourists staying at a villa.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.dha.com.tr/gundem/cinli-turistlerin-kaldigi-villaya-sahte-operasyonda-5-tutuklama-2068751","source1_name":"DHA (Demirören Haber Ajansı)","source2":"https://www.milliyet.com.tr/gundem/istanbulda-akilalmaz-kripto-para-soygunu-cinlilerin-evini-basarak-kisa-zamanda-zengin-olabiliriz-6753963","source2_name":"Milliyet","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA108","date":"2022-05","precision":"month","city":"Zhangzhou, Fujian","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"53,008 units of cryptocurrency, valued at approximately RMB 300,000 at the agreed price of RMB 5.66/unit (of which RMB 259,629.86 in restitution remains unrecovered)","amount_usd":45000,"description":"In May 2022, Zhang agreed with Chen to buy more than 50,000 units of a cryptocurrency from him for a little over RMB 300,000; under the pretext of \"verifying the tokens,\" he lured Chen into a car along with accomplices, and once they reached an isolated mountainous area, the gang overpowered him by force, seized his phone, and forced him to hand over his passwords to transfer 53,008 tokens from his wallet. 45,871 tokens were squandered on online gambling, and 7,148 tokens remaining in the defendant's wallet were returned to the victim by police. The Zhangzhou Intermediate People's Court upheld the conviction for armed robbery on appeal and ordered Zhang to repay Chen RMB 259,629.86 (at the agreed price of RMB 5.66 per unit).","victims":"Chen, holder/seller of cryptocurrency obtained through mining","outcome":"53,008 tokens stolen; conviction for aggravated robbery upheld on appeal by the Zhangzhou Intermediate Court, case included in the \"China — Judicial Cases 2025\" compilation","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A robbery during a peer-to-peer transaction between two private individuals (a seller of mining-derived crypto and a buyer), and therefore personal assets despite the routine nature of this type of exchange.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.sohu.com/a/999059313_100106004","source1_name":"Sohu — analysis of the Zhangzhou Intermediate Court ruling (張某某等搶劫案)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA110","date":"2022-05-05","precision":"day","city":"Mamaia, Constanța","country":"Romania","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"no crypto transfer obtained; alleged debt of EUR 3,000,000, ransom promised of EUR 200,000 to 300,000","amount_usd":null,"description":"On May 5, 2022, at around 10:30 a.m., Costin Miu, a businessman who had grown wealthy in cryptocurrency, was attacked in the parking lot of the Coral residential building in Mamaia as he was getting into his luxury car: Alexandru Ioan Dorobanțu, a drug trafficker from Constanța, struck him in the head with an elbow before three Nigerian nationals sent from London overpowered him, bound his wrists with tape, and put a hood over his head. Held captive for several hours at the former Năvodari camp, bound, hooded and stabbed (with a syringe or knife, according to differing press accounts) in the abdomen, he was ordered to hand over the passwords to his crypto wallets, with the London-based mastermind claiming to be recovering a debt of EUR 3 million arising from computer fraud. Alerted by neighbors via the 112 emergency number, police foiled the operation: Miu, released after promising EUR 200,000 to 300,000, told the Mamaia police station everything; Dorobanțu was arrested on the spot and sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison, while the three Nigerians remain at large.","victims":"Costin Miu, a businessman who had grown wealthy in cryptocurrency (Mamaia/Constanța)","outcome":"Released after negotiation thanks to neighbours raising the alarm; no crypto transfer made. The local coordinator Ioan Alexandru Dorobantu, arrested on 8 May 2022, was sentenced at first instance (Constanta court, 10 April 2023) to 7 years and 4 months in prison; on appeal the Constanta Court of Appeal cut the sentence to 4 years and 11 months on 9 November 2023 (final decision). The three Nigerians remain at large.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The businessman was held captive and ordered to hand over the passwords to his own crypto wallets to repay an alleged personal debt.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/un-milionar-in-criptomonede-din-mamaia-a-fost-rapit-de-trei-nigerieni-din-parcarea-blocului-scenariul-de-film-descris-de-procurori-2352587","source1_name":"Digi24","source2":"https://www.gandul.ro/actualitate/cum-a-fost-rapit-un-milionar-in-criptomonede-din-mamaia-victima-intepata-cu-o-seringa-cu-ac-in-abdomen-19980420","source2_name":"Gandul","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L048","date":"2022-05-20","precision":"day","city":"Klang, Selangor (West Meru industrial area)","country":"Malaysia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware (Bitcoin ASIC machines)"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"Unknown (\"a loss of hundreds of thousands of ringgit\" according to police, exact amount not given in the source)","amount_usd":null,"description":"About a dozen men tied up security guards before breaking into an aluminum factory in Klang to steal bitcoin mining machines, in two separate nighttime raids on April 27 and May 20, 2022, totaling 180 machines stolen. Twelve suspects (aged 20 to 40, including one Indonesian national), most of them already known to police for drug-related cases, were arrested during nine raids conducted on May 26 and 27, 2022, in the Klang area.","victims":"The owner of an aluminum factory in Klang","outcome":"Twelve suspects arrested and remanded in custody for 5 days (investigation opened for robbery, under sections 395/397 of the Malaysian Penal Code); vehicles, computers, phones and mining machines seized; three other suspects actively sought at the time of the article.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The theft involved 180 mining machines belonging to an aluminum factory in West Meru, on business premises and after security guards were neutralized: assets of a business entity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/383948","source1_name":"The Malaysian Insight (Bernama news dispatch)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA471","date":"2022-05-28","precision":"day","city":"Duivendrecht (music studio, Amsterdam area)","country":"Netherlands","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["BTC","Jewellery","Phone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"No crypto obtained; rings, chains and a phone stolen (value not disclosed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 28 May 2022, rapper AnishaGF was lured to a private recording studio in Duivendrecht by rapper Mensa, on the pretext of recording together. Shortly afterwards, Mensa left and opened the door to two men, one of them wearing a balaclava (rapper Saaff according to the court), who took out two objects resembling firearms, forced her to hand over her jewellery and phone and demanded the phone's code; a shot was reportedly fired close to her and she was hit on the head. According to the Amsterdam district court, the aim was to access her Bitcoin account through her phone; Mensa then called her to obtain the codes of her phone and her crypto wallet, threatening to blow up her house.","victims":"AnishaGF, a Dutch rapper","outcome":"Access to the Bitcoin account was not obtained. The three perpetrators, arrested in August 2022, were convicted on 20 April 2023 by the Amsterdam district court: 30 months in prison for Saaff and for the third suspect (acquitted of possessing an automatic weapon), 24 months and a behavioural supervision order (GVM) for Mensa; each must pay EUR 3,229 to the victim.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (an artist) robbed under threat in order to access her own Bitcoin account through her phone.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:2483","source1_name":"Rechtbank Amsterdam (ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2023:2483)","source2":"https://www.puna.nl/news/mensa-en-saaff-veroordeeld-tot-lange-celstraffen-voor-bedreiging-afpersen-en-overvallen-van-collega-artiest","source2_name":"Puna.nl","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA111","date":"2022-05-30","precision":"day","city":"Ciudad del Este, Alto Parana","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"315 mining machines (306 model A1 + 9 model S9), unit value USD 300 to 600","amount_usd":140000,"description":"On May 30, 2022 around 10:45 a.m., three individuals traveling in a Toyota Caldina intercepted a white JMC pickup truck near the former Km 7 marker in Ciudad del Este: two of them, armed with pistols, forced the driver out at gunpoint, took him with them and then released him in the Santa Clara neighborhood, before driving off with the vehicle and its 315 ASIC miners (306 A1 units and 9 S9 units, worth USD 300 to 600 each). The same article reports a second theft of mining machines less than ten hours earlier in Hernandarias (Puerta del Sol neighborhood), which led to a chase and an exchange of gunfire with police, with no arrest.","victims":"Driver of the JMC truck transporting the ASIC miners","outcome":"315 machines stolen; no arrests reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The theft involved 315 ASIC mining machines being transported by truck, equipment belonging to a mining operation rather than an individual targeted for personal cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/este/2022/05/30/nuevo-atraco-a-minas-de-criptomonedas-roban-315-maquinas/","source1_name":"ABC Color (Paraguay)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA113","date":"2022-06-07","precision":"day","city":"Osaka (Nishi-ku, abduction), then Maibara (Shiga prefecture), Kyoto (Minami-ku) and Nara (held captive), Kansai region","country":"Japan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency","luxury car","cash","luxury watches"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables","Cash"],"amount":"JPY 118,830,000 in crypto assets (BTC and others); total loss estimated at approximately JPY 180,000,000 including the luxury vehicle and property stolen from the home","amount_usd":890000,"description":"On June 7, 2022, a 32-year-old man living in Osaka was abducted during a coaching session at a gym in Osaka-Nishi by the gym's manager, Leo Sugiyama (30, son of Takeshi Sugiyama, CEO of Mitsubishi Electric from 2018 to 2021), and his accomplices, who had identified him as holding significant crypto assets. Held captive for 24 days in three successive locations (a guesthouse in Maibara, Shiga prefecture, then Kyoto's Minami-ku and Nara), bound with tape, beaten, struck on the head and subjected to a stun gun under death threats (\"if you don't give the password I'll kill you,\" \"if you lie or try to escape we'll kill your family\"), he gave up his wallet credentials: JPY 118.83 million in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were transferred to the kidnappers' addresses between June 7 and 9, a luxury car was also stolen from him on June 16, and cash and watches were taken from his home. The victim eventually escaped and alerted a passerby.","victims":"A 32-year-old unemployed man living in Osaka, a member of the gym managed by the main suspect (identity not published)","outcome":"More than JPY 118 million in crypto assets stolen and never recovered; seven to eight men arrested by Kyoto prefectural police in January 2023 for kidnapping for profit and unlawful confinement, five of them re-arrested on February 8, 2023 for aggravated robbery with injury involving approximately JPY 180 million, instigators arrested in July 2023; the gym manager, who informed his accomplices of the victim's schedule and booked the confinement locations under a false name, was sentenced to 8 years in prison by the Kyoto court (ruling of July 9, 2024)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, identified as holding significant personal crypto assets, was held captive and tortured to give up the credentials of his own wallets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/articles/-/969803","source1_name":"Kyoto Shimbun — 京都新聞 (police article, precise figures)","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/20240711112545/https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/articles/-/1289788","source2_name":"Kyoto Shimbun — 京都新聞, Kyoto Court ruling of 9 July 2024 (via Internet Archive)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA114","date":"2022-06-11","precision":"year","city":"Surat (Sarthana police station), Gujarat","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (no amount ultimately paid)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On June 11, 2022, in Surat, several men showed up at the office of businessman Dipak Vaghasiya, posing as C.B.I. officers, and abducted him along with one of his friends, threatening him with prosecution over fraudulent 'blockchain' schemes in order to extort money from him in a dispute over a bitcoin business. Vaghasiya promised to pay and was released, then filed a complaint: the crime branch arrested four suspects in Andheri East (Mumbai) and seized a fake CBI card, stamps and a blazer bearing the agency's logo. The investigation established that the instigator was Vijay Ramjibhai Sabhadiya, the victim's brother-in-law and bitcoin business partner; his application for bail was rejected by the Gujarat High Court on 08/08/2025 (FIR C.R. No. 11210008220997/2022, Sarthana police station).","victims":"Dipak Vaghasiya, a businessman from Surat, and one of his friends","outcome":"Three people plus four unknown individuals charged; the main accused's bail application rejected on 08/08/2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The abduction aimed to extort money from the businessman in a personal dispute with his brother-in-law and business partner over a shared bitcoin venture, for his own benefit.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/four-posing-as-cbi-officers-nabbed-for-bizmans-kidnapping/articleshow/92217448.cms","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Vijay Ramjibhai Sabhadiya vs State of Gujarat (Gujarat High Court, 8 August 2025)","source2":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/115089722/","source2_name":"Gujarat High Court, Vijay Ramjibhai Sabhadiya v. State of Gujarat, 08/08/2025","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA115","date":"2022-06-19","precision":"day","city":"El Campello, Alicante","country":"Spain","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"no assets handed over; EUR 2,000,000 claimed by the alleged instigator","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Sunday, June 19, 2022, around 8 p.m., the Russian wife of a Russian crypto-asset manager was abducted and transported, gagged, in the trunk of a car heading toward El Campello, her kidnappers intending to force her husband to hand over access keys to cryptocurrencies he had refused to surrender. Alerted by the couple's lawyer, the El Campello Local Police intercepted the vehicle, freed the victim unharmed and arrested two of the three kidnappers (a Spaniard and a Russian woman acting as interpreter), while the third fled. A subsequent investigation by an Alicante judge linked the abduction to a large crypto scam targeting Russian nationals (around 30 alleged victims), allegedly ordered, according to press reports, by Carlos Garrido, who claimed to have lost 2 million euros.","victims":"A Russian woman, wife of a Russian crypto-asset manager (targeted couple, initials P.S. and A.B. in the Alicante investigation)","outcome":"Victim released safe and unharmed by police; two arrests, one suspect at large; no keys handed over.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The wife was abducted to force her husband, a crypto-asset manager, to hand over the keys to his own personal wallets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.elespanol.com/alicante/20220620/liberan-mujer-campello-secuestrado-sacarle-claves-criptomonedas/681681946_0.html","source1_name":"El Español (Alicante edition) — release of the victim","source2":"https://www.elespanol.com/alicante/20250114/criptomonedas-secuestro-decenas-victimas-gran-estafa-rusa-investiga-juzgado-alicante/916408490_0.html","source2_name":"El Español (Alicante edition) — judicial investigation into the Russian network","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA116","date":"2022-06-29","precision":"day","city":"Nashik (Satpur police station), Maharashtra","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"3.27 units of unspecified cryptocurrency transferred via the Binance app, equivalent to about INR 1 crore (INR 10,000,000); extortion demanded: INR 5 crore (INR 50,000,000)","amount_usd":127000,"description":"On June 29, 2022, in Nashik (Maharashtra), a businessman was pulled from his Audi and forced into a Maruti Ertiga; his two phones were seized at knifepoint and an extortion demand of 5 crore rupees was made. The kidnappers transferred 3.27 units of cryptocurrency (about INR 1 crore) from his accounts via the Binance app to a wallet address, and the funds were never recovered. The case was registered on 30/06/2022 as C.R. No. 163/2022 at Satpur police station (Sections 364-A, 384, 386 and 34 IPC) against eight accused; the alleged mastermind, Deelip Bhalchandra Dongre (accused No. 2), who had identified the victim at his Aurangabad office, was arrested on 14/10/2022 and later released on bail on 27/09/2023 with a ban on entering Nashik district and the city of Aurangabad.","victims":"A businessman residing in Nashik with an office in Aurangabad (\"the informant\", not named in the ruling)","outcome":"About INR 1 crore (~USD 127,000) in cryptocurrency transferred and not recovered; investigation closed and charge sheet filed, eight accused prosecuted, accused No. 2 (alleged mastermind) and accused No. 3 released on bail","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency transferred via Binance came from the personal accounts of the abducted businessman, with no mention of a business structure being targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/5500434/","source1_name":"Bombay High Court — Deelip Bhalchandra Dongre v. State of Maharashtra, Bail Application no. 1530/2023, 27 September 2023 (2023:BHC-AS:28482), via Indian Kanoon","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L049","date":"2022-07","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Mankhool district)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash (AED)","bank checks","mobile phones"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Other","Devices"],"amount":"AED 183,000 in cash (+ three phones, documents and bank checks)","amount_usd":49830,"description":"An Asian investor, put in contact by a friend to invest in bitcoin, was visited by a \"broker\" who came to inspect his cash holdings; shortly after he left, two accomplices broke into his home, restrained him and threatened him with death, stealing AED 183,000 in cash, three phones, documents and bank checks. The two perpetrators were arrested, tried and sentenced by the Dubai Criminal Court to three years in prison, repayment of the stolen sum, and deportation upon completion of their sentence.","victims":"An Asian investor (name not disclosed)","outcome":"Loot (cash and documents) taken; death threats made but no serious injury reported; two perpetrators arrested, tried and sentenced to 3 years in prison, repayment of the sum, and deportation after their sentence.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual robbed at his home in Mankhool during an over-the-counter bitcoin transaction; it was his own cash holdings (AED 183,000) and personal belongings that were taken.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-man-robbed-of-dh183000-lured-after-being-lured-by-fake-bitcoin-deal","source1_name":"Khaleej Times","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L050","date":"2022-07","precision":"day","city":"Kutchino, near Domodedovo, Moscow region","country":"Russia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware (100 graphics cards/GPUs)"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"damage that could \"clearly exceed\" RUB 1,000,000 (estimate, given the processors and servers stolen)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Four masked, armed individuals threatened the guards of a commercial warehouse belonging to the VkusVill food chain in Kutchino, near Domodedovo, tied them up and made off with about a hundred graphics cards distributed across four containers, also stealing the video surveillance hard drives to erase their tracks. The damage was estimated at more than one million rubles; no arrest had been reported at the time of the article, with the perpetrators facing up to twelve years in prison.","victims":"Guards of a logistics warehouse housing a mining farm","outcome":"100 graphics cards stolen, damage exceeding RUB 1 million; no arrest reported as of the article's date, investigation ongoing.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The loot is the equipment of a mining farm operated at the VkusVill chain's logistics site: four containers and about a hundred graphics cards belonging to an economic entity, with the guards being merely employees who were neutralized.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://bits.media/neizvestnye-razgrabili-krupnuyu-mayning-fermu-na-skladakh-pod-moskvoy/","source1_name":"Bits.media","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA117","date":"2022-07-05","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (Xitun district)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 861,000 (agreed price for 30,000 USDT at 28.7 TWD) — attempt, nothing taken","amount_usd":28700,"description":"On July 5, 2022, an accomplice nicknamed \"Xiao Dingdang\" offered to buy 30,000 USDT from trader 丁○○ at 28.7 TWD per unit (TWD 861,000) and arranged to meet him at 5:17 p.m. in front of the Cathay United Bank in Taichung's Xitun district. After counting the cash the victim had brought in the back of a rental car, one of the two attackers sprayed him with tear gas bought the day before at a military surplus store while the driver accelerated; the victim grabbed his bag back and jumped from the moving vehicle, fracturing his left kneecap and right heel bone. The two men were convicted of attempted aggravated robbery with a weapon, as the money was not taken.","victims":"丁○○ (anonymized), USDT trader","outcome":"Nothing stolen; victim seriously injured; two convictions for attempted aggravated robbery with a weapon","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attack on an individual trader during an in-person over-the-counter transaction to steal the cash intended for the USDT purchase, a typical case of P2P sale between private individuals.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C112%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C873%2C20240124%2C1","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, case 112年度訴字第873號 (24 January 2024)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA496","date":"2022-07-13","precision":"day","city":"Xinzhuang, New Taipei (car park off Xinzhi 5th Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 2,400,000 in cash","amount_usd":80000,"description":"At around 6 p.m. on 13 July 2022, Chen Chih-shan (陳志善), 21, sent by his employer, a crypto dealer nicknamed \"A-Tsun\", to collect TWD 2.4 million from a crypto buyer, followed the buyer's car to a car park in Xinzhuang. He received the money inside the car of Tsai Chun-chieh (38) and Chao Wei-yang (26), who had planned to have it taken back: as he got out, two accomplices hiding behind his vehicle rushed him, one pepper-sprayed him, and they picked up the bag of cash he dropped as he ran. Questioned, the suspects said they had split the money and spent all of it repaying debts.","victims":"Chen Chih-shan (陳志善), 21, employee of a crypto dealer","outcome":"The four men were arrested on 15 July 2022 in Kaohsiung and at Taoyuan airport, Tsai already on board a flight to Cambodia. The New Taipei District Court (112年度訴字第25號, 21 March 2024) sentenced Tsai to 1 year 6 months and Chao to 1 year 4 months for armed snatch theft by a group; the two men who used the pepper spray were tried separately.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"An employee of a crypto dealer attacked in that capacity while collecting the proceeds of a sale for his employer.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/3996900","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c112%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c25%2c20240321%2c5","source2_name":"Tribunal de district de Nouveau Taipei, 112年度訴字第25號 (21.03.2024)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA466","date":"2022-07-25","precision":"day","city":"Horst (Molengatweg), Limburg; held in a hut in a forest","country":"Netherlands","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Drugs","Cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other","Cash"],"amount":"Unknown (failed attempt to extort cryptocurrency; drugs stolen and loot shared by three of the attackers, confiscated at EUR 2,300 each)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the evening of 25 July 2022, a 26-year-old man from Venray was lured to Molengatweg in Horst by an arranged drug sale; when he arrived his car was blocked and his windscreen smashed, then several men in balaclavas pulled him out at gunpoint, hit him on the head and locked him in a car boot. Taken blindfolded to a hut in a forest, he was forced to reveal his drug stash, and the kidnappers tried to extort money from him and make him unlock his cryptocurrency wallet, threatening him with guns and with pruning shears held against his toes.","victims":"A 26-year-old man from Venray (not named)","outcome":"Cryptocurrency extortion failed; the victim, injured to the head, was released on condition that he bring money the next day. The public prosecutor's office (OM Limburg) sought up to six years in prison against seven suspects (two of them arrested abroad on European arrest warrants); judgment of the Limburg District Court (Roermond) on 21 December 2023: convictions for kidnapping, (attempted) extortion and theft, confiscation of EUR 2,300 each from three of them and damages for the victim.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual kidnapped and threatened to unlock his own cryptocurrency wallet (as well as to give up his drugs and money).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.rechtspraak.nl/organisatie-en-contact/organisatie/rechtbanken/rechtbank-limburg/nieuws/veroordelingen-wegens-ontvoering-en-afpersing","source1_name":"Rechtbank Limburg (rechtspraak.nl)","source2":"https://www.om.nl/actueel/nieuws/2023/12/05/tot-zes-jaar-cel-geeist-wegens-ontvoering-en-afpersing-met-geweld-horst","source2_name":"Openbaar Ministerie","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA489","date":"2022-07-28","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (\"Taichung Star\" motel; the attackers met in Taiping district)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"Crypto and bank accounts targeted, nothing obtained; TWD 900 taken from his pockets and TWD 4,620 room charge extorted","amount_usd":180,"description":"Hung Fu-sheng, who had heard that an acquaintance, Hung Ping-lien, was making a lot of money trading cryptocurrency, asked to meet him so that he could explain trading, intending to rob him. In the night of 28 July 2022, while the victim and a female friend were staying at the \"台中之星\" motel in Taichung, Hung Fu-sheng and three accomplices (Chu Ching-kai, Chang Hung-hua, Tsai Wei-yen), carrying two guns that looked like real pistols, booked another room; at around 3:35 a.m. Hung lured the victim into it and shut the door. At gunpoint, with the attackers loading and unloading magazines in front of him, the victim was ordered to hand over his belongings, his cryptocurrency and his online banking passwords, threatened with being \"sold for organs\", and beaten when he gave a wrong password that locked his account; he gave up nothing but the TWD 900 in his pocket and was made to pay for the room (TWD 4,620). Meanwhile Chu held his friend at gunpoint in the other room, then at her home until the morning.","victims":"Hung Ping-lien (洪秉濂), a private crypto investor, and his friend Lin Yu-tung (林羽彤), who was held captive","outcome":"Failed attempt on the crypto; the victim suffered a chest bruise. The Taichung District Court sentenced Hung Fu-sheng to 7 years 4 months (7 years 6 months in total with the extortion) and Chang Hung-hua to 7 years 1 month (112年度訴字第383號, 9 April 2024), then Chu Ching-kai to 7 years 3 months and Tsai Wei-yen to 5 years (same case number, 24 September 2024), for aggravated robbery by a group carrying weapons; the Taichung branch of the High Court dismissed the appeals on 7 January 2025 (113年度上訴字第756號).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual targeted because he was known to make money trading cryptocurrency; the attackers demanded his own crypto and banking passwords.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2c112%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c383%2c20240924%2c9","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Taichung, 112年度訴字第383號 (24.09.2024)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCHM%2c113%2c%e4%b8%8a%e8%a8%b4%2c756%2c20250107%2c1","source2_name":"Haute Cour, branche de Taichung, 113年度上訴字第756號 (07.01.2025)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA118","date":"2022-08","precision":"day","city":"São Paulo (East Zone, abandoned in Guaianases)","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approx. BRL 59,000 (BRL 58,000 in cryptocurrency + BRL 1,000 via PIX), plus personal belongings","amount_usd":11500,"description":"Around August 24-25, 2022, a 19-year-old from Brasília who promoted cryptocurrencies on his social media accounts met up in São Paulo with an acquaintance he had met online and went with her to a nightclub in the East Zone. On leaving, five individuals in a car approached and separated them; the young man was held for about twelve hours, beaten several times and stripped of BRL 1,000 via PIX, BRL 58,000 in cryptocurrency, then his phone, wallet, clothes and shoes, before being abandoned in Guaianases, where a metropolitan civil guard inspector rescued him. His friend remained unaccounted for and two suspects were questioned at the police station.","victims":"A 19-year-old young man from Brasília, a cryptocurrency promoter on social media (not named); a second young man reported missing","outcome":"About BRL 59,000 stolen, victim beaten and abandoned after 12 hours; friend missing; two suspects questioned","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The young man, a cryptocurrency promoter on social media, was stripped of his own crypto assets and personal cash after being separated from his friend.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/jovem-de-19-anos-que-trabalhava-com-criptomoedas-e-sequestrado-em-sao-paulo-amigo-desaparecido/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"https://record.r7.com/balanco-geral-manha/videos/jovem-e-sequestrado-agredido-e-roubado-a-caminho-de-festa-na-zona-leste-de-sp-25082022/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA119","date":"2022-08","precision":"month","city":"Rodovia Ayrton Senna, São Paulo State","country":"Brazil","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately BRL 100,000 paid in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":19200,"description":"In August 2022, an elderly couple was the victim of a 'sequestro relâmpago' (aggravated extortion with restriction of liberty) on the Rodovia Ayrton Senna, in the State of São Paulo: about 100,000 reais were paid to the kidnappers in cryptocurrency. On March 14, 2023, the Goiás Civil Police, at the request of the São Paulo police, arrested a suspect who had received the cryptocurrency in Cidade de Goiás; he tried to destroy his phone and flush 256 g of skunk cannabis down the toilet, and was additionally charged with drug trafficking and money laundering.","victims":"An elderly couple (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"approx. BRL 100,000 paid in cryptocurrency; one suspect arrested in March 2023 (also prosecuted for drug trafficking and money laundering)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An elderly private couple was forced to hand over personal cryptocurrency during a roadside express kidnapping.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/pcgo-prende-suspeito-de-sequestro-relampago-que-recebeu-r-100-mil-em-criptomoedas/","source1_name":"Livecoins (PCGO statement)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA120","date":"2022-08-06","precision":"day","city":"Manerba del Garda, Brescia","country":"Italy","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A broker in his thirties was followed to his villa in Manerba del Garda by three men who attacked, beat and tortured him with a taser (electric shocks) after tying him to a chair, in order to make him hand over his bitcoins. One of the attackers was sentenced to 3 years and 8 months in December 2022; four convictions in total in December 2024, including former model Alioune Sylla.","victims":"A broker in his thirties","outcome":"Victim tortured with a taser; several convictions (3 years 8 months in 2022, four convicted in December 2024)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The broker was followed to his villa and tortured with a taser to hand over his own bitcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.ilgiorno.it/brescia/cronaca/manerba-rapina-taser-bitcoin-718583ba","source1_name":"Il Giorno (Brescia)","source2":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2025/03/17/dalle-passerelle-al-carcere-altri-7-anni-al-modello-rapinatore_62c4af07-9f3b-4437-bdd9-672d2dfc93d2.html","source2_name":"ANSA – legal proceedings (robber-model Alioune Sylla)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA121","date":"2022-08-07","precision":"day","city":"Lucknow / Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh","country":"India","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately 1.03 crore INR (8 BTC according to press reports)","amount_usd":130000,"description":"Arjun Bhargav was lured to Barabanki under the pretext of viewing land plots, then tied up and taken to an unknown house where he was beaten for three hours; the attackers emptied his entire crypto account into their own wallets and shot at him when he resisted, before abandoning him blindfolded at dawn. Three defendants (Sandeep Pratap Singh, Rajveer Singh, Vijay Pratap Singh) were arrested on 15/08/2022, and most of the cryptocurrency was recovered.","victims":"Arjun Bhargav, a real estate developer","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transferred then largely recovered; several arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A real estate developer was held captive and beaten to empty the entirety of his own personal crypto account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/78470789/","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Rajveer Singh vs State of U.P. (Allahabad High Court, Lucknow, 21 November 2023)","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/uttar-pradesh-three-take-rs-1-3-crore-ransom-in-bitcoins-from-realtor-held/articleshow/93603640.cms","source2_name":"Times of India (via Lopp list)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA122","date":"2022-08-12","precision":"day","city":"Pilar / Jose C. Paz, Greater Buenos Aires","country":"Argentina","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Ransom demanded: USD 10,000,000; loot actually taken: USD 20,000 in cash, notebooks with digital wallet passwords, two computers, two phones, a Rolex, and two white gold chains with diamonds","amount_usd":20000,"description":"After a first failed attempt on 30 July 2022 around 6:30 p.m. in a Pilar parking lot, a commando of Colombians posing as victims of the Daily crypto pyramid scheme abducted, on 12 August 2022, the ex-partner of Juan Jose Benavides Velasquez, the alleged founder of that cryptocurrency which collapsed in February 2022, then held the couple, their baby, and the ex-mother-in-law captive for more than a week across private residences in Pilar and Jose C. Paz, the Golf Club Argentino country estate, and the Pulitzer and Lumiere hotels in Buenos Aires, handcuffed and blindfolded, under physical and psychological torture, while demanding a ransom of 10 million dollars. On 13 August, two kidnappers broke into Benavides's home and took 20,000 dollars in cash, two computers, two phones, a Rolex, gold chains, and above all the notebooks containing the passwords to his digital wallets; the victims were taken to Ezeiza airport on 19 August. In 2025, eight Colombians were sentenced to 11 years in prison, the Argentine driver Fernando Magallanes to 5 years, and the former police officer Fernando Daniel Canda to 3 years.","victims":"Juan Jose Benavides Velasquez (alleged founder of the Daily cryptocurrency), his ex-partner, their baby, and his ex-mother-in-law","outcome":"Victims released; 2025 sentences: 11 years for the Colombian co-perpetrators, 5 years for the Argentine driver","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The family of the alleged founder of a cryptocurrency was abducted to extort a ransom and steal the notebooks containing the passwords to his personal digital wallets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/judiciales/2025/04/26/criptomoneda-estafa-y-secuestro-extorsivo-la-historia-de-los-colombianos-que-fueron-condenados-en-argentina/","source1_name":"Infobae (Judiciales)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA123","date":"2022-09-02","precision":"day","city":"Digbeth (Birmingham), then Oldbury, West Midlands","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"over GBP 800 in cryptocurrency plus GBP 377 in cash (up to GBP 30,000 expected by the attackers)","amount_usd":1400,"description":"On 2 September 2022 at around 7 p.m., a teenager who had come to buy nitrous oxide outside the SnowHill Snooker Centre in Digbeth was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head and then dragged into a Volkswagen by four young men. Taken to Oldbury, he was subjected to about two hours of abuse — a fake sawn-off shotgun, a machete, punches and blows with a metal can, repeated death threats — while his attackers posted videos on his Snapchat demanding a ransom of up to GBP 30,000 from his friends. Finding no funds, they took GBP 377, his phone, and his trainers, and forced him to convert over GBP 800 in cryptocurrency before abandoning him at a train station; Nyckyle Harris, Panashe Mahachi, Daejon Byfield, and Danreiko Henry were sentenced on 18 August 2023 by Birmingham Crown Court to nearly 40 years in prison combined.","victims":"A teenager (name not published)","outcome":"approx. GBP 800 in crypto and GBP 377 stolen; Nyckyle Harris, Panashe Mahachi, Danreiko Henry, and Daejon Byfield sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison combined (Birmingham Crown Court, 18 August 2023)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A teenager was abducted and forced to convert his own personal cryptocurrency to pay a ransom.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/gang-kidnapped-teen-held-him-27547912","source1_name":"Birmingham Live","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L053","date":"2022-09-06","precision":"day","city":"Spalding, Lincolnshire","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three Londoners aged 23-24 (Thomas Green, Rayhan Miah, Leonardo Sapiano) attempted a nighttime home invasion against a 19-year-old hacker (aliases \"Discoli\", \"Disco Dog\", \"Chinese\") in Spalding, one of them wearing a counterfeit police uniform, equipped with a fake shotgun, a taser and a baseball bat found in their Volkswagen Golf. A neighbor, alerted by the uniform, called the police, who intercepted the trio fleeing by car before they actually reached the victim.","victims":"A 19-year-old hacker (aliases \"Discoli\", \"Disco Dog\", \"Chinese\")","outcome":"The home invasion attempt was foiled before any contact with the victim; the three men were arrested that same evening and tried at Lincoln Crown Court for conspiracy to blackmail (the first case of its kind in the UK involving impersonation of police officers): Green and Sapiano were sentenced to 4 years and 9 months, Miah to 3 years and 2 months.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The three men were targeting the personal cryptocurrency of a 19-year-old individual (hacker \"Discoli\") at his home; Krebs cites the charge of \"unwanted demand of Crypto Currency from a person.\" No economic entity was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://krebsonsecurity.com/2022/09/botched-crypto-mugging-lands-three-u-k-men-in-jail/","source1_name":"KrebsOnSecurity","source2":"https://uknip.co.uk/news/uk/court-news/three-men-impersonating-police-officers-receive-jail-sentences-in-landmark-cryptocurrency-blackmail-case/","source2_name":"UK News In Pictures (uknip.co.uk)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA124","date":"2022-09-12","precision":"day","city":"Delray Beach, Florida","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"First home invasion by the Seemungal/St Felix network: members of the Florida-based crew broke into a couple's home, held them at gunpoint, and took jewelry, electronic devices, and cash, but failed to empty the victim's Gemini account (\"Victim-1\" in the federal case file).","victims":"An unidentified couple (\"Victim-1\")","outcome":"Property stolen; failed to obtain the cryptocurrency. 12 convictions in September 2024.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple was held captive at home in order to empty the victim's personal Gemini account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/twelve-defendants-sentenced-violent-home-invasion-robberies-steal-cryptocurrency","source1_name":"Department of Justice — Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies","source2":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.89.0.pdf","source2_name":"United States Trial Brief, US v. Seemungal, DE 89","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L054","date":"2022-09-12","precision":"day","city":"Winnipeg, Manitoba","country":"Canada","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A 19-year-old man, having arranged a bitcoin exchange via social media, was lured to the parking lot of a Winnipeg secondary school where he was robbed at gunpoint, assaulted, tied up and then driven around by the attacker, who demanded money. The victim managed to escape when the vehicle stopped and received hospital treatment for his injuries.","victims":"A 19-year-old man (identity undisclosed)","outcome":"The victim escaped and was hospitalized for his injuries; a 22-year-old Winnipeg suspect was arrested that same evening, charged with robbery, armed assault, unlawful confinement, uttering threats to kill and breach of undertaking.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, a 19-year-old individual, had arranged via social media an in-person exchange of his own money for bitcoin (\"exchanging his money for Bitcoin\"): a P2P transaction on his own behalf.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bitcoin-robbery-winnipeg-1.6582916","source1_name":"CBC News","source2":"https://globalnews.ca/news/9129197/bitcoin-transaction-gone-wrong-leads-to-armed-robbery-winnipeg-cops-say/","source2_name":"Global News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L052","date":"2022-09-13","precision":"day","city":"Richmond, north Richmond, British Columbia","country":"Canada","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","luxury goods"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"approximately $10 million (currency not specified by the source, likely CAD) in cryptocurrency, plus luxury goods","amount_usd":null,"description":"On September 13, 2022, several armed suspects, some posing as police officers, broke into the home of a middle-aged couple in north Richmond, British Columbia, assaulted them, tied them up and held them captive for several hours before leaving with approximately $10 million in cryptocurrency along with various luxury items. After an investigation lasting more than a year, conducted by the Richmond RCMP (Serious Crime and Economic Crime units, with support from the National Cryptocurrency Support Team), a large portion of the funds was recovered and one suspect, Jin Da Xing (34), was charged with 11 counts, including breaking and entering, robbery with a weapon, unlawful confinement, use of an imitation firearm, assault, extortion, possession of stolen property, and personation of a police officer.","victims":"A middle-aged couple (unnamed)","outcome":"A large portion of the cryptocurrency was recovered by police after an investigation lasting more than a year; the victims were injured, not life-threateningly, but severely shaken; one suspect, Jin Da Xing (34), charged with 11 counts, in custody awaiting trial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private couple held captive for several hours at their home in north Richmond for their own cryptocurrency and luxury items; no business entity targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/richmond-man-arrested-for-home-invasion-10m-crypto-theft-7873869","source1_name":"Richmond News (via web.archive.org)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA125","date":"2022-09-15","precision":"day","city":"Homestead, Florida","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"The St Felix crew invaded the home of a man and his family, holding them at gunpoint. Finding that the crypto accounts did not contain the sums they expected, the assailants abducted the man with his hands bound, put him in a vehicle, and beat him severely; they filmed at least five videos in which, with one or two guns pressed against his neck and his face bloodied, he begged others to send cryptocurrency for his release. He was found by law enforcement about 190 km from his home.","victims":"A man (\"Victim-3\") and his family","outcome":"Victim found alive; failed to obtain the cryptocurrency; 12 convictions in September 2024","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A man and his family were targeted at home in order to empty their personal crypto accounts.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/twelve-defendants-sentenced-violent-home-invasion-robberies-steal-cryptocurrency","source1_name":"Department of Justice — Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies","source2":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.89.0.pdf","source2_name":"United States Trial Brief, US v. Seemungal, DE 89 (section on the extortion videos)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L086","date":"2022-09-15","precision":"day","city":"Koh Samui, Surat Thani","country":"Thailand","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (transferred via the Bybit app)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"US$50,000 (1.8 million baht) transferred","amount_usd":50000,"description":"On September 15, 2022, Russian real estate agent Evgeny Abdullin, 31, and his wife Ekaterina were approached at the Boy's Organic Coffee Shop (Koh Samui) by a group of six men (Kazakhs, a German, and Russians), four arriving in a black pickup truck and two on motorcycles. Under threat, the group first demanded $3 million in cryptocurrency, then forced Evgeny to transfer US$50,000 (1.8 million baht) via the Bybit app, before following up via Telegram a few days later to demand more. Note: Lopp dates the case to March 2024, but that date actually corresponds to the arrest of the last of the six suspects (in Kazakhstan), not to the incident itself, which occurred in September 2022.","victims":"Evgeny Abdullin and his wife Ekaterina Abdullin, 31-year-old Russian real estate agents based in Koh Samui","outcome":"All six suspects were eventually arrested between September 2022 and March 2024 (the last, a 43-year-old Russian, intercepted in Kazakhstan); prosecuted for conspiracy to commit theft, coercion by implicit threats, and assault without bodily injury.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers forced Evgeny Abdullin to transfer his own crypto assets from his personal account (Bybit); the victims are private individuals (real estate agents) and no corporate treasury was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2401755/russian-realtors-lose-b1-8m-in-extortion","source1_name":"Bangkok Post","source2":"https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/1-of-6-suspects-arrested-in-koh-samui-russian-cryptocurrency-extortion-case","source2_name":"The Thaiger","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA126","date":"2022-10","precision":"year","city":"Nicosia (buffer zone / Nicosia district)","country":"Cyprus","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 150,000 targeted, to be drawn from cryptocurrency held by the victim (transaction cancelled; EUR 1,000 taken from his mother)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In October 2022, a 24-year-old man residing in Limassol, known to the Cypriot authorities and the FBI for his hacking abilities, reported to the TAE in Nicosia three men aged 42, 50, and 35: they allegedly took him into the buffer zone under the pretext of a hunting trip and staged his 'capture' by fake police officers of the pseudo-state, who demanded 150,000 euros that he was to draw from cryptocurrency in his possession. He states that he was then held by the 35-year-old suspect in a house in the Nicosia district until the transfer was carried out, that he cancelled the electronic transaction and fled; one of the suspects allegedly later found him with his mother in Nicosia and took 1,000 euros from him. The three men, arrested on warrants and placed in detention, were referred on 10 November 2022 to the Permanent Assize Court of Nicosia on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, attempted extortion, threats, theft, and carrying a bladed weapon; two other people were still wanted.","victims":"A 24-year-old man, resident of Limassol, a hacker known to the authorities","outcome":"Three men (aged 42, 50, and 35) arrested and referred to the Nicosia Assize Court","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was targeted for cryptocurrency he held personally, extorted through a staged fake arrest.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.philenews.com/kipros/koinonia/article/1167061/apagogi-me-fonto-kriptonomismata-150-000-evro/","source1_name":"Philenews (Cyprus)","source2":"https://www.philenews.com/kipros/koinonia/article/1165062/se-diki-gia-ta-kriptonomismata-ke-tin-apagogi-24chronou-chaker/","source2_name":"Philenews – first investigative article","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA127","date":"2022-10-03","precision":"day","city":"Florianopolis (Jurere Internacional, Santa Catarina)","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of 3 October 2022 in Florianopolis, a man from Canoas (RS) was abducted on Rua dos Arenques, in Jurere Internacional, as he arrived at a rented residence, by four heavily armed men driving a red Voyage who were looking for him after losing cryptocurrency because of him. The escape on the SC-401 highway turned into a shootout with the Highway Military Police: a police officer was hit in the leg and operated on, and the victim used the moment to jump out of the vehicle and free himself. Three suspects fled on foot toward the Itacorubi mangrove, while the driver was captured by BOPE in possession of a grenade launcher.","victims":"A man from Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, identity not disclosed","outcome":"Victim freed by jumping from the vehicle; a police officer shot and wounded; one kidnapper arrested with a grenade launcher, three at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was hunted down by attackers seeking to recover cryptocurrency they had personally lost because of him.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/criptomoedas-sequestrado-policial-baleada/","source1_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA128","date":"2022-10-08","precision":"day","city":"Necochea, Buenos Aires province","country":"Argentina","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USD","EUR"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"135,000 in cryptocurrency (valued at USD 125,000-145,000) plus USD 10,000, EUR 800, and ~ARS 10,000 in cash, 5 encrypted USB drives, a laptop, and phones; total loot estimated at ~ARS 70,000,000","amount_usd":146000,"description":"During the night of 7 to 8 October 2022, two men, one of them armed with a knife, broke into the 17th-floor penthouse of the Miralejos building (corner of Avenidas 2 and 75) in Necochea, occupied by a 21-year-old trader and his partner. They held them hostage for about four hours, beating them and forcing them to carry out cryptocurrency transfers, before taking cash in dollars, euros, and pesos, encrypted USB drives, a computer, and phones. Three suspects (Matias Goni, a neighbor who provided information, Neri Panessi, and Marcos Ane from Mar del Plata, recipients of the Binance transfers) were arrested in July 2023, and the case was referred to trial court in 2024 for doubly aggravated robbery.","victims":"A 21-year-old cryptocurrency trader and his partner","outcome":"Loot of about 70 million pesos; three men arrested in July 2023 (Matías Goñi, neighbor-informant, Neri Panessi, and Marcos Ané from Mar del Plata, recipients of the Binance transfers); case referred to trial in August 2024","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A 21-year-old independent trader and his partner were held hostage at home for their own personal cryptocurrency and cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://diarionecochea.com/2023/07/05/asi-fue-el-asalto-y-millonario-robo-de-criptomonedas-en-el-edificio-miralejos/","source1_name":"Diario Necochea","source2":"https://diarionecochea.com/2024/03/21/elevan-a-juicio-oral-el-caso-del-robo-millonario-de-criptomonedas-con-arma-blanca-en-el-miralejos/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA129","date":"2022-10-09","precision":"day","city":"Aurora, Colorado","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["equipment: bitcoin ATM (BTM)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"Unknown (ATM cash plus a bitcoin ATM taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of Saturday to Sunday, 9 October 2022, at around 2 a.m., perpetrators used a Hummer as a battering ram to smash through the storefront of the G&E Wine and Spirits store (18680 E. Iliff Avenue) in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. They left with the cash from the ATM, a bitcoin ATM, and a cash register containing a handgun; about three hours later, a second group attempted to burgle the same store while the owner and his wife were still on the premises.","victims":"Girum Alemayehu, owner of the G&E Wine and Spirits store (no one injured)","outcome":"Bitcoin ATM and ATM cash taken; investigation by Aurora police, no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The robbery targeted the store's cash register as well as the bitcoin ATM (BTM) installed there, both business assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.denver7.com/news/contact-denver7/public-outrage-after-thieves-target-an-aurora-liquor-store-twice-in-one-night","source1_name":"Denver7 (KMGH)","source2":"https://www.insideedition.com/media/videos/suspects-slam-hummer-into-liquor-store-to-steal-atm-and-crypto-machines-owner-77361","source2_name":"Inside Edition","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA130","date":"2022-10-12","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (HSR station / Taichung HSR)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 1,912,800 (agreed price for 60,000 USDT)","amount_usd":59800,"description":"Remotely directed via Telegram by a ringleader nicknamed 'Huoshan Baofa,' a team of five people set up a fake sale of 60,000 USDT for TWD 1,912,800, with a meeting arranged for 12 October 2022 at 6:45 p.m. in the Mister Donut area of the Taichung HSR station. After counting the cash brought by the buyer and showing him a fake transfer screenshot, one of the men snatched the bag of bills placed between the victim's legs and fled; an accomplice stationed at the exit violently shoved the victim as he gave chase. The buyer nevertheless overpowered this accomplice and handed her over to the police; several convictions for group snatch-theft by three or more people were handed down on appeal.","victims":"戊○○ (anonymized), a USDT buyer","outcome":"TWD 1,912,800 stolen; one participant arrested on the spot, several convictions for violent group robbery","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of a private individual during an in-person over-the-counter transaction to buy USDT for cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCHM%2C112%2C%E5%8E%9F%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C47%2C20231121%2C1","source1_name":"Taiwan High Court, Taichung Branch, case 112年度原上訴字第47號 (21 November 2023)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA131","date":"2022-10-17","precision":"day","city":"Valencia","country":"Spain","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 25,000 demanded, EUR 1,000 obtained (EUR 500 per brother)","amount_usd":1000,"description":"On October 17, 2022, around 8 p.m., a young man was lured to a fake meeting on Periodista Gil Sumbiela street in Valencia, taken to a vacant lot and then to a park, where his attackers held him at gunpoint with a pistol and forced him to call his brother 'or else he'll be shot'; the two brothers were then held in an apartment on Burjassot avenue, seated on a sofa with the gun pointed at their knees, over a debt of EUR 25,000 that a 'mule' from a cryptocurrency fraud network allegedly kept. The kidnappers lowered their demand to EUR 500 per brother: one had his girlfriend pay via Bizum and then bank transfer, the other was escorted by motorcycle to his home to bring back the cash; they were released at 1:30 a.m. On October 7, 2025, Section 2 of the Provincial Court (Audiencia Provincial) of Valencia sentenced three of the four defendants, who had admitted to the facts, to suspended prison terms of two and a half to four years and a fine of EUR 2,400, the fourth having not been located.","victims":"Two brothers, one of whom was linked as a 'mule' to a cryptocurrency fraud network","outcome":"EUR 1,000 extorted at gunpoint; 3 convictions (suspended sentences), 1 at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two brothers were held captive at a residence over a personal debt linked to cryptocurrencies, with the ransom paid via personal bank transfers and Bizum.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.lasprovincias.es/sucesos/secuestro-hermanos-valencia-criptomonedas-20251007131354-nt.html","source1_name":"Las Provincias","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L056","date":"2022-11-01","precision":"day","city":"Thornhill (abduction) / Barrie (held captive), Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"No amount extorted (the victim escaped before any payment)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A woman identified under a publication ban by the initials \"A.T.\" was abducted at gunpoint near a shopping mall in Thornhill, then held captive for several hours in a garage in Barrie, where she was undressed, struck with a hammer on the legs, burned, and threatened with a syringe presented as containing heroin (actually fentanyl), her kidnappers demanding the equivalent of one million dollars in bitcoin and cash. She managed to escape.","victims":"A woman referred to as \"A.T.\" (identity protected by publication ban)","outcome":"The victim escaped and her attackers were arrested. Keyron Moore, 39, was sentenced in August 2025 to 13 years in prison (3 years already credited for pretrial detention) for kidnapping, unlawful confinement, torture and sexual assault with a weapon, with a lifetime firearms ban and registration as a sex offender for 20 years; a minor accomplice (S.M.) is awaiting sentencing, and a third suspect nicknamed \"Orange Hoodie Guy\" remains unidentified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers demanded from a private individual (A.T.) the equivalent of one million dollars in bitcoin and cash belonging to her (\"kept saying that they wanted money as well as cryptocurrency and Bitcoin\"); no link to a company in the sources.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.yorkregion.com/news/crime/stripped-naked-kidnapper-sentenced-after-woman-tortured-in-search-of-1m-in-bitcoin/article_31b62635-2f9d-508e-8c97-04a1c2aa5b7a.html","source1_name":"York Region (yorkregion.com)","source2":"https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2025/09/23/ontario-13-years-for-kidnapping-with-bitcoin-ransom-and-torture/","source2_name":"Cryptonomist","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA133","date":"2022-11-07","precision":"day","city":"Buenos Aires (Puerto Madero, Olga Cossettini street 152)","country":"Argentina","type":"Other","assets":["hardware wallet","Ledger Nano X","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (Ledger Nano X + ARS 80,000 in cash + laptop + high-end phone)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of November 7, 2022, Shawn E., a 52-year-old American tourist, welcomed into the apartment he was renting in Puerto Madero (Olga Cossettini street 152) a young woman nicknamed 'Liz' whom he had met on a dating app; she drugged him (the modus operandi known as 'viuda negra', or 'black widow') and robbed him while he slept. Upon waking, in pain, he found that his Ledger Nano X hardware wallet, his high-end phone, his laptop, his American driver's license and a Louis Vuitton wallet containing 80,000 pesos were missing. Three people (two 18-year-old women and the 58-year-old driver who transported them) were arrested on December 2, 2022, during searches in the Zavaleta neighborhood of Barracas.","victims":"Shawn E., a 52-year-old American tourist","outcome":"Theft of the hardware wallet and personal belongings; 3 arrests on December 2, 2022","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A tourist was drugged and robbed of his hardware wallet and personal belongings during a private encounter, personal assets targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2022/12/10/asi-cayo-la-viuda-negra-de-18-anos-que-drogo-y-le-robo-una-billetera-de-criptomonedas-a-un-turista-estadounidense-en-puerto-madero/","source1_name":"Infobae","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA134","date":"2022-11-23","precision":"day","city":"Rishon LeZion","country":"Israel","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"more than ILS 100,000 in cash","amount_usd":29000,"description":"On November 23, 2022, a resident of Bnei Brak went to Rishon LeZion for an exchange of digital currency for cash with two men he had contacted shortly before. On site, he was threatened with a weapon and sprayed with gas in the face, then robbed of more than 100,000 shekels in cash. Two East Jerusalem residents in their twenties were arrested, a substantial sum of cash having been found at their home, and their detention was extended by the Rishon LeZion court.","victims":"A resident of Bnei Brak, a cryptocurrency buyer (age not specified)","outcome":"more than ILS 100,000 stolen; 2 suspects arrested, detention extended","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual was robbed during an in-person peer-to-peer transaction over his own crypto/cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ice.co.il/law/news/article/913267","source1_name":"ice (אייס) — 'A new crypto heist revealed in Israel'","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA135","date":"2022-11-24","precision":"day","city":"Tehran (east) / Damavand","country":"Iran","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"8 billion tomans' worth of crypto-assets","amount_usd":228000,"description":"'Amir', 35, was lured to eastern Tehran by his business partner 'Saeed', 40, on the pretext of buying crypto-assets and settling their financial dispute. Having gotten into a Dena Plus with Saeed and an accomplice to head to a villa in Damavand, he was forced along the way, at gunpoint, to hand over his e-wallet code, and his 8 billion tomans' worth of crypto was transferred to Saeed's account. To eliminate the witness - Saeed explaining that otherwise he risked charges of kidnapping and illegal weapon possession - the two men shot him dead and buried his body in the desert; Saeed was arrested after the father filed a complaint on the 4th of Azar 1401 and confessed after three days in police custody.","victims":"'Amir', a 35-year-old man, cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"8 billion tomans' worth of crypto stolen, victim killed and buried; the father reported the disappearance on the 4th of Azar 1401; Saeed arrested and confessed after three days in police custody; body found, arrest warrant issued for the second defendant","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An investor was killed for the code to his personal e-wallet containing his cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1702617/","source1_name":"Khabar Online (citing the daily newspaper Iran; investigation led by judge Azim Sohrabi, 9th chamber of the Tehran criminal prosecutor's office)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA136","date":"2022-11-26","precision":"day","city":"Tel Mond","country":"Israel","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"ILS 77,550 in cash (\"tens of thousands of shekels\" according to police)","amount_usd":22500,"description":"A resident of Herzliya who had come to buy bitcoins for cash in Tel Mond on November 26, 2022, was attacked in his vehicle by the seller, who had posed on WhatsApp as a certain 'Adva': the assailants sprayed him with pepper gas, chased him on foot when he fled with his bag, then left with the 77,550 shekels he was carrying. Two suspects (26 and 19 years old, from Kadima-Tzoran) were arrested within hours; on December 11, 2022, the Central District public prosecutor's office charged four people (Ilan Sobolov, 27, Yarin, 19, Moshe Jerbi, 21, and a 16-year-old minor) with aggravated group robbery and criminal conspiracy.","victims":"A resident of Herzliya (male), bitcoin buyer","outcome":"money stolen; 2 suspects (26 and 19 years old) arrested within hours and jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual buyer was robbed during a peer-to-peer exchange of bitcoins for cash on his own account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ice.co.il/law/news/article/913267","source1_name":"ice (אייס) — 'A new crypto heist revealed in Israel'","source2":"https://www.mako.co.il/nexter-news/Article-1b0c6b9d9010581026.htm","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L057","date":"2022-12","precision":"month","city":"Toronto, Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"No amount paid (a ransom of CAD 3,000,000 demanded but never paid)","amount_usd":2205000,"description":"Aiden Pleterski, a young self-proclaimed \"crypto king\" from Whitby, Ontario, accused of having misappropriated more than $40 million from investors, was kidnapped in early December 2022 in downtown Toronto and then held for about three days in southern Ontario, during which he was beaten and tortured while his kidnappers demanded a ransom of CAD 3 million. A video of him visibly beaten, apologizing to investors, reached CBC journalists in July 2023. He was released near his rented home on condition that he quickly raise the money; the suspects included an investor, Akil Heywood, who had himself lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in his scheme.","victims":"Aiden Pleterski, 23, a self-proclaimed \"Crypto King\"","outcome":"One kidnapper, Deren Akyeam-Pong (26), pleaded guilty in October 2025 to 9 counts including kidnapping. Akil Heywood (the aggrieved investor) and Alfredo Paladino are to be tried for kidnapping, extortion and assault, with the trial set for November 2026; Heywood was charged in July 2026 with trying to dissuade Akyeam-Pong from testifying. Pleterski himself was charged in May 2024 with fraud and money laundering.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A ransom was demanded from Pleterski himself, a private individual, for his release; one of the kidnappers was an investor seeking to recover money he had personally lost. No corporate treasury was targeted as such.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/man-pleaded-guilty-kidnapping-crypto-king-aiden-pleterski-9.6935045","source1_name":"CBC News","source2":"https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/ontario-crypto-king-kidnapped-tortured-in-an-attempt-to-get-millions-in-ransom-documents-say","source2_name":"CTV News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA137","date":"2022-12-01","precision":"day","city":"Zandvoort","country":"Netherlands","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","luxury watches"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"attempt, nothing taken (\"a large amount of cryptocurrency\" targeted, not quantified in the judgment)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On December 1, 2022, in Zandvoort, two masked men broke into a home demanding 'crypto and watches': they struck the victim in the face with a club (ploertendoder) and with their fists, held him in a chokehold and ordered him to lie face down with his hands behind his back so they could bind him with cable ties. The court established that the occupant of the home, where the victim was staying, was the mastermind who had staged this home invasion to extort a large sum of cryptocurrency from him; the victim resisted, managed to flee and was injured.","victims":"A cryptocurrency holder invited to a third party's home (identity anonymized in the judgment)","outcome":"Failed extortion attempt, no assets transferred, victim injured; a minor convicted of co-perpetrating attempted extortion (suspended juvenile detention and community service)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A home invasion staged by the host to extort a large sum of personal cryptocurrency from a guest who was an individual holder.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://data.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraken/content?id=ECLI:NL:RBNHO:2025:5261","source1_name":"Rechtbank Noord-Holland, ECLI:NL:RBNHO:2025:5261","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L058","date":"2022-12-01","precision":"day","city":"Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"No funds transferred (password to a wallet holding 250 BTC, approx. RUB 262 million, handed over under threat; police: funds not withdrawn)","amount_usd":4290000,"description":"A Russian businessman was abducted on December 1, 2022 in Moscow while he was in his Bentley: a van pulled up, several masked men in camouflage clothing overpowered him, put a bag over his head, and took him away. Along the way, they threatened him with a blowtorch to extort the password to his crypto wallet holding 250 bitcoins (about 262 million rubles). Fearing for his life, he gave up the password; the kidnappers then abandoned him in a wood near Krasnogorsk after removing the bag from his head.","victims":"A Russian businessman (not publicly identified)","outcome":"According to the authorities, the funds had not been withdrawn from the victim's wallet at the time of the report; a criminal investigation for theft was opened. No arrest is reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The targeted bitcoin wallet belonged to the victim personally; no business entity is mentioned in the TASS source.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/16488877","source1_name":"TASS","source2":"https://www.rt.com/russia/567577-bitcoin-kidnapping-moscow-police/","source2_name":"RT","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA486","date":"2022-12-02","precision":"day","city":"Luzhu (蘆竹), Taoyuan (junction of Fuchang Street and Nanqing Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"TWD 5,720,000 in cash (4,700,000 + 1,020,000 per the judgment; TWD 5,820,000 according to the victim in the press)","amount_usd":187000,"description":"On 2 December 2022 two USDT sellers, Chiu Tzu-chen (邱子宸) and Yu Yu-huan (佘雨桓), had collected the cash from two sales, one at Taoyuan high-speed rail station and one outside a convenience store in Luzhu (TWD 4.7 million), and were leaving by taxi with the bags. At around 5:20 p.m. a car with stolen plates rammed the back of the taxi at a red light; three men got out: one pointed a gun (an air pistol, according to the judgment) at the driver and passengers, another opened the rear door threatening them with a handgun, the third pepper-sprayed them, and they took both backpacks. The victim later complained that the police had recorded a mere snatch theft instead of an armed robbery.","victims":"Two private USDT sellers, Chiu Tzu-chen (邱子宸) and Yu Yu-huan (佘雨桓), and the taxi driver","outcome":"Money not recovered. The Taoyuan District Court sentenced Chen Yi-hsiu and Chen Po-sung (112年度原訴字第37號, 4 July 2023) and then Chen Feng (112年度訴字第672號, 23 November 2023) to 7 years 4 months each for aggravated robbery by a group carrying weapons; the High Court upheld Chen Feng's sentence on 6 June 2024 (113年度上訴字第750號).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent USDT sellers robbed after over-the-counter sales, carrying the cash proceeds; no company is mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4144814","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TYDM%2c112%2c%e5%8e%9f%e8%a8%b4%2c37%2c20230704%2c1","source2_name":"Tribunal de district de Taoyuan, 112年度原訴字第37號 (04.07.2023)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L059","date":"2022-12-03","precision":"day","city":"Lelystad","country":"Netherlands","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"2.02 BTC + 0.96 ETH (about EUR 32,000 at the time; 1.45 BTC later returned by the courts)","amount_usd":34000,"description":"On December 3, 2022 in Lelystad, a man went with his girlfriend and a friend to a meeting arranged via a Marktplaats classified ad to buy bitcoins. Once inside the indicated apartment, he was surrounded by five to seven men who beat him repeatedly, pressed his face against a wall, brandished a knife, and pointed a modified alarm pistol at his head to force him to transfer 2.02 bitcoins and 0.96 ether.","victims":"An unidentified young man, who had come to buy bitcoins via a Marktplaats classified ad","outcome":"One of the suspects, Ivan J. (22), was acquitted for lack of evidence; Mohammed A. (19) was sentenced to 3 years in prison, 1 of which suspended. Ario S. (19), through whom the stolen funds had passed, was sentenced in August 2024 to 3 years in prison (1 year suspended) for this theft, a sentence combined with 8 months for an unrelated shooting in September 2022 in which he had blinded a man in one eye; he must also compensate the victim more than EUR 8,000.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to a peer-to-peer meeting (Marktplaats ad) on his own behalf; the crypto assets transferred under duress were his personal holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://nltimes.nl/2024/08/22/man-convicted-violent-bitcoin-robbery-classified-ad-deal-separate-shooting","source1_name":"NL Times","source2":"https://www.omroepflevoland.nl/nieuws/393772/celstraf-voor-gewelddadige-beroving-en-schietpartij-waarbij-slachtoffer-blind-raakte","source2_name":"Omroep Flevoland","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L060","date":"2022-12-11","precision":"day","city":"Phuket (Cherng Talay)","country":"Thailand","type":"Home invasion","assets":["cash","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 20,000 in cash + a crypto wallet estimated at USD 25,000","amount_usd":45000,"description":"During the night of December 10-11, 2022, around 1am, two Russian nationals working for the \"Cryptus\" cryptocurrency team were attacked on Soi Cherng Talay, in Phuket, by Russian-speaking attackers they did not know, armed with firearms and knives, who tied them up and threatened them. The victims were stripped of USD 20,000 in cash and a crypto wallet estimated at USD 25,000.","victims":"Two Russian nationals working for the \"Cryptus\" crypto team, including a 27-year-old man","outcome":"A 27-year-old victim suffered bruises and scrapes documented by Mission Hospital in Phuket. A complaint was filed on Sunday at 5:52pm; no arrest is mentioned in the source consulted, despite additional unsuccessful research to find a judicial follow-up.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"The source (The Phuket News) only states that the two Russians \"worked with the Cryptus team\" without specifying whether the USD 20,000 in cash and the USD 25,000 wallet belonged to them personally or to the organization; it is impossible to determine.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.thephuketnews.com/russians-assaulted-in-armed-extortion-robbed-of-us-45k-in-cash-crypto-86552.php","source1_name":"The Phuket News","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L061","date":"2022-12-12","precision":"day","city":"Not specified (abducted near his home; released in Cavite province)","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"Amount paid not specified (ransom paid in USDT after negotiation down from an initial demand of USD 100,000,000, reduced to USD 50 million then USD 20 million, before a final unspecified agreement)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A Chinese businessman who had been operating nickel mines in the Philippines for eight years was abducted on the road near his home by a group of Filipino kidnappers led by a man nicknamed \"Andy Lau,\" armed with tasers, knives, and a fake pistol. Held captive and tortured for six days (electric shocks, burns, threats of mutilation), he was released after a ransom converted into USDT was paid to the kidnappers; his own bodyguard, hired without a background check, turned out to be an accomplice.","victims":"A Chinese businessman operating nickel mines in the Philippines (identified by the initial K)","outcome":"Released after payment of a ransom in cryptocurrency; the accomplice bodyguard was arrested in May 2023 during a raid that led to the seizure of weapons and luxury vehicles; several gang members were arrested, with judicial proceedings ongoing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The ransom was paid from the victim's personal and family funds: his wife \"emptied all the funds she could access,\" and K states that only he was authorized to move the rest of \"our money.\" No demand concerned the treasury of the nickel mining company.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://wublock.substack.com/p/interview-with-a-chinese-businessman","source1_name":"Wu Blockchain (Substack) – interview with the victim","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA138","date":"2022-12-22","precision":"day","city":"Little Elm, Texas","country":"United States","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash","Rolex watches"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"approx. USD 150,000 in cash, two Rolex watches, a necklace and a pendant","amount_usd":150000,"description":"After several unsuccessful trips by St Felix's team, Jarod Seemungal mobilized a Houston-based team (Contreras, Gamez, Gonzalez, Salazar, Cristian Valdez, Jesus Valdez Jr.) that invaded the home of a man in Little Elm. The victim and members of his family were held at gunpoint and bound for more than three hours, during which the man and his mother were tortured. The attackers did not find the hardware wallet they were after.","victims":"A man and members of his family, including his mother","outcome":"Theft of about USD 150,000 in cash and jewelry; hardware wallet not obtained; six members of the Houston team convicted in September 2024","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A home invasion targeting the personal hardware wallet of a man and his family, along with personal cash and jewelry.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/twelve-defendants-sentenced-violent-home-invasion-robberies-steal-cryptocurrency","source1_name":"Department of Justice — Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies","source2":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.89.0.pdf","source2_name":"United States Trial Brief, US v. Seemungal, DE 89","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA139","date":"2022-12-26","precision":"day","city":"Zhonghe, New Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (return of crypto investment gains demanded, amount not specified; nothing was obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Wang, 20, a cryptocurrency wallet manager in New Taipei, was lured on the evening of December 26, 2022, to a meeting by a 22-year-old client, Lin, to discuss investment gains he was unable to return; Lin threatened him to force him into a car and held him captive in a hotel on Anping street in Zhonghe, demanding that he raise the sum before being released. Alerted by the victim's partner on the morning of the 27th, the Zhonghe investigation squad launched an assault at 2 p.m. on the 27th, freeing Wang and arresting Lin and two accomplices aged 19 and 18, seizing a bag of ketamine, an aluminum bat, a Rambo knife and four machetes; the victim stated he had not been physically struck.","victims":"Wang, 20, cryptocurrency wallet manager","outcome":"Victim freed by police, 3 suspects arrested, weapons seized, no assets transferred","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An independent manager was held captive by a client to return personal investment gains, with no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4168564","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA083","date":"2023","precision":"year","city":"Fort Lauderdale, Florida","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"The federal trial brief of June 13, 2024 in United States v. Remy Ra St Felix states that between September 2022 and July 2023, St Felix and his accomplices carried out home invasions to steal cryptocurrency in Delray Beach, Homestead, and Durham, and made attempts in Little Elm (Texas), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), and East Meadow (New York), with St Felix personally involved in each episode. The network identified its targets and planned its break-ins via Telegram, exchanging photos of victims and their homes as well as logistics (rental cars, weapons). The Fort Lauderdale attempt was unsuccessful and is not individually dated in the document.","victims":"Unidentified cryptocurrency holder","outcome":"Unsuccessful attempt in early 2023: the target, a SIM swapper known as 'Andre' and believed to hold USD 15 million, no longer lived at the address (an empty Airbnb); St Felix was disguised as a DoorDash courier. The facts were part of the case that led to 12 convictions in September 2024.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The home invasions and attempts targeted individual cryptocurrency holders identified and tracked via Telegram, with no mention of a company.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.89.0.pdf","source1_name":"United States Trial Brief, US v. Seemungal, 1:23-cr-00260 (M.D.N.C.), DE 89","source2":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/twelve-defendants-sentenced-violent-home-invasion-robberies-steal-cryptocurrency","source2_name":"Department of Justice — Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA141","date":"2023","precision":"year","city":"Fuqing, Fujian","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"CNY 400,000 in cash (equivalent value of the USDT delivered)","amount_usd":57000,"description":"In Fuqing, Fujian, defendant Zhou and several accomplices staged a fake over-the-counter transaction: Zhou bought CNY 400,000 of USDT from the sellers (including Mr. Wu), confirmed receipt of the tokens, then demanded the cash back, claiming he had received nothing. When the sellers refused, the group forcibly took back the CNY 400,000 before fleeing. Zhou was intercepted by the sellers and handed over to police, and the accomplices later turned themselves in; he admitted the facts at the public hearing of the Fuqing People's Court (April 2023), with judgment reserved.","victims":"Mr. Wu and a second USDT seller","outcome":"CNY 400,000 taken back by force; Zhou admitted the facts, and the prosecution's submissions were presented at the April 2023 hearing","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private USDT sellers robbed by force during a cash over-the-counter transaction.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1763697457108072867","source1_name":"福建帮帮团 (Fujian Audiovisual Group) – « 打着购买虚拟货币的旗号，这群人竟然这样干 »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA480","date":"2023","precision":"year","city":"Chisinau","country":"Moldova","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USD"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"USD 290,000 and 190,000 in cryptocurrency transferred (unit not specified); more than 9 million lei in total according to Jurnal.md","amount_usd":505000,"description":"Two men aged 40 and 44 from Anenii Noi district, having learned that a 20-year-old man did business in cryptocurrency and held a large sum, followed him as he walked home in Chisinau, forced him into a car and took him to a garage rented by one of them. They took his personal belongings, his phone and three laptops, then, through blackmail and death threats, forced him to transfer them USD 290,000 and 190,000 in cryptocurrency, before releasing him on a street in the capital.","victims":"20-year-old man active in cryptocurrency (not named)","outcome":"Ransom obtained. Both suspects prosecuted for blackmail (up to 15 years in prison); one remanded in custody for 30 days, the other wanted, according to Moldovan police on 5 June 2023.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Young private individual targeted because he did business in cryptocurrency and held a large sum; abducted on his way home, no company named.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.jurnal.md/ro/news/77cd336bb8c2d878/video-tanar-batut-amenintat-cu-moartea-si-lasat-fara-9-milioane-de-lei-suspectii-doi-barbati-din-anenii-noi.html","source1_name":"Jurnal.md","source2":"https://locals.md/2023/kripta-privlekaet/","source2_name":"Locals.md","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA143","date":"2023-01","precision":"month","city":"Itajaí (Praia Brava), Santa Catarina","country":"Brazil","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About BRL 1,200,000 in total losses (cryptocurrency + jewelry + electronics + cash)","amount_usd":230000,"description":"In January 2023, three armed individuals broke into a businessman's residence in Praia Brava (Itajaí, Santa Catarina) and held the victim, his relatives, and his employees for about three hours; through violence and serious threats against his family, the businessman was forced to carry out cryptocurrency transfers, and jewelry, electronic devices, and cash were also taken, for total losses of about BRL 1.2 million. Tracing of the transfers showed the funds scattered toward Argentina and Peru; Operation \"Blockchain\" by Itajaí's DIC, conducted with Interpol, the Brazilian and Argentine federal police, and the civil police of Sergipe and Goiás, led on 4 and 5 October 2023 to seven arrests (2 in Buenos Aires, 1 in Ituporanga d'Ajuda, 1 in Balneário Camboriú, 3 already incarcerated), with one suspect still at large.","victims":"An unnamed businessman, his relatives, and his employees","outcome":"About BRL 1.2 million in cryptocurrency stolen; 7 suspects arrested (including 2 in Argentina) via Interpol","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion at a businessman's residence, forced — with his family threatened — to transfer his personal cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/interpol-e-policia-civil-prendem-suspeitos-de-mega-roubo-de-criptomoedas/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L063","date":"2023-01","precision":"month","city":"Irlam, Salford, Greater Manchester","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than GBP 100,000 paid in an earlier episode; total described as \"hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling\" over the whole campaign","amount_usd":124000,"description":"A gang of seven men carried out a violent extortion campaign against a vulnerable cryptocurrency-holding victim for nearly a year: after an initial visit to his home in late January 2023, where two men armed with a knife threatened him until he transferred funds, the gang subsequently lured him repeatedly to an apartment in Cadishead/Irlam where he was drugged (morphine), burned, beaten with a machete and a gun, locked in a closet, and held captive, with a bag over his head during a final abduction on November 30, 2023. He was found by police on December 2, 2023 following an anonymous tip, begging the officers to \"take him with them.\"","victims":"An unidentified vulnerable victim, a cryptocurrency holder","outcome":"Seven gang members were found guilty and sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on January 30, 2025 to a total of more than 76 years in prison: Jonathan Newns (20 years), David Povey (20 years), Luke Johnson (13 years and 6 months), Gary Edwards (10 years and 2 months), Kane Godiff (7 years and 5 months), Karl Johnson (3 years), and Scott Armstrong (2 years and 4 months). Firearms, machetes, cleavers, and restraint equipment were seized at the home used for the confinements.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The source states that the victim, a vulnerable private individual, had acquired \"hundreds of thousands of pounds\" worth of cryptocurrency that the gang sought to steal from him personally; no business entity is involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20250130203402/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/covered-burns-bruises-begged-can-30900995","source1_name":"Manchester Evening News (archived version, Wayback Machine)","source2":"https://www.gmp.police.uk/news/greater-manchester/news/news/2025/january/criminal-gang-who-kidnapped-vulnerable-man-for-cryptocurrency-jailed-for-76-years/","source2_name":"Greater Manchester Police","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA144","date":"2023-01-01","precision":"day","city":"Not specified (none of the sources mention a city; the mention of \"Chengdu\" found in earlier records is not supported by any source and has been removed)","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"4,100,000 USDT (~CNY 28,000,000)","amount_usd":4100000,"description":"On the morning of 1 January 2023 around 9 a.m., a cryptocurrency investor who had just attended an offline meetup of industry figures was intercepted and overpowered in a vehicle after the meal. The attackers forcibly used his facial recognition to unlock his phone and wallet app, converted his holdings into 4.1 million USDT (about 28 million yuan), and immediately transferred the funds before fleeing. The victim stated he was seeking legal recourse; the primary sources report no police confirmation, no victim identity, and no arrests.","victims":"An unidentified cryptocurrency investor, participant in an in-person meetup of crypto-asset investors","outcome":"4.1 million USDT drained via forced biometric unlock and then transferred; the victim announced he was seeking legal action, with no confirmed arrest (the mention of a 'detained' suspect comes only from the CoinCodeCap rehash, contradicted by the primary sources)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual investor was intercepted after a meetup and forced via biometric unlock to hand over the holdings in his own wallet.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.panewslab.com/zh/articles/kc64bicx","source1_name":"PANews – « 开年被抢410万枚USDT，法院：有点“刑” »","source2":"https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2085623","source2_name":"ChainCatcher","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA145","date":"2023-01-02","precision":"day","city":"Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"~HKD 150,000 in USDT (on a USB drive)","amount_usd":19100,"description":"On 2 January 2023 around 9 p.m., a 21-year-old man was to hand over to another man a USB drive containing about HKD 150,000 in USDT, at a bus stop in front of Banyan Garden, 863 Lai Chi Kok Road. The individual punched him, grabbed the USB drive, and fled in a private car. The victim was taken to Caritas Hospital; police classified the case as theft and assault causing bodily harm and assigned the investigation to the Sham Shui Po Crime Squad, with the suspect (heavyset, in his thirties) still at large.","victims":"A 21-year-old man","outcome":"USB drive containing the USDT stolen, victim injured and hospitalized; suspect at large, case handled by the Sham Shui Po Crime Squad","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was personally handing over a USB drive containing his own USDT during an over-the-counter transaction.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/853038","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA146","date":"2023-01-03","precision":"day","city":"Zhongli (district, Qingxi Road), Taoyuan","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"Attempt involving 166,000 USDT (TWD 5,146,000); nothing taken — the TWD 200,000 theft alleged by the prosecution was dismissed by the court","amount_usd":166000,"description":"On 3 January 2023 around 4:35 p.m., after a first meeting fell through on 1 January, Wang (25) and three accomplices contacted via mobile messaging/Telegram lured Mr. Zhang — a USDT holder wanting to sell 166,000 USDT for TWD 5,146,000 — to Qingxi Road in Zhongli, Taoyuan, bringing eight bundles of fake toy banknotes, a hammer, a short knife, and a concealed machete. When the victim leaned into the car with his bill counter, he was pulled inside, the vehicle sped off, and the ringleader held the machete to his throat, shouting \"hand over the money or I'll stab you\"; injured with multiple lacerations to his left hand, he jumped from the moving vehicle at 4:44 p.m. while the friend accompanying him gave chase and repeatedly rammed the car, which was brought to a stop at 4:51 p.m. and abandoned by the four fleeing men. Arrested and then prosecuted for robbery by the Taoyuan public prosecutor's office on 18 October 2024, they were convicted on 16 April 2026 of ATTEMPTED robbery by a group of three or more with a weapon, with the court dismissing for lack of evidence the theft of TWD 200,000 alleged by the prosecution.","victims":"Mr. Zhang (張), an over-the-counter USDT seller, anonymized as \"A2\" in the judgment, accompanied by his friend \"A3\"","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing taken; victim injured (multiple lacerations to the left hand) but escaped by jumping from the vehicle; four men arrested, charged on 18/10/2024, and convicted on 16/04/2026 of attempted armed group robbery (5 years 2 months, 3 years 11 months, 3 years 11 months, and 3 years 10 months)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Zhang, a USDT holder, was attacked as a private seller during an in-person over-the-counter transaction.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TYDM%2C112%2C%E5%8E%9F%E8%A8%B4%2C165%2C20260416%2C1","source1_name":"Taoyuan District Court, judgment 112年度原訴字第165號 (16 April 2026)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4834506","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報), « 假交易真強盜！男子佯買虛擬幣 找幫手搶對方20萬現金 », 18 October 2024","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA475","date":"2023-01-13","precision":"day","city":"Hong Kong / Central (party room on the 5th floor, 35B Wellington Street)","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Extortion","assets":["DOGE","HKD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"About US$30,000 in DOGE (HK$234,000 according to on.cc) + HK$880,000 transferred from a Citibank account + HK$3,000 in cash and two phones","amount_usd":143000,"description":"At around 4 p.m. on 13 January 2023, Mr Hung (37) was brought by an acquaintance, Mr Fung (30), to a party room of about 100 square feet on the 5th floor of 35B Wellington Street (Central), supposedly to discuss the sale of a yacht. A Hong Kong man and four South Asian men burst in, threatened them with two beef knives about 30 cm long and bound them with tape; they took Mr Hung's phone, forced him to give its passcode, then transferred about HK$880,000-900,000 from his bank account and moved the equivalent of about US$30,000 in Dogecoin (DOGE) out of his exchange account, before fleeing with HK$3,000 in cash and two phones. The victims freed themselves and raised the alarm; police arrested Mr Fung at the scene on suspicion of being an accomplice.","victims":"Mr Hung Kam-lung (洪錦龍, 37); his companion Mr Fung (30), himself arrested as a suspected accomplice","outcome":"Crypto and bank transfer obtained; nobody injured. One suspected accomplice arrested the same day; on 20 March 2023, three men (Wong Ho-yin, 29, cook; Law Hoi-ming, 28, waiter; Tai Hoi-hung, 32, tattoo artist) appeared at Eastern Magistrates' Courts charged with robbery and conspiracy to rob (HK$880,000 from the Citibank account, US$30,000 from the cryptocurrency account, HK$3,000 and two phones); the case was adjourned to 17 April 2023, later outcome not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual forced at knifepoint to transfer his own cryptocurrency and money from his personal bank account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.stheadline.com/society/3211497/3%E7%94%B7%E6%B6%89%E6%8C%81%E5%88%80%E5%8A%AB%E7%94%B7%E5%AD%90%E9%80%BE100%E8%90%AC%E5%8A%A0%E5%AF%86%E8%B2%A8%E5%B9%A3%E5%8F%8A%E7%8F%BE%E9%87%91%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82-1%E4%BA%BA%E4%B8%8A%E5%BA%AD%E9%82%84%E6%9F%99%E5%80%99%E8%A8%8A","source1_name":"Sing Tao Daily (星島頭條)","source2":"https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20230113/bkn-20230113165420491-0113_00822_001.html","source2_name":"on.cc (東網)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA148","date":"2023-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Barcelona (Eixample)","country":"Spain","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Attempt, nothing taken","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 14 January 2023 around 3:30 p.m., five men attacked the offices of a cryptocurrency company in Barcelona's Eixample district: one of them posed as a client with an appointment to gain access to the building while the others entered the building using stun guns and zip ties, gagging and tying up the concierge hand and foot. She resisted; the commotion alerted the employees and then the director, who caught the attackers and called the police. The Mossos d'Esquadra arrested the five men (traced through a parking ticket) and placed them in custody for robbery with violence, unlawful confinement, injuries, and threats.","victims":"The building's concierge (tied up and gagged) and the employees of a cryptocurrency company in the Eixample district","outcome":"Failed attempt; five men arrested by the Mossos d'Esquadra","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The attackers targeted the offices of a cryptocurrency company, aiming at the concierge and employees of the firm.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://elcaso.elnacional.cat/es/noticias/asalto-empresa-criptomonedas-eixample-pillados-propietario-amordazaban-conserje_956094102.html","source1_name":"El Caso (ElNacional.cat)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA149","date":"2023-01-18","precision":"day","city":"Fairfield (Sydney) / held captive at Swan Bay near Newcastle","country":"Australia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Ransom demanded of up to AUD 5,000,000 (not paid)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 18 January 2023, two masked men abducted a 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman as they left a hair salon and walked toward a parking lot on Court Road in Fairfield, forced them into a vehicle, and drove them to a property in Swan Bay near Newcastle, about 200 km away. Tied to chairs for about 36 hours, they were subjected to cryptocurrency ransom demands of up to 5 million dollars, and the kidnappers attempted to cut off the man's middle finger with garden shears, causing an injury that required surgery and a metal plate to reattach the finger. The victims escaped after two days; police (Strike Force Bultje) charged two men aged 24 and 25 on 4 April 2023, with police noting that the victims were wrongly presumed to hold large sums of cryptocurrency.","victims":"A 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman (a couple)","outcome":"Victims escaped after ~36-48 hours; man's finger severely mutilated; no ransom paid; two men charged (detention with intent to demand ransom, assault, participation in a criminal group), bail refused","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Police stated that the victims, a couple, were wrongly presumed to hold large sums of personal cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/sydney-crime-gang-related-kidnappings-on-rise-after-two-charged-with-abduction-of-couple-20230417-p5yqy9.html","source1_name":"Nine / 9News","source2":"https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-couple-s-36-hours-of-hell-after-violent-kidnapping-from-quiet-suburban-carpark-20250716-p5mfgh.html","source2_name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA150","date":"2023-01-25","precision":"day","city":"Wuhan (Qiaokou and Jianghan districts), Hubei","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"43,785 USDT (CNY 299,489.4)","amount_usd":43785,"description":"On the evening of 25 January 2023, Wang, having made contact via Telegram, offered to buy CNY 320,000 of USDT from Mr. Deng, who was away from Wuhan and sent his uncle to the meeting at an intersection in Qiaokou district. Getting into the back of the car under the pretext of going to fetch the money, Wang had the uncle driven to a spot in Jianghan district (Fanhai Road) and then held a knife to his throat, forcing him to announce by voice message that the cash had arrived; the nephew then remotely transferred 43,785 USDT (CNY 299,489.4). The uncle was injured on his left index finger while trying to restrain the attacker; Wang was arrested at his home in Hong'an on the evening of 26 January after converting 2,500 USDT (CNY 17,100), and, following an appeal by the Jianghan public prosecutor's office, the appellate court reclassified the extortion as armed robbery and increased the sentence to 11 years and 6 months.","victims":"Mr. Deng (nephew, USDT holder) and his uncle Mr. Deng, sent to handle the transaction (press pseudonyms: Deng Dawei and Deng Gang)","outcome":"43,785 USDT stolen (only CNY 17,100 recovered); perpetrator arrested and sentenced to 11 years 6 months in prison","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The uncle, acting on his nephew's behalf, was attacked during an over-the-counter sale of USDT belonging to the nephew, both private individuals.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"http://www.hbcaw.gov.cn/fzjs/62571.jhtml","source1_name":"湖北长安网 (Hubei Political and Legal Affairs Commission) – « 泰达币“交易”变“抢劫” 男子二审获重刑 »","source2":"https://m.gmw.cn/2024-11/08/content_1303891513.htm","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA151","date":"2023-02","precision":"month","city":"Rio de Janeiro","country":"Brazil","type":"Other","assets":["USDT","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately 23,000 USDT (i.e., ~125,000 to 130,000 BRL) plus 3,200 BRL from a bank account","amount_usd":23000,"description":"In February 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, a lawyer invited a Colombian woman he had met via a dating app to his home; she drugged him with Rohypnol (the 'golpe do boa noite, Cinderela' method) and then used his phone to empty his accounts of 23,000 USD in cryptocurrency (approximately 125,000 to 130,000 BRL) and 3,200 BRL from his bank account. The Colombian network, active in Rio and São Paulo, was the target of the MPRJ's Operação Medellín with TRM Forensics: four Colombians were arrested on December 8, 2023 and about 6,000 USDT were recovered, Angie Paola Parra Hoyos was arrested on February 28, 2025 in Colombia and then extradited, and six Colombians were indicted in the second phase in April 2025.","victims":"A lawyer from Rio de Janeiro (main documented victim) and other cryptocurrency investors approached via dating apps","outcome":"Cryptoassets stolen, 6,000 USDT recovered; 4 arrests in 2023, extradition of Angie Paola Parra Hoyos in 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A lawyer was drugged and stripped of his own personal cryptoassets via his phone.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.terra.com.br/noticias/brasil/cidades/mp-do-rio-atua-contra-quadrilha-suspeita-de-roubar-criptomoedas-com-boa-noite-cinderela,1b9329b7985ebdf7fb1013d3475b9668s5ly8210.html","source1_name":"Terra / MPRJ (operation Medellin)","source2":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/case-studies/from-swiping-right-to-exposing-a-crypto-theft-ring-in-brazil","source2_name":"TRM Labs (case study, blockchain details)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L064","date":"2023-02","precision":"month","city":"Melbourne (Highett and Cheltenham neighborhoods)","country":"Australia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"AUD 40,000 in bitcoin actually transferred (the attackers initially demanded $20,000 in cash under threat of cutting off the victim's fingers)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A young woman, Catherine Colivas, met a 23-year-old member of the Saudi royal family via a dating app and lured him to a party, where three men, including her drug-dealer boyfriend, ambushed him, tied him up with zip ties, and threatened him with a knife to cut off his fingers if he did not transfer bitcoin. The victim was forced to arrange bitcoin transfers, and his home was then burgled (luxury items, electronics) before his release; he was hospitalized for injuries to his wrist and head.","victims":"A 23-year-old Saudi national, member of the royal family","outcome":"Catherine Colivas pleaded guilty to kidnapping, extortion, reckless serious injury, theft, and possession of a weapon; she was sentenced on December 16, 2024 to a 30-month community corrections order with no prison time (the judge having found \"exceptional circumstances\": youth, mental health, grief over her brother's death). The accomplice Paris Kennedy, having pleaded guilty to theft and burglary, was released on a good behavior bond after 90 days in pretrial detention.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, a 23-year-old private individual who sold Rolex watches and traded crypto on his own account, was forced to transfer his personal bitcoins, and his private home was then burgled (luxury clothing, a Louis Vuitton bag, a PlayStation, iPhones): only an individual's personal assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.dailymail.com/news/melbourne/article-14196073/TikTok-kidnapper-Catherine-Colivas-bitcoin.html","source1_name":"Daily Mail Australia","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA152","date":"2023-02-01","precision":"day","city":"Guwahati, Assam","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"104 BTC demanded (about 20 crore rupees), ransom not paid","amount_usd":2440000,"description":"On February 1, 2023 at around 10:30 p.m., Ankur Surana, 30, was abducted in Guwahati while driving to a party organized at the PRP Valley resort in Amching by one of his kidnappers, whom he knew, and was then held captive in a room. On February 2, his sister Umang, in Mumbai, received an internet call, and the next day a link with a QR code demanding the transfer of 104 bitcoins (about 20 crore rupees) — a method never before seen in India. Under police pressure, the victim was released in the early hours of February 4 near the Amching Tea Estate, injured on the face and hands; five resort employees were arrested and three accomplices remained at large.","victims":"Ankur Surana, 30, a resident of the Bharalumukh neighborhood in Guwahati","outcome":"Victim released unharmed, ransom not paid, 5 arrests (3 suspects at large)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The 104 BTC ransom was demanded from the victim's sister for his release, targeting his personal assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/five-held-for-kidnapping-guwahati-man-three-more-on-the-run/articleshow/97714524.cms","source1_name":"Northeast Live","source2":"https://northeastlivetv.com/around-ne/assam/kidnappers-seek-104-bitcoins-rs-20-cr-approx-as-ransom-in-ankur-surana-kidnapping-case/","source2_name":"The Times of India","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L124","date":"2023-02-08","precision":"day","city":"Paris (12th arrondissement, Gare de Lyon)","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["EUR (ransom demanded)"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"EUR 40,000 (ransom demanded according to Cryptoast; payment not confirmed by Le Parisien)","amount_usd":42800,"description":"On the weekend of 8-9 February 2023, a 20-year-old Parisian business owner and cryptocurrency investor went to a meeting arranged by a young woman in front of the clock at Gare de Lyon. The meeting was an ambush: he was kidnapped by an organized group over a financial dispute linked to a crypto investment, and his kidnappers demanded 40,000 euros. The case was only solved two years later: five suspects (four men and a woman, mostly from the Saint-Étienne area) were arrested on 17 and 18 March 2025, two of them while trying to flee abroad via Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport.","victims":"A 20-year-old man, business owner and cryptocurrency investor in Paris","outcome":"The immediate outcome of the confinement (duration, release) is not detailed in the available open sources. Two years later, five suspects were arrested in mid-March 2025 (two at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport while trying to flee abroad, three at their homes in the Loire department); one of the suspects was already known to police for drug trafficking; the judicial decision was not known as of the date of the articles.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An ambush targeting a 20-year-old individual investor over a dispute involving a personal crypto investment; the ransom was demanded from the individual, and no company funds, treasury or clients were targeted despite his status as a business owner.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/paris-un-investisseur-en-cryptomonnaie-enleve-et-sequestre-cinq-suspects-arretes-20-03-2025-K7SU6Q4C75ECXCIJWTNJIMCTGI.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/liste-enlevements-agressions-lies-cryptomonnaies-france/","source2_name":"Cryptoast (list of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings in France)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L065","date":"2023-02-25","precision":"day","city":"Kerobokan, Bali","country":"Indonesia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"USD 284,399 in bitcoin","amount_usd":284399,"description":"Four men, one disguised as an Indonesian police officer and three Russian-speaking, broke into the couple's villa in Kerobokan, Bali, and threatened Russian crypto blogger Yuri Boytsov (27) and his girlfriend Ekateryna Khmelenko before forcing him to transfer USD 284,399 in bitcoin and stealing their passports. The next day, a suspect (initials SMA) was arrested at Bali International Airport; three other attackers remain at large.","victims":"Yuri Boytsov (27, Russian crypto blogger) and his girlfriend Ekateryna Khmelenko (27)","outcome":"USD 284,399 in bitcoin taken; the victim and his girlfriend were threatened and struck; passports stolen; one suspect arrested at Bali airport the next day, three others at large; the investigation was ongoing at the time of the articles, with police concerned that the victim's media exposure could hamper it.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A bitcoin blogger/trader acting on his own account, robbed in his private villa in Kerobokan: the attackers forced the transfer of his personal bitcoin and stole passports and personal belongings; no economic entity was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://coconuts.co/bali/news/russian-couple-forced-to-part-with-us284399-in-bitcoin-after-4-men-broke-into-their-kerobokan-villa/","source1_name":"Coconuts Bali","source2":"https://getblock.net/en/news/crypto-blogger-yuri-boytsov-had-284-000-stolen-in-bitcoins","source2_name":"GetBlock News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L066","date":"2023-02-27","precision":"day","city":"Medellín","country":"Colombia","type":"Other","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"~USD 20,000 in bitcoin (BTC amount not specified by the source)","amount_usd":20000,"description":"A young Venezuelan woman of about 20 slipped scopolamine (\"burundanga\") into a wine glass belonging to a German tourist in his thirties, then, once he was unconscious in his own apartment, stole about 1 BTC (~USD 20,000), five phones, his passport and personal belongings. The victim kept his hardware wallet and recovery phrases in the same stolen bag; no arrest is mentioned in the sources consulted.","victims":"A German tourist, about 36 years old","outcome":"Theft successful (BTC, hardware wallet, seed phrase, phones, passport); no arrest reported; any chance of saving the funds depended on how quickly the victim's ex-wife in Germany could supply the recovery phrase before the thief did.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A German tourist of about 36 robbed in the apartment he was staying in: his personal hardware wallet and seed phrase were taken; the source specifies that the stolen bitcoin was only a small part of his personal wealth, with no entity involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://es.beincrypto.com/colombia-bitcoiner-extranjero-sufre-robo-de-20000-en-btc/","source1_name":"BeInCrypto España","source2":"https://www.diariobitcoin.com/la-vida-bitcoin/otro-intento-de-robo-btc-a-turista-en-colombia/","source2_name":"DiarioBitcoin","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA153","date":"2023-03","precision":"month","city":"Taipei (company); arrests in Zhonghe, Xinzhuang, Tamsui and Bali (New Taipei)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"400,000 USDT (≈ NT$12,000,000) plus a promissory note for NT$15,000,000","amount_usd":392000,"description":"Wu, 32, alias 'Lei ge' (磊哥), presenting himself as the head of the Mingren (明仁會) branch of the Bamboo Union, broke into a Taipei cryptocurrency technical analysis company armed, accusing the manager Cao (29) of having let a subordinate embezzle NT$12 million of the gang's funds there to 'buy courses.' Cao and three of his employees were abducted and held captive for four and a half days in a pawnshop and then a hotel, under threat of being 'buried alive in the mountains,' until they transferred 400,000 Tether (USDT, approx. NT$12 million) and signed a promissory note for NT$15 million. In late March 2023, the Taipei criminal police arrested five gang members in four New Taipei districts and seized machetes, axes, batons and masks.","victims":"Cao (曹), 29, manager of a cryptocurrency technical analysis company, and three of his employees","outcome":"400,000 USDT extorted; 5 arrests","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The manager and three employees of a cryptocurrency technical analysis company were held captive to repay funds claimed from the company itself.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.mnews.tw/story/20230411nm008","source1_name":"Mirror News (鏡新聞)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA154","date":"2023-03-09","precision":"day","city":"Sydney (abducted in Smithfield, held captive in Belmore)","country":"Australia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"AUD 5,000,000 ransom demanded","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 9, 2023, Peter Vuong, 26, was abducted from his home in Smithfield (Sydney) in front of his partner, then held captive and tortured for approximately five to six days in a house in Belmore, his kidnappers pulling out his teeth and sending photos to support a ransom demand of AUD 5 million linked to cryptocurrency held by people close to a trader. He was rescued by police and six men were charged; a Service NSW employee was also prosecuted for providing personal data to the kidnappers.","victims":"Peter Vuong, 26","outcome":"Victim rescued by police after approximately 5-6 days; teeth pulled out; six men charged; the associated crypto trader Tran Dinh left Australia","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency ransom was demanded in connection with personal assets allegedly held by people close to an individual trader.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/sydney-crime-gang-related-kidnappings-on-rise-after-two-charged-with-abduction-of-couple-20230417-p5yqy9.html","source1_name":"Nine / 9News","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA155","date":"2023-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Bangkok (Chaeng Watthana area)","country":"Thailand","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"30,000 USDT paid (60,000 USDT initially demanded)","amount_usd":30000,"description":"On March 10, 2023 in Bangkok, a 62-year-old Chinese businessman and his Thai interpreter known as 'Xiao Ai' were abducted as they got out of their car returning from the Chaeng Watthana government complex, by five men dressed as police officers who turned out to be immigration bureau officers. Driven around for more than four hours and threatened with prosecution for using a false Thai identity, they were told to pay 60,000 USDT; the victim's son, in China, negotiated and paid 30,000 USDT, after which the kidnappers abandoned them at the site of the abduction. A major, two lieutenants and a sergeant major from the immigration bureau were implicated: three were arrested, one remains at large, and the royal police initiated their dismissal.","victims":"A 62-year-old Chinese businessman and his Thai interpreter known as 'Xiao Ai'","outcome":"30,000 USDT paid, victims released; 3 police officers arrested, 1 at large, dismissal proceedings initiated","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A businessman and his interpreter were personally ransomed in USDT, the sum paid by the victim's son.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B/880329/","source1_name":"香港01 – « 泰國警察綁架中國男子勒索3萬泰達幣 3人被捕1人在逃 »","source2":"https://www.cryptocity.tw/news/news-2041","source2_name":"加密城市 CryptoCity – « 勒索3萬泰達幣！泰國移民警察涉綁架中國人，被捕後不認罪 » (according to the Bangkok Post)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L067","date":"2023-03-20","precision":"day","city":"Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Sector 119","country":"India","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","gold jewelry","watch","phones","cash (INR)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables","Devices","Cash"],"amount":"INR 5,800 in cash, plus gold jewelry, a watch and three phones (not valued)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A couple from Noida (Ajit, alias Rahul Singh, and his wife Mahi), with the complicity of Ankur Payal and three other accomplices at large, staged a fake burglary at their home to drug their friend Virendra Malik and force him to transfer his crypto assets, estimated at several crore rupees; he nonetheless refused to transfer his funds. The attackers left with gold jewelry, a watch, phones and INR 5,800 in cash.","victims":"Virendra Malik, a friend of the accused couple","outcome":"The attempted theft of crypto assets was thwarted by the victim's refusal to transfer his funds; the theft of physical property (jewelry, phones, cash) succeeded; three suspects arrested (the couple and one accomplice), three others sought; charges filed under sections 328, 394, 506, 34 and 342 of the Indian Penal Code.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Virendra Malik, described as a businessman but targeted over his own investments in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that he had discussed with his friends: it was his personal assets and private passwords that were demanded, not company funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/noida-couple-stage-robbery-in-their-home-to-get-friends-crypto-investment-worth-crores-arrested/articleshow/127031227.html","source1_name":"Indiatimes","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L068","date":"2023-03-29","precision":"day","city":"Seoul, Gangnam district","country":"South Korea","type":"Killing","assets":["cryptocurrency (\"fine dust coin\")"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (ransom paid to the hitman: KRW 70,000,000; the amount of crypto assets actually stolen is not specified by the sources)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In Seoul, a 48-year-old woman who had promoted an investment in the \"fine dust coin\" — which collapsed after its launch in late 2020 — was abducted on March 29, 2023, and killed the next day by a man, Lee Kyeong-woo, who was paid KRW 70,000,000 by a couple of defrauded investors (Yoo Sang-won and his wife Hwang Eun-hee) seeking revenge and to recover the victim's crypto assets; the body was buried 140 km south of Seoul. Four suspects (Lee Kyeong-woo, Hwang Dae-han, Yeon Ji-ho, Yoo Sang-won) were indicted in October 2023 along with Yoo's wife.","victims":"A 48-year-old woman, promoter of a crypto investment (\"fine dust coin\"), identity not made public","outcome":"The victim was abducted and killed, and the body was buried 140 km south of Seoul; four suspects were indicted in October 2023 for kidnapping and murder, with one of their wives also prosecuted; prosecutors sought the death penalty against the four defendants; one of them admits to the theft of the crypto assets but denies the murder.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The masterminds, individual investors who had been defrauded, sought to seize the \"victim's virtual assets,\" i.e. the personal crypto assets of a private individual; no corporate treasury was targeted.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://protos.com/four-suspects-face-death-penalty-in-south-korea-crypto-murder-case/","source1_name":"Protos","source2":"https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/cryptocurrency/20230405/gangnam-cryptocurrency-murder-case-what-we-know-so-far","source2_name":"The Korea Times","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA156","date":"2023-04","precision":"month","city":"Turin (western area) / Rivoli","country":"Italy","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"EUR 1,000,000 in bitcoins (demanded, not obtained)","amount_usd":1090000,"description":"Starting in April 2023, two men aged 43 and 47 showed up at the business of a financial intermediation entrepreneur in the western area of Turin, demanding the return of a USB drive containing one million euros in bitcoins that they claimed belonged to them, even though the victim had no connection to the device. They made death threats and threats of violence against the entrepreneur, his family and his business, and a fire broke out at the premises. After a complaint was filed in April, the Rivoli carabinieri placed them under house arrest on June 22, 2023 by order of the Turin court for aggravated attempted extortion.","victims":"An entrepreneur in the financial intermediation sector, western area of Turin","outcome":"Attempt: nothing obtained; two men aged 43 and 47 arrested (placed under house arrest) for aggravated attempted extortion","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers demanded the return of a USB drive containing bitcoins that they claimed as their own personal property, although the company was also threatened.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ansa.it/piemonte/notizie/2023/06/22/volevano-un-milione-di-euro-in-bitcoin-arrestati-per-estorsione_b4700e8d-ab45-4a2b-8be1-037878db1064.html","source1_name":"ANSA Piemonte","source2":"https://torino.repubblica.it/cronaca/2023/06/22/news/tentata_estorsione_da_1_milione_di_euro_in_bitcoin_imprenditore_minacciato_di_morte_due_arresti-405379463/","source2_name":"la Repubblica Torino","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA157","date":"2023-04","precision":"month","city":"Milan (Navigli district, via Magolfa)","country":"Italy","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 120,000 ransom demanded in cryptocurrency (plus luxury watches)","amount_usd":131000,"description":"In April 2023, three young brothers were lured into a trap and then assaulted and held captive in a bed and breakfast on via Magolfa, in the Navigli district of Milan, by three men from Galtellì (Nuoro, Sardinia) who claimed to have been defrauded by them. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of EUR 120,000 in cryptocurrency from the parents, as well as the return of valuable watches; geolocation of the ransom calls allowed the carabinieri to free the victims and arrest the perpetrators. Definitively sentenced to 9 years and 1 day, the three men were later found and arrested in Alghero and incarcerated in Sassari.","victims":"Three brothers (young adults)","outcome":"Three men from Galtellì (Sardinia), two aged 32 and one aged 34, sentenced to 9 years and 1 day by the Milan court of appeal; arrested in Alghero in June 2025 and incarcerated in Sassari","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Three brothers were held captive to extort a cryptocurrency ransom from their parents, the victims' personal assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.wikimilano.it/desk/news/arrestati-in-sardegna-tre-uomini-condannati-per-sequestro-a-milano-volevano-120mila-euro-di-riscatto/","source1_name":"WikiMilano (report of the Milan Court of Appeal ruling)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA158","date":"2023-04","precision":"month","city":"Medellín (El Poblado / Parque Lleras)","country":"Colombia","type":"Other","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"COP 54,000,000 total, including COP 43,000,000 transferred in Bitcoin and Ethereum and COP 11,000,000 in fraudulent purchases","amount_usd":12000,"description":"In April 2023 in Medellín, Manuela Cano Guzmán (21) and Anlly Melissa Tabares Restrepo (22) contacted three Dominican tourists via dating apps and lured them to a nightclub in El Poblado, where they administered scopolamine to them while they were dancing. The victims, unable to resist, were taken to a rented apartment where the group obtained their passwords and emptied their bank accounts, cards and digital wallets over 16 hours: 21 purchases totaling 11 million pesos and about 43 million pesos transferred in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The two women were captured by the Sijin in Cabañas de Bello, accepted the charges (aggravated theft, 21 counts of computer-based theft, 3 counts of unauthorized asset transfers), and the Fiscalía created a judicial wallet to return the frozen cryptocurrency.","victims":"Three Dominican tourists","outcome":"COP 43 million in BTC/ETH transferred; arrests and prosecution","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Tourists were drugged and then stripped of their own personal crypto wallets and bank accounts.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/medellin-red-escopolamina-a-turistas-en-parque-lleras-para-robarles-las-cuentas-785151","source1_name":"El Tiempo","source2":"https://www.elcolombiano.com/medellin/fiscalia-creo-billetera-virtual-para-recuperar-bitcoins-robados-en-medellin-DK23833563","source2_name":"El Colombiano","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA159","date":"2023-04","precision":"month","city":"Birmingham and Derby","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"GBP 100,000 total (bank accounts, cash, property, vehicles); the cryptocurrency share not publicly quantified, more than 80 outgoing transactions of which 10 linked to Coinbase","amount_usd":125000,"description":"Starting in April 2023 and for ten months, a gang of five men (Demalji Hadza, Abubaker Alezawy, Ali Hassan, Wasim Omar, Mohammed Sharif) used fake Grindr profiles to lure LGBT+ men to meetings in Birmingham and Derby, then assaulted them (fractured eye socket, dislocated shoulder, broken nose), threatened them with knives, sometimes held their faces in mud, and held them for several hours while using their phones to empty their accounts. According to a TRM Labs case study produced with Coinbase and West Midlands Police, one victim was drugged, held for hours and forced to unlock his phone with Face ID, his crypto wallets emptied and the funds dispersed through more than 80 outgoing transactions, ten of which were linked to Coinbase. On January 13, 2025, Birmingham Crown Court sentenced the five men to terms of 12 to 17 years and 3 months (78 years and 7 months combined), the CPS having prosecuted the case as a hate crime.","victims":"Several men from the LGBT+ community lured via fake Grindr profiles, as well as passersby who came to help","outcome":"GBP 100,000 stolen; 5 convictions (Demalji Hadza, Abubaker Alezawy, Ali Hassan, Wasim Omar, Mohammed Sharif), 12 to 17 years each","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victims were lured via Grindr and stripped of their personal crypto wallets on their phones.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpq9vey1ndxo","source1_name":"BBC News","source2":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/case-studies/coinbase-and-west-midlands-police-unite-to-bring-justice-to-victims-targeted-through-grindr","source2_name":"TRM Labs / Coinbase / West Midlands Police","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L069","date":"2023-04","precision":"month","city":"Dubai (Dubai Investments Park)","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash (AED)","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Cash","BTC"],"amount":"AED 42,000 (Dh42,000, i.e. BHD 4,300) converted into bitcoin","amount_usd":11437,"description":"A female cryptocurrency investor was lured by her own driver and three accomplices into a fake bitcoin purchase meeting at Dubai Investments Park; there, she was assaulted, shocked with a stun device, forcibly undressed and photographed naked for blackmail purposes before her Dh42,000 in cash was converted into bitcoin. Police identified the gang through surveillance cameras and recovered the victim's clothing, the electric device and the compromising videos at the suspects' home.","victims":"A woman cryptocurrency investor (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"The four Asian expatriates were sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of Dh42,000, followed by deportation at the end of their sentence.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Dh42,000 in cash extorted belonged to the victim, a private investor/crypto dealer trapped in a fake bitcoin purchase meeting by her own driver: an in-person P2P transaction for her own account, hence personal assets (confirmed by Khaleej Times and Gulf Daily News).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/dubai-4-expats-jailed-for-robbing-woman-of-dh42000-using-cash-to-buy-bitcoin","source1_name":"Khaleej Times","source2":"https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1229254/1000","source2_name":"Gulf Daily News (Bahrain)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA160","date":"2023-04-12","precision":"day","city":"Durham, North Carolina","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than USD 150,000","amount_usd":156000,"description":"After four days of surveillance from a Durham hotel, Remy St Felix and Elmer Ruben Castro, disguised as construction workers in reflective clothing, armed and masked, knocked on the door at around 7:30 a.m. They struck the man in the face, tied up the couple with zip ties, and then forced the husband to open his computer; Seemungal, who remained in Florida, remotely took control of the machine and carried out three transfers from the Coinbase account, with the authentication codes relayed by the assailants. The couple was locked in a bathroom, and their phones and computer were destroyed.","victims":"A 76-year-old couple ('Victim-8' and 'Victim-9')","outcome":"More than USD 150,000 in cryptocurrency stolen and laundered via privacy coins and instant exchanges; St Felix sentenced to 47 years","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Couple held captive at their home and forced to transfer funds from their own personal Coinbase account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/twelve-defendants-sentenced-violent-home-invasion-robberies-steal-cryptocurrency","source1_name":"Department of Justice — Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies","source2":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.89.0.pdf","source2_name":"Trial Brief of the United States, US v. Seemungal, DE 89","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA161","date":"2023-04-15","precision":"day","city":"Presidente Franco (Km 11 Monday), Alto Parana","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"492 ASIC mining machines + one white Hino truck (BEL 445), 3 laptops, 2 phones, 100,000 Argentine pesos and the video surveillance DVR; damages described as a 'cifra millonaria' (millions-figure sum), exact amount not disclosed","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Saturday, April 15, 2023, around 2 a.m., between 8 and 10 men armed with revolvers broke into the Arimar mining farm at Km 11 Monday in Presidente Franco and overpowered the guard, Ronaldo Esteban Peralta Bogado, 18. They took about two hours to dismantle and load 492 ASIC miners, also taking a white Hino truck, three laptops, two phones, 100,000 Argentine pesos and the video surveillance DVR. No arrests had been reported as of publication.","victims":"Ronaldo Esteban Peralta Bogado, 18, guard at the Arimar mining farm","outcome":"492 machines stolen; no arrests as of publication","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Armed raid on a mining farm targeting equipment (492 ASICs) and operational assets, not the guard's personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/este/2023/04/15/roban-casi-500-aparatos-de-mineradoras-de-criptomonedas-en-pdte-franco/","source1_name":"ABC Color (Paraguay)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA162","date":"2023-04-17","precision":"day","city":"Anyang (Dongan District / Dongan-gu), Gyeonggi","country":"South Korea","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"no loot taken (safe not opened); about KRW 5 billion (50억원, ~USD 3.8 million) in investment losses claimed by the attackers","amount_usd":null,"description":"On April 17, 2023, around 11 a.m., two men in their fifties broke into the Anyang (Dongan-gu) home of C., a man in his fifties who ran a cryptocurrency trading 'leading room,' bound his hands and feet with blue tape and held him captive, demanding the return of invested funds and the code to his safe before forcing him to ingest zolpidem. The main suspect claimed to have lost KRW 5 billion (50억원, about USD 3.8 million) on his advice; the safe was not opened and nothing was taken. The victim managed to alert a neighbor around 4 a.m. the next day, which triggered police intervention: the two men were arrested (one in Seoul-Gangnam on April 18, the other in Gimpo) and the Anyang court issued detention warrants on April 20, 2023 for aggravated robbery (특수강도) and unlawful confinement.","victims":"C. (C씨 / C.S.), a man in his fifties, operator of a crypto 'leading room' who had founded a coin company","outcome":"Nothing taken (safe not opened); victim drugged with zolpidem, then managed to alert a neighbor around 4 a.m. on April 18; 2 attackers arrested and placed in detention on April 20, 2023 for aggravated robbery (특수강도) and unlawful confinement","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers held the operator captive at his own home to obtain the code to his personal safe and the return of funds they had entrusted to him individually.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/421/0006760786","source1_name":"News1 (news agency, via Naver) — « 코인방 운영자 감금하고 졸피뎀 먹인 남성 2명 구속(종합) », 20 April 2023","source2":"https://www.kyeonggi.com/article/20230420580037","source2_name":"Kyeonggi Ilbo (경기일보) — « 코인 50억 손실에 리딩방 운영자 감금 », 20 April 2023","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA163","date":"2023-05","precision":"month","city":"Anapa, then Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 35 million demanded in total (RUB 5 million per abducted courier, RUB 25 million from the company's director)","amount_usd":430000,"description":"In May-June 2023, a Muscovite and two accomplices posed as police officers to stage fake arrests: they abducted and held captive a courier for a cryptocurrency company in Anapa, then a second one in Moscow whose car they also stole, beating them, threatening to kill them and confronting them with false accusations of fraud and terrorism financing. They demanded RUB 5 million per courier from their families and RUB 25 million from the company's director to 'avoid prosecution.' Sentenced by the Anapa court to 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony and a RUB 140,000 fine (kidnapping, extortion of a very large amount, robbery, vehicle theft), the organizer had his sentence upheld on cassation appeal on August 11, 2026; the cases of the two accomplices were separated.","victims":"Two couriers for a cryptocurrency company and the company's director","outcome":"Organizer sentenced to 10 years in a strict-regime penal colony and a RUB 140,000 fine; sentence upheld on cassation appeal in August 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individual ransoms demanded from the families of the abducted couriers, and a personal sum demanded from the director to 'avoid prosecution,' not the company's treasury.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.kuban.kp.ru/online/news/7116890/","source1_name":"Komsomolskaya Pravda Kuban","source2":"https://rg.ru/2026/08/11/reg-ufo/sud-ostavil-prigovor-po-delu-o-pohishchenii-kurerov-i-vymogatelstve-na-kubani.html","source2_name":"Rossiyskaya Gazeta","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L089","date":"2023-05","precision":"month","city":"London, Shepherd's Bush","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["crypto (mistaken belief of the attackers)","cash via forced bank transfer"],"asset_classes":["Other","Cash"],"amount":"$2,700 (£2,000) actually extorted via a forced withdrawal/bank transfer, from an initial demand of $67,000 (about £50,000); the victim in fact held only $9 (£6.71) in crypto","amount_usd":2700,"description":"In May 2023, Belgian barber Quentin Cepeljac, who had boasted online of being a successful crypto trader, was lured to London by a woman (Davina Raaymakers) he had met on social media, who invited him to a supposed luxury apartment. Arriving at a studio in Shepherd's Bush, he was ambushed by three accomplices armed with a machete and a knife, held captive and ordered to transfer his crypto assets; the kidnappers discovered he actually held only $9 in crypto and ultimately obtained $2,700 via a forced bank withdrawal, after an initial demand of up to $67,000. Police identified and arrested the group using phone records and data from an Airbnb rental used for the ambush.","victims":"Quentin Cepeljac, Belgian barber","outcome":"The four defendants (Davina Raaymakers and three accomplices) pleaded guilty to blackmail at Isleworth Crown Court; prison sentences had not been made public at the time the articles consulted were published (Decrypt states it had filed a freedom of information request to obtain them).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers were targeting the barber's supposed personal crypto assets, having lured him alone into a romance scam ambush; no corporate assets were involved (Cepeljac is a private individual presenting himself as a crypto trader).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://decrypt.co/331264/london-kidnapping-barber-bitcoin-billionaire-he-wasnt","source1_name":"Decrypt","source2":"https://bitnewsbot.com/london-gang-jailed-after-botched-kidnapping-over-fake-crypto-fortune/","source2_name":"BitNewsBot","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA164","date":"2023-05-03","precision":"day","city":"Benalmadena, Malaga","country":"Spain","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"ransom of EUR 1,000,000 demanded (not paid)","amount_usd":1100000,"description":"On May 3, 2023, three men abducted a foreign-born cryptocurrency manager and held him captive in a luxury villa in Benalmadena, on the Costa del Sol, demanding a ransom of one million euros from an acquaintance of the victim in Hungary and sending recordings and photos, including one showing the victim with a gun to his temple. The victim managed to photograph the view from a window, which allowed police to locate the villa and free him within hours, with minor injuries. Three men aged 35, 36 and 54 (two Greeks and one Albanian) were arrested; two firearms, one fitted with a silencer, plastic tarps, saws, EUR 5,000 and USD 1,200 were seized.","victims":"A foreign-born cryptocurrency manager, unidentified man","outcome":"Victim freed by police; arrests made.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Crypto manager held captive for a personal ransom to be paid by an acquaintance, targeting his own assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/benalmadena-torremolinos/this-how-police-freed-kidnapped-crypto-currency-20230504081331-nt.html","source1_name":"Sur in English","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L070","date":"2023-05-26","precision":"day","city":"Houston, Texas","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["Bitcoin ATM (hardware, failed theft attempt)","store merchandise","renovation tools (stolen vehicle)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM","Other","Vehicle"],"amount":"Unknown (failed attempt: ATM not stolen; property damage estimated at $10,000 and merchandise/tools stolen)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Seven individuals used a stolen truck to ram in reverse through the storefront of Smokie's Smoke Shop, in southwest Houston, just before 5 a.m., in a smash-and-grab attempt targeting in particular the store's Bitcoin ATM. All seven suspects were arrested on the spot; the ATM was not taken, but several items of merchandise and the stolen truck owner's tools were stolen, for about $10,000 in damage. The store had already been targeted three or four times before, according to its owner.","victims":"Smokie's Smoke Shop (business; owner not publicly identified) and the owner of the stolen truck","outcome":"Failed theft attempt: ATM not taken, seven suspects apprehended on the scene, no injuries reported.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Target = the Bitcoin ATM installed in a business (Smokie's Smoke Shop, owner Fehmida Ali) and the store's merchandise: ATM and business premises, hence business assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://abc13.com/post/smash-and-grab-robbery-smokies-smoke-shop-truck-crashes-into-beechnut-store-crash/13302865/","source1_name":"ABC13 Houston (KTRK)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA165","date":"2023-05-29","precision":"month","city":"Tel Aviv (Jabotinsky Street)","country":"Israel","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"several million shekels in crypto assets (transfers frozen/reversed by the platforms)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Early in the morning of May 29, 2023, two men broke down the door of the apartment of a foreign crypto entrepreneur living on Jabotinsky Street in Tel Aviv, beat him, and, at gunpoint, forced him to transfer all of his crypto assets, estimated at several million shekels, to their own wallets. The platforms flagged the transfers as abnormal and froze them, so neither the victim nor the attackers can access them; the victim left the country, and two residents of Rishon LeZion (53 and 58) were arrested on July 19, 2023.","victims":"A foreign crypto entrepreneur residing on Jabotinsky Street in Tel Aviv (name not published)","outcome":"All crypto assets transferred to the attackers; 2 suspects (53 and 58) arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Crypto entrepreneur forced at gunpoint to transfer all of his personal crypto assets to the attackers' wallets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ice.co.il/law/news/article/972773","source1_name":"ice (אייס) — « The great Tel Aviv crypto heist revealed »","source2":"https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001449527","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA166","date":"2023-06","precision":"month","city":"L'Ile-Bizard, Montreal","country":"Canada","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","cash","jewelry"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"cryptocurrency theft failed; CAD 23,000 in cash and a bank draft, jewelry, luxury clothing and electronics taken","amount_usd":17000,"description":"In June 2023, around 5:24 a.m., in L'Ile-Bizard (Montreal), three masked men armed with a knife and a fake handgun emerged from bushes and overpowered a man leaving his home, then forced him, with a knife to his throat, to transfer his bitcoins to them via a QR code on Binance; he made the transfer fail by pretending to have difficulties. His partner, naked, was woken up with a gun to her forehead, bound with tape and dragged by the hair, their infant torn from her arms; the man alerted 911 with his smartwatch and was beaten, before the two victims managed to escape. Joe-Marshall Altidort, 22, who was carrying out a contract for a sponsor, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on February 10, 2026 to 10 years in a penitentiary; his accomplices were never arrested.","victims":"A couple from L'Ile-Bizard (\"William\" and \"Marie,\" pseudonyms) and their baby","outcome":"No cryptocurrency stolen (transfer aborted); CAD 23,000 and valuables stolen; Joe-Marshall Altidort sentenced on February 10, 2026 to 10 years in a penitentiary; his three accomplices, including his brother, never arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion aimed at extorting the couple's personal bitcoins, along with their valuables at home.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2026-02-10/couple-ligote-lors-d-un-vol-de-bitcoins/un-cauchemar-tout-droit-sorti-d-un-film-dit-la-juge.php","source1_name":"La Presse — 'Couple tied up in bitcoin robbery | A nightmare straight out of a movie, says the judge'","source2":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/vols-de-cryptomonnaies/terrorises-pour-une-poignee-de-bitcoins/2025-08-04/vol-de-cryptomonnaie-extremement-violent/trois-voleurs-armes-terrorisent-un-couple-le-bebe-pleure-a-l-etage.php","source2_name":"La Presse — 'Extremely violent cryptocurrency robbery | Three armed thieves terrorize a couple, baby cries upstairs'","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA167","date":"2023-06-05","precision":"day","city":"Kaohsiung","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"20,000 USDT (about TWD 600,000)","amount_usd":20000,"description":"On the evening of June 4, 2023, Kuo Che-an (郭哲安) contacted a USDT seller claiming he wanted to buy 20,000 USDT from him, and arranged to meet the next morning at the apartment his girlfriend rented in Kaohsiung, having set up the ambush on Instagram with three accomplices (splitting the loot, 'bring a bat,' 'machete'). When the victim (anonymized as 'A06') arrived at 9:54 a.m., Kuo beat him with a baseball bat while an accomplice sprayed him with pepper spray and then came back from the kitchen with a knife, a fourth man making up the numbers; under duress, the victim handed over his phone and his wallet credentials, and 20,000 USDT were transferred at 10:24 a.m., of which 18,000 were resold and split. The Kaohsiung District Court sentenced the perpetrators on March 31, 2026 for armed robbery by a group of three or more: 8 years, 7 years 6 months, 7 years 2 months, and a 2-year suspended sentence for the accomplice who compensated the victim.","victims":"Victim anonymized as 'A06,' a USDT seller; perpetrators: Kuo Che-an (郭哲安), Lin Hsin-hung (林昕弘), Sun Chun-tung (孫郡瞳), Liang Shun-chieh (梁舜傑)","outcome":"20,000 USDT stolen, victim injured on the shoulder and arm; sentences of 8 years, 7 years 6 months, 7 years 2 months and 2 years (accomplice)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery during a P2P USDT transaction between individuals, targeting the seller's own assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=KSDM%2C113%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C49%2C20260331%2C1","source1_name":"Kaohsiung District Court, 113年度訴字第49號/第167號/第356號 (31 March 2026)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5405593","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA168","date":"2023-06-12","precision":"day","city":"Auckland (abducted in Birkenhead; held captive in west Auckland then in Glen Eden; escaped in Tikipunga, Whangarei)","country":"New Zealand","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (password to the partner's crypto wallet, never obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of June 12, 2023, around 10:30 p.m., Kayla Pawa, 28, was abducted from her bedroom at her home in Birkenhead (North Shore, Auckland) by a group of armed, masked intruders linked to the Nomads gang, then taken to Bernadette Rawiri's home in west Auckland, before being moved three days later to Carlos Harris's home in Glen Eden, where she was locked in a freezing bathroom for about two weeks. Over 24 days she was tied to a chair and interrogated, hit on the ribs with a baseball bat and on the hands with a hammer, burned with a blowtorch with threats to burn her eyes, left bound and gagged in a car trunk, threatened with having a finger amputated with pliers, and forced to dig her own grave on an isolated property in Northland: the goal, according to Judge Brooke Gibson, was to break her will so she would hand over the password to her then-partner's cryptocurrency holdings, a password she always said she did not know. She escaped from a vehicle in Tikipunga (Whangarei) on July 6, 2023 and flagged down an ambulance for help.","victims":"Kayla Pawa, 28 (partner of a cryptocurrency holder)","outcome":"Victim freed after 24 days, seriously injured; no cryptocurrency obtained; Carlos Harris (33, a patched member of the Nomads) pleaded guilty to kidnapping; Bernadette Rawiri sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison (February 2025)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Partner abducted and tortured to obtain the password to her partner's personal crypto wallet.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/auckland-kidnapping-bernadette-rawiri-jailed-womans-torture-over-cryptocurrency-password/VW6FHED2MJCTJLTFECEVQFVUWE/","source1_name":"NZ Herald","source2":"https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and-justice/493556/kidnap-victim-forced-to-dig-her-own-grave-nomads-gang-member-hands-himself-in-to-police","source2_name":"RNZ","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA169","date":"2023-06-22","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Neihu District, Jiuzong Street Section 2)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"21,084 USDT (84 + 21,000, about TWD 700,000) + TWD 10,000 in cash","amount_usd":21084,"description":"On June 22, 2023, around 9 p.m., two men (Yang, 23, and Lin, in his twenties) posed as cryptocurrency buyers and, through a third accomplice (Zhang) and online contacts nicknamed 'A-Chen' and 'Jin Caiku,' lured a trader named Liu to a face-to-face meeting on Jiuzong Street Section 2, Neihu District, Taipei. Lin overpowered him with a machete, blindfolded him with a mask, and tied his hands with zip ties while threatening to stab him, while Yang used Liu's phone to make his associate believe the cash had been received: 84 then 21,000 USDT were transferred to the account designated by the attackers, who also took TWD 10,000 in cash before fleeing to a KTV in Xinzhuang to split the loot. At first instance, the Shilin District Court sentenced them on May 21, 2025 to 7 years and 8 months in prison for aggravated robbery with violence, a ruling subject to appeal.","victims":"Mr. Liu, a cryptocurrency trader (cash-for-crypto meeting)","outcome":"21,084 USDT and TWD 10,000 stolen; three attackers sentenced to 7 years 8 months","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Liu is an individual trader robbed during an in-person cash-for-crypto meeting, acting on his own account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20250521003418-260402","source1_name":"China Times (report of the Shilin court judgment)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA172","date":"2023-07","precision":"month","city":"Rudny (a suburban town of Yekaterinburg), Sverdlovsk Oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than RUB 5.6 million to 5.8 million in crypto assets (resold for about RUB 4 million)","amount_usd":64000,"description":"In July 2023, a gang of four men from Altai Krai, tipped off about their target by Dmitry Storozhenko, head of the economic security department of the Novoaltaisk police, who had sold them confidential data from Interior Ministry files for RUB 300,000, kidnapped a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and investor from Yekaterinburg in the town of Rudny, after weeks of surveilling his schedule and routes. Taken to a forest park, the man was beaten and threatened with firearms until he handed over the logins and passwords for his digital wallets: more than RUB 5.6 to 5.8 million in crypto assets were transferred and then resold for about RUB 4 million. Arrested in August 2024, the defendants were tried by a jury that dismissed the extortion charge and several other counts, and on November 21, 2025 the Sverdlovsk regional court handed down sentences of 7, 10, 11 and 14 years in a strict-regime penal colony along with fines (14 years and a RUB 800,000 fine for Vyacheslav Siluyanov, 10 years and a RUB 950,000 fine for former police officer Storozhenko, who was stripped of his rank of major).","victims":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur and investor from Yekaterinburg (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"More than RUB 5.6 million in crypto assets stolen and then resold (~RUB 4 million); four convictions on November 21, 2025 to 7, 10, 11 and 14 years in a strict-regime penal colony with fines, former police major Storozhenko being stripped of his rank","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur and investor was kidnapped and forced to hand over the credentials to his own digital wallets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"http://rapsinews.ru/judicial_news/20251121/311363444.html","source1_name":"RAPSI (Russian Legal Information Agency)","source2":"https://www.e1.ru/text/criminal/2025/10/20/76083236/","source2_name":"E1.ru (Yekaterinburg)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA492","date":"2023-07-01","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Datong district, Chongqing North Road, outside a sauna)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"248,013 USDT transferred under threat (worth TWD 7,800,000); the cash was taken back","amount_usd":250000,"description":"At around 3 p.m. on 1 July 2023, a USDT dealer named Wang had agreed to sell 248,013 USDT for TWD 7.8 million in cash to Hsieh, 37, a Taipei city employee (parks and street lighting office). Wary, Wang had the buyer get into his own car, parked on Chongqing North Road outside a sauna in Datong district, to count the banknotes before transferring the USDT. Once the tokens had arrived, Hsieh claimed he had received nothing, pulled out a pistol, pressed it against Wang's waist and took back the bag of TWD 7.8 million, which he threw out of the window to an accomplice (Lai, 41) waiting outside; a third man (Lee) was at the wheel of the getaway car and a fourth (Tsao) kept watch. The USDT were then laundered through other wallets.","victims":"Wang, a private USDT dealer","outcome":"Arrests between 12 and 18 July 2023; a pistol and 33 rounds were seized at Hsieh's home, four guns in all, along with TWD 100,000. Hsieh was released on TWD 100,000 bail and Lai on TWD 200,000 bail (a decision the High Court quashed on the prosecutors' appeal); Tsao was placed under residence restrictions; the aggravated robbery investigation was handled by the Shilin prosecutors. Court outcome not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An independent USDT dealer with no company mentioned, robbed of his own tokens during an over-the-counter sale.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20230806/2555231.htm","source1_name":"ETtoday","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4387701","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA173","date":"2023-07-05","precision":"day","city":"Medellin (El Poblado), Antioquia","country":"Colombia","type":"Other","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than COP 165,000,000 in cryptocurrency + COP 19,000,000 in physical goods (more than COP 180,000,000 in total)","amount_usd":45000,"description":"On July 5, 2023, two Turkish nationals contacted through a dating app were taken to an apartment in El Poblado, Medellin, where they were made to drink a substance that left them unconscious for two days. The attackers then accessed the apps on their phones and transferred more than 165 million pesos in cryptocurrency to anonymous wallets, in addition to 19 million pesos in goods. The network, dubbed 'Los Criptocitas' by police and operating with scopolamine through fake sexual services offered to foreigners, had three of its members arrested in Dosquebradas (Dayana Hincapie Valencia, Carlos Andres Cardona Hernandez, Jenifer Leandra Toro), with COP 150,560,000 and eight phones seized.","victims":"Two Turkish nationals (and other foreigners targeted by the same network)","outcome":"About COP 180 million stolen; three people arrested (Dayana Hincapie Valencia, Carlos Andres Cardona Hernandez, Jenifer Leandra Toro) in Dosquebradas; COP 150 million and 8 phones seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individuals were drugged through fake dates and had their personal crypto accounts on their phones emptied.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/no-dejaron-nada-asi-operaban-los-presuntos-ladrones-de-criptomonedas-de-extranjeros-en-el-poblado-medellin-3371734","source1_name":"El Tiempo","source2":"https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/delitos/asi-delinquian-los-criptocitas-la-red-que-ofrecian-falsos-servicios-sexuales-a-extranjeros-para-robarles-criptomonedas-3377436","source2_name":"El Tiempo (network 'Los Criptocitas')","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA174","date":"2023-07-05","precision":"day","city":"Tainan (Rende District)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 60,000 (transaction disguised as a sale for TWD 1,900,000)","amount_usd":60000,"description":"A group formed on Telegram by an organizer nicknamed 'James' and led by Chung Jui-chien (鍾睿謙) bought a car without registration papers and three air pistols the same day, then lured Yeh Chia-jung into a fake exchange of USDT 60,000 for TWD 1,900,000 in front of the Carrefour on Zhongshan Road in Rende, Tainan, on July 5, 2023 at 10:37 p.m. Once Yeh got into the back of the vehicle, two men held him at gunpoint, struck his left cheek with the butt of an air rifle, and forced him to hand over his phone passcode, which they used to send his associate a fake cash receipt confirmation, triggering the transfer of the USDT 60,000 to a designated wallet; Yeh was released at an intersection in Rende and his iPhone was thrown out of the window during the getaway.","victims":"Yeh Chia-jung (葉家榮), a USDT trader; the funds were sent by his associate 'A-Zhi' (阿志), who was deceived by a fake message","outcome":"USDT 60,000 stolen (USDT 17,806 later seized from a third-party wallet); three convictions for aggravated robbery by a gang with a weapon","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Yeh Chia-jung, a USDT trader, was robbed in person during a fake P2P exchange, targeting his own assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TNDM%2C113%2C%E5%8E%9F%E8%A8%B4%2C15%2C20250527%2C2","source1_name":"Tainan District Court, 113年度原訴字第15號 (27 May 2025)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TNHM%2C114%2C%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C1402%2C20250925%2C1","source2_name":"High Court, Tainan Branch, 114年度上訴字第1402號 (25 September 2025)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA176","date":"2023-07-07","precision":"day","city":"New Taipei (Sanchong District)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 95,000 targeted (TWD 3,035,250); nothing obtained except an iPhone resold for TWD 8,500","amount_usd":95000,"description":"A Telegram organizer nicknamed 'Doctor Strange' tasked Tseng Po-hung (曾博鴻) with recruiting two accomplices, Kuo Chin-hung (郭晉宏) and Hsieh Shou-cheng (謝守政), for a fake purchase of USDT 95,000 for TWD 3,035,250 set for July 7, 2023 at 10:50 p.m. in front of the Carrefour Renai 2 in Sanchong, New Taipei, with pepper spray, a knife and a baseball bat in the trunk, the meeting point being moved to a nearby street with no cameras. The victim, seated in the back, was locked in by the central locking system, choked with one arm by Hsieh while Tseng pushed the seatback down to immobilize her and tore away her iPhone containing the wallet; she refused to give the passcode, managed to unlock the door and flee with wounds to her wrist and knee and pain in her shoulder, and the phone was resold the next day for TWD 8,500 in a shop in New Taipei.","victims":"Chien Huan-ju (簡煥儒), a USDT seller (anonymized as '戊○○' at first instance)","outcome":"No USDT obtained, phone stolen; three convictions for aggravated robbery by a gang of three or more people with a weapon","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Chien Huan-ju, a USDT seller, was robbed during a fake P2P purchase targeting personal assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2C113%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C362%2C20250227%2C1","source1_name":"New Taipei District Court, 113年度訴字第362號 (27 February 2025)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPHM%2C114%2C%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C3175%2C20260331%2C1","source2_name":"Taiwan High Court, 114年度上訴字第3175號 (31 March 2026)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA177","date":"2023-07-16","precision":"day","city":"Birmingham","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Nearly GBP 18,000 in cryptocurrency + GBP 2,458 from bank accounts","amount_usd":26000,"description":"On the evening of July 16, 2023, the victim designated 'FF' was abducted on Broad Street in Birmingham and forced into Demalji Hadza's van, where he was force-fed cannabis and nitrous oxide, then driven to his own apartment before being held for many hours in the vehicle. The attackers repeatedly held his stolen phone up to his face to unlock his banking apps by biometrics: GBP 2,458 was stolen from his accounts and nearly GBP 18,000 in cryptocurrency; the confinement lasted at least twelve and a half hours. This incident is part of a conspiracy of nine robberies committed between April 2023 and February 2024 against gay and bisexual men lured through fake Grindr profiles, which resulted in five men receiving sentences of 12 years to 17 years and 3 months handed down on January 13, 2025.","victims":"A man designated 'FF' (anonymized by order of the Court of Appeal)","outcome":"Wasiim Omar sentenced to 17 years and 3 months; Ali Hassan 16 years 9 months; Abubaker Al Ezawy 16 years 5 months; Demalji Hadza 16 years 2 months; Mohammed Sharif 12 years (Birmingham Crown Court, January 13, 2025). Appeal application rejected on February 17, 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim 'FF' was abducted and forced to unlock his own bank and crypto accounts by biometrics.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/crim/2026/92","source1_name":"R v Wasiim Omar [2026] EWCA Crim 92, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) — Find Case Law, The National Archives","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L071","date":"2023-07-16","precision":"day","city":"Flushing, Queens, New York","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["cash (USD)","unspecified cryptocurrency","Rolex (watch)","Hermès bag","Chanel bag","2019 Mercedes-Benz GT50 vehicle"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables","Vehicle"],"amount":"$40,000 total in cash and cryptocurrency ($20,000 cash + $20,000 crypto), plus a Rolex, an Hermès bag, a Chanel bag, a wallet, a phone and a stolen 2019 Mercedes-Benz GT50","amount_usd":40000,"description":"Two men posing as FBI agents, arriving in a black Porsche Cayenne, approached a couple (a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman) near their home in Flushing around 7:30 a.m., threatened them with handguns, tased and tied them up before ransacking their home. They took $20,000 in cash, $20,000 in cryptocurrency, a Rolex watch, Hermès and Chanel bags, a wallet and a phone, then fled with the victims' Porsche and 2019 Mercedes-Benz GT50. The victims were not seriously injured; the NYPD (109th Precinct) released surveillance footage of the suspects, with no arrest reported in the following days.","victims":"A couple (a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman)","outcome":"Successful theft (cash, crypto, jewelry, vehicle taken); victims not seriously injured; no arrest reported at the time of the articles, investigation ongoing (NYPD Crime Stoppers).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The property targeted and taken ($20,000 in cash, $20,000 in crypto, Rolex, Hermès and Chanel bags, Mercedes GT50) belonged to the couple, at their home; no business entity mentioned by the NYPD or by the sources.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/local/fake-fbi-agents-in-porsche-tase-tie-couple-in-queens","source1_name":"1010 WINS / Audacy","source2":"https://qns.com/2023/07/crooks-pose-fbi-agents-flushing-home-invasion/","source2_name":"QNS","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA178","date":"2023-07-20","precision":"day","city":"Élancourt","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 10,000,000 demanded, EUR 30,000 actually paid in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":33000,"description":"Early in the morning of July 20, 2023 in Élancourt (Yvelines), a man disguised as a delivery courier, carrying a box, knocked on the door of a 56-year-old woman; two accomplices then rushed in and forced her inside. Bound with tape from her feet to her shoulders on a tarp spread on the floor and threatened with a machete and a hammer, she was used as leverage to demand 10 million euros in cryptocurrency from her son, a crypto entrepreneur based in New York; only 30,000 euros were actually paid. She freed herself from the gag around 10 a.m. and screamed; a neighbor climbed in through a window and freed her.","victims":"A 56-year-old woman, mother of a crypto entrepreneur based in New York","outcome":"EUR 30,000 extorted; four men (including Idriss L., 36, suspected logistics organizer, arrested on September 7, 2023) committed to stand trial before the Yvelines assize court in August 2026; the suspected mastermind Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou is serving a 25-year sentence in Morocco and has not been extradited; the case is linked to the 'Bois-d'Arcy commando,' also responsible for the Cures (Sarthe) abduction","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The mother of a crypto entrepreneur was held captive to extort her son's personal assets, with no mention of company funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/economie/bitcoin/cryptomonnaies-proces-aux-assises-requis-contre-un-commando-soupconne-d-avoir-mene-plusieurs-enlevements_7757873.html","source1_name":"franceinfo","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/4-hommes-aux-assises-le-calvaire-de-la-mere-dun-entrepreneur-crypto/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin (citing Le Parisien)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA505","date":"2023-07-25","precision":"day","city":"Bengaluru (HSR Layout), Karnataka","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"About 170,000 USDT (INR 14.1 million according to the Deccan Herald) + INR 2 million transferred from his bank account; about INR 17 million in total","amount_usd":170000,"description":"On July 25, 2023, six men abducted VS Karthik, the director of a digital marketing company, in a car outside his home in HSR Layout (Bengaluru) and took him to an unknown location, where he was tortured to make him transfer money. He had to send about 170,000 USDT (Tether, valued at INR 14.1 million) and INR 2 million from his bank account to accounts belonging to the kidnappers. The alleged instigator, Raj Kishore, a former home guard, had enlisted a probationary sub-inspector and a constable from Madiwala police station, who allegedly forced the victim to pay on the pretext that he was refusing to settle money owed.","victims":"VS Karthik, director of a digital marketing company living in HSR Layout (called 'Pavan', name changed, by News Trail)","outcome":"The victim was released after paying; a complaint was filed at Kadugondanahalli police station and the case was taken over by the Economic Offences Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB): one suspect was arrested on November 10, 2023 (800 USDT and transfer records seized), then probationary sub-inspector Siddarooda Bijjannanavar and constable Allabhaksh Karjagi (Madiwala police station) and former home guard Raj Kishore were arrested around November 15, 2023; the investigation to identify the other perpetrators is ongoing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (a company director targeted personally, abducted at his home) was forced to empty his own USDT holdings and bank account; nothing points to a company's treasury.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/probationary-psi-constable-among-four-arrested-for-extorting-rs-1-7-cr-from-man-2778710","source1_name":"Deccan Herald","source2":"https://newstrailindia.com/inner.php?id=18247","source2_name":"News Trail","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA179","date":"2023-07-27","precision":"day","city":"East Meadow (Long Island, Nassau County; arrest in West Hempstead), New York State","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (Coinbase account)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"None (attempt interrupted before any contact with the victims)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In July 2023, Remy Ra St Felix, head of the home invasion team of the Florida-based Seemungal network, traveled from Florida to Long Island, New York, to break into the home of a family of five in East Meadow: he had identified his target, Kevin Butler, a cryptocurrency holder, had his address, photos of his house, and his driver's license, was surveilling the home, and was discussing on Telegram with the accomplice 'Neb' a plan to access the victim's Coinbase account by using his child as 'leverage.' He was arrested by law enforcement on the morning of July 27, 2023, alone in his vehicle in the parking lot of a McDonald's in West Hempstead, before carrying out the act: police seized a pistol at his feet, an AR-style rifle, and plastic zip ties in the trunk. On September 11, 2024, he was sentenced to 47 years (564 months) in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and USD 524,153.39 in restitution for the entire case.","victims":"Kevin Butler ('Victim-10'), a cryptocurrency holder, and his family of five, including a child, residents of East Meadow/Long Island, New York State","outcome":"Attack prevented: no contact with the victims, nothing stolen, St Felix arrested armed before carrying out the act, then sentenced on September 11, 2024 to 564 months (47 years) in prison and USD 524,153.39 in restitution","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Kevin Butler was targeted for access to his own personal Coinbase account via a family home invasion.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/twelve-defendants-sentenced-violent-home-invasion-robberies-steal-cryptocurrency","source1_name":"Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs — Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies to Steal Cryptocurrency","source2":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201/gov.uscourts.ncmd.96201.89.0.pdf","source2_name":"United States Trial Brief, US v. St Felix / Seemungal, 1:23-cr-00260 (M.D.N.C.), DE 89 (RECAP/CourtListener) — see also the trial transcript DE 187 (1:23-cr-00260, gov.uscourts.ncmd.96199.187.0.pdf) which names the target Kevin Butler","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA180","date":"2023-08-03","precision":"day","city":"Taichung","country":"Taiwan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 3,160 (≈ TWD 100,000)","amount_usd":3160,"description":"Following a dispute over rent and advanced expenses, Chang Hsiu-chun (張琇珺), her partner Huang Chin-kai (黃勤凱), their friend Wang Tzu-hua (王慈樺) and two minors broke into the former shared residence in Taichung on August 3, 2023 at 8:23 p.m., Huang carrying a gas pistol; the victim, lured there by a WeChat message, returned home at 9:31 p.m., the door was locked, her phone and passcode were extorted from her and she was held captive. The victim's partner, called using that phone, arrived at 10:04 p.m. and was struck with bare hands, with a helmet, and with the gas pistol (scalp wound, bruising and corneal abrasion of the left eye), the two victims also being forced to slap each other; to secure her release, the victim had a friend abroad send USDT 3,160 (≈ TWD 100,000) at 11:30 p.m. to a TRON wallet designated by Huang.","victims":"'Ding'/A03, a former female roommate, and her partner 'Jia'/A04; the USDT was sent by the victim's friend residing abroad, Chen Ssu-yu (陳思羽)","outcome":"USDT 3,160 extorted; convictions for unlawful confinement by a group of three or more people with a weapon","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The confinement stemmed from a private rental dispute and targeted the victim's personal USDT, sent by a friend.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C113%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C173%2C20250725%2C1","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, 113年度訴字第173號 (25 July 2025)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCHM%2C115%2C%E4%B8%8A%E8%A8%B4%2C10%2C20260812%2C1","source2_name":"High Court, Taichung Branch, 115年度上訴字第10號 (12 August 2026)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA181","date":"2023-08-06","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Songshan District)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"bag containing TWD 370,000 in real banknotes and TWD 4,900,000 in counterfeit banknotes (displayed transaction: TWD 5,270,000 for USDT)","amount_usd":11600,"description":"USDT trader Hsieh Ming-lun and six accomplices decided on August 5, 2023 to rob the buyer instead of delivering the tokens, coordinating via a Telegram group. On August 6, 2023 at 2:30 p.m., in front of the north-2 exit of Songshan Station (Taipei), during the counting of the banknotes, Hsu Chin-cheng and Chao Lei suddenly appeared with knives, one pressing the blade against the abdomen of courier Lin Ting-yu and the other against the throat of the trader while shouting \"don't move,\" before seizing the bag of money and the phone. The buyer had himself set up a scam, the bag containing only TWD 370,000 in real money out of the TWD 5,270,000 announced.","victims":"Lin Ting-yu (林廷祐), courier for buyer Lo Yung-hsiang (羅雍翔), and USDT trader Hsieh Ming-lun (謝明倫), himself an accomplice in the robbery","outcome":"Bag taken (mostly counterfeit banknotes, since the buyer had himself tried to defraud the seller); seven convictions for armed group robbery, sentences ranging from 3 years 6 months to 7 years 6 months","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery during an in-person over-the-counter transaction between a USDT trader and a buyer's courier, two private individuals acting on their own behalf.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPDM%2c112%2c%e5%8e%9f%e8%a8%b4%2c91%2c20240429%2c3","source1_name":"Taipei District Court, 112年度原訴字第91號","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA182","date":"2023-08-19","precision":"day","city":"Rome (Bufalotta)","country":"Italy","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (bitcoin ATM machine and its contents)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Around 10 p.m. on Friday night, August 18/19, 2023, criminals rammed a car through the storefront of the Dima shopping center in the Bufalotta district of Rome and made off with an ATM dedicated to buying bitcoin. Officers from the Fidene police station seized CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators; no arrest was reported.","victims":"Operator of a bitcoin ATM installed in the Dima shopping center","outcome":"Bitcoin ATM taken; investigation by the State Police (Fidene station), no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Theft of an automated bitcoin teller machine (ATM) installed in a shopping center, an asset belonging to its professional operator.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ansa.it/lazio/notizie/2023/08/19/rubano-da-centro-commerciale-atm-per-bitcoin-indaga-polizia_f21fd51b-2cad-4c07-b109-99eb508e113b.html","source1_name":"ANSA Lazio","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L072","date":"2023-08-24","precision":"day","city":"Cures, Sarthe","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 1.7 million in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":1850000,"description":"A man disguised as an Amazon delivery driver rang the doorbell at the home of the father (60), of crypto influencer TeufeurS (Killian Desnos), who is based in Malta, in Cures, Sarthe, on August 24, 2023, before being forcibly taken away by several accomplices. A video showing the victim tied up with an automatic weapon pointed at his head was sent to the son, who paid a ransom of EUR 1.7 million in cryptocurrency despite investigators' recommendations; the father was released unharmed. Six members of the network are facing prosecution, including the alleged organizer Badiss B., arrested in Tangier on June 3, 2025, and Djelloul C., arrested in Colombes as early as August 25, 2023; the public prosecutor's office in Le Mans has requested a trial before the assize court, and this network is suspected of being linked to the kidnapping of Ledger's co-founder in January 2025.","victims":"The father of crypto influencer TeufeurS (Killian Desnos), a 60-year-old man","outcome":"Ransom of EUR 1.7 million paid, victim released safe and unharmed; six suspects implicated (two of whom arrested, in France and Morocco), financial investigation resulting in the seizure of approximately $900,000 traced to an account in Venezuela; trial before the assize court requested by the public prosecutor's office in Le Mans.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The father of a cryptocurrency holder (influencer TeufeurS) was kidnapped to force his son to hand over HIS personal cryptocurrency: a relative held captive to reach the holder's personal assets, no company targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/pays-de-la-loire/sarthe/le-mans/un-proces-aux-assises-requis-apres-l-enlevement-dans-la-sarthe-du-pere-de-l-influenceur-teufeurs-3286131.html","source1_name":"France 3 Pays de la Loire","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/cryptorapt-pere-influenceur-crypto-enquete-revele-coulisses-affaire/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA183","date":"2023-09","precision":"month","city":"Tuzla (Akfirat district, where the body was found), Istanbul; murder committed in Kocaeli","country":"Türkiye","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Muhammed Boduroglu, 41, described by the Turkish press as a \"hacker,\" was lured to a meeting in Kocaeli by five individuals themselves described as hackers, who tortured him to extract the password to his cryptocurrency wallet and then beat him to death, breaking his neck, around mid-September 2023. His body, naked and half-buried, was found on September 23, 2023 around 5 p.m. in a vacant lot in the Akfirat district of Tuzla (Istanbul), partially unearthed by stray animals, and identified by fingerprints. Five suspects (Vedat T., 40; Gurbuz A., 47; Servet P., 44; Serkan U., 24; Emrullah C., 49) were arrested in Istanbul, Kocaeli and Elazig and accused one another; a sixth person involved died of a heart attack on October 6, 2023 before his arrest.","victims":"Muhammed Boduroglu, 41, described as a \"hacker\"","outcome":"Victim tortured, killed and buried; 5 suspects arrested and referred to the public prosecutor's office, a 6th person involved died before arrest","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victim tortured to extract the password to his own personal cryptocurrency wallet.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/cinayetin-nedeni-kripto-cuzdani-5-supheli-gozaltinda-42349458","source1_name":"Hürriyet","source2":"https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/turkiye/topraga-gomulu-bulunmustu-cinayetin-nedeni-kripto-paraymis-2132462","source2_name":"Cumhuriyet","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L073","date":"2023-09-03","precision":"day","city":"Cherng Talay, Phuket","country":"Thailand","type":"Torture","assets":["hardware wallet (Ledger sought)","luxury watches","cash (EUR)","electronic equipment"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet","Valuables","Cash","Other cryptocurrency"],"amount":"3 luxury watches worth 7,881,950 baht (Rolex Daytona 2,476,500 + Patek Philippe Nautilus 3,805,250 + GRAFF 1,600,200) + EUR 40,000 in cash taken from the safe + EUR 16,000 withdrawn in Dubai with the stolen card; total valued by police at more than 12 million THB including electronics","amount_usd":268000,"description":"Three Kazakh nationals broke into the villa of an Italian tourist around 11 p.m., dragged him out of his bedroom, tied him up, gagged him, blindfolded him and beat him in sessions of about 30 minutes throughout the night; he managed to escape, still bound, the next day around 4:48 p.m. They left with three luxury watches, electronic equipment and EUR 40,000 in cash, and had been trying to access his Ledger wallet, before fleeing to Dubai and then Kazakhstan. The victim had named MMA fighter Khusein Askhabov and his twin brother Khasan as responsible; arrested on 5 September, they were ultimately cleared by the investigation, which established that they were not involved, with police considering charges against the victim for false testimony.","victims":"An Italian tourist (name not disclosed)","outcome":"Loot taken (watches, cash, electronics); victim beaten but alive, able to escape. The three alleged perpetrators (Kazakh nationals) fled via Dubai and appear to have returned to Kazakhstan, with no arrest reported in the sources consulted. The Askhabov brothers, briefly arrested and wrongly charged with kidnapping/torture/extortion, were cleared and released; the victim reportedly faces possible charges for making a false statement.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An Italian tourist attacked in his vacation villa: the attackers were looking for the drive containing his cryptocurrency ledger and took his personal belongings (watches, EUR 40,000 from the safe, electronics). No business structure was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-mma-fighter-khusein-twin-brother-arrested-for-kidnap-torture-extortion-in-phuket-89533.php","source1_name":"The Phuket News","source2":"https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/mma-fighters-askhabov-brothers-freed-after-false-torture-charges","source2_name":"The Thaiger","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA184","date":"2023-10","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv","country":"Ukraine","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately USD 28,000 in crypto plus USD 1,400 in cash","amount_usd":29400,"description":"Four residents of Cherkasy, aged 21 to 24, friends of the victim who had learned that he held cryptocurrency, came to his home in Kyiv and struck him repeatedly as soon as the door was opened, then forced him at knifepoint to transfer about USD 28,000 in crypto to one of their wallets, before taking his papers, USD 1,400 in cash and his bank cards. They tied his hands and feet, gagged his mouth with tape and locked him in the apartment before fleeing. The four suspects were identified and arrested during searches in Kyiv and Cherkasy announced on October 23, 2023 (about 300 rounds of ammunition seized from one of them); the indictment for robbery (art. 187) and unlawful confinement (art. 146) was sent to court in May 2024, with up to 15 years in prison at stake.","victims":"A 24-year-old man, an entrepreneur, friend of the attackers","outcome":"Approximately USD 28,000 in crypto transferred; four suspects arrested in Kyiv and Cherkasy, prosecuted for robbery (art. 187) and unlawful confinement (art. 146), up to 15 years","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion by friends of the victim targeting the personal cryptocurrency he held, transferred under duress to a personal wallet.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://incident.obozrevatel.com/kiyany/crime/radi-kriptovalyutyi-razoblachili-i-izbili-tovarischa-v-kieve-budut-sudit-gruppu-vyimogatelej-foto-i-podrobnosti.htm","source1_name":"Obozrevatel (Kyiv police)","source2":"https://kyiv.npu.gov.ua/news/stolychni-politseiski-skeruvaly-do-sudu-obvynuvalnyi-akt-vidnosno-hrupy-vymahachiv-iaki-zarady-kryptovaliuty-vchynyly-rozbiinyi-napad-na-svoho-tovarysha","source2_name":"Incrypted","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L076","date":"2023-10-03","precision":"day","city":"Södertälje, Stockholm","country":"Sweden","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"In early October 2023, four masked individuals broke into the home of a couple in Södertälje and tied up both occupants — people who had spoken publicly about Bitcoin — in order to extort their cryptocurrency from them. In early November, police established a clear link to an almost identical raid committed on 6 November in Rönninge against another public figure linked to Bitcoin (one of the victims having had to be hospitalized), with the same modus operandi leading several other Swedish bitcoin experts to contact police out of fear for their safety.","victims":"A couple not publicly identified, described as people who had spoken publicly about Bitcoin","outcome":"No arrests or precise amount reported in the sources consulted; police state they are investigating both robberies (Södertälje and Rönninge), which they link through an identical modus operandi.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Personal bitcoins of individuals tied up at their home; the source mentions no company, platform or professional funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lt.se/2023-11-08/ranarna-ar-ute-efter-bitcoin","source1_name":"Länstidningen (LT)","source2":"https://www.lt.se/2023-11-24/bitcoinexperter-ringer-polisen-efter-ranen","source2_name":"Länstidningen (LT)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA188","date":"2023-10-26","precision":"day","city":"Paraná, Entre Ríos","country":"Argentina","type":"Home invasion","assets":["USDT","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately USD 15,000 in \"criptodólares\" (USDT) transferred via Binance","amount_usd":15000,"description":"In the early hours of Thursday, October 26, 2023, at least five armed individuals entered the home-studio at 1300 Galán street in Paraná, overpowered and tied up influencer Matías Oviedo (23) and two companions. At gunpoint, they forced him to take his phone and transfer about USD 15,000 in criptodólares from his Binance account. Police traced the destination of the cryptocurrency and arrested four young men aged 27-28 on December 5, 2023.","victims":"Matías Oviedo, influencer / digital marketing specialist, 23, and two companions","outcome":"Approximately USD 15,000 in crypto transferred under duress; four people arrested in early December 2023","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion of an influencer forced to transfer his own cryptocurrency from his personal Binance account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.elonce.com/policiales/investigan-asalto-a-influencer-en-paran-lo-forzaron-a-transferir-criptomonedas.htm","source1_name":"Elonce (Entre Ríos)","source2":"https://www.unoentrerios.com.ar/policiales/cuatro-detenidos-el-robo-criptodolares-influencer-parana-n10105745.html","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA189","date":"2023-10-30","precision":"day","city":"Tbilisi","country":"Georgia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USD"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"USD 810,300, EUR 110 and GEL 6,500","amount_usd":810300,"description":"On October 30, 2023, a group of men burst into the TONWEX cryptocurrency exchange office in Vake (Tbilisi) and, threatening violence dangerous to life but without firing, made off with USD 810,300, EUR 110 and GEL 6,500 belonging to the office and to customers who had just cashed out crypto. When the security police, called by an employee, arrived, the robbers let them in by posing as \"forensic experts,\" which allowed some of the accomplices to escape. Two men were arrested and charged under article 179 of the Georgian criminal code (group robbery, 8 to 12 years); several others, including David Peikrishvili, were sought.","victims":"TONWEX crypto exchange office (Vake district): employees and customers present, including a group that had just cashed out cryptocurrency","outcome":"USD 810,300 taken; two people arrested and charged (article 179 of the Georgian criminal code), several accomplices sought","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Robbery of a cryptocurrency exchange office (TONWEX) primarily targeting the establishment's till, even though funds belonging to customers present were also taken.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://batumi-today.com/ograblenie-po-tbilisski-podrobnosti-po-nalety-na-kriptoobmennik-tonwex-v-vake/","source1_name":"Batumi Today","source2":"https://rustavi2.ge/ka/news/268474","source2_name":"Rustavi 2 (Kurieri programme)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L079","date":"2023-11","precision":"month","city":"Montenegro (exact location not disclosed)","country":"Montenegro","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"About USD 12.5 million (in USDT)","amount_usd":12500000,"description":"Executives of a Binance VIP client company were lured to Montenegro under the pretext of a business trip, then kidnapped and forced by their captors to empty their crypto wallets, for a total of about USD 12.5 million in USDT transferred to a Tron wallet. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao revealed the case on X and stated that on-chain tracing, conducted with partners, made it possible to freeze about USD 11.8 million (94% of the stolen funds).","victims":"Publicly unidentified executives of a Binance VIP client company","outcome":"About USD 11.8 million of the USD 12.5 million was frozen and recovered by Binance through on-chain tracking of the funds transferred to a Tron wallet; no arrest or judicial follow-up reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"CZ speaks of \"executives from a client\" lured on a business trip and forced to \"empty their wallets.\" Neither Cryptonomist nor Cointribune (which both reproduce the same tweet) state whether the USD 12.5 million in USDT belonged personally to the executives or to Binance's client company. It is impossible to determine without guessing.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2023/11/13/extortion-world-crypto-wallets-binance-executives-robbed/","source1_name":"The Cryptonomist","source2":"https://www.cointribune.com/binance-gele-les-cryptos-dutilisateurs-kidnappes-au-montenegro/","source2_name":"Cointribune","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L078","date":"2023-11-06","precision":"day","city":"Rönninge, Salem Municipality, Stockholm region","country":"Sweden","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"At least four men broke into the home of a middle-aged couple in Rönninge on November 6, 2023, and tied them up for several hours with their own kitchen knives, beating and threatening them, in a modus operandi identical to a robbery that had occurred a month earlier in Södertälje. Swedish press established that both targeted couples had publicly mentioned holding bitcoin before being attacked; one of the victims had to be evacuated by medical helicopter.","victims":"A middle-aged couple (identity not made public)","outcome":"No arrest at the time of the articles (November 8, 2023); one victim was hospitalized after being airlifted, with no life-threatening injuries, the other unharmed; Stockholm police opened an investigation for aggravated robbery (grovt rån), linked to a similar rån in Södertälje in early October 2023.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private couple tied up at their home in Rönninge over their own bitcoin, which they had spoken about publicly; no corporate assets were involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/EQPmnG/grovt-ran-soder-om-stockholm-bundna-i-timmar-enligt-uppgift","source1_name":"Aftonbladet","source2":"https://www.di.se/nyheter/ranare-band-fast-sina-offer-var-ute-efter-bitcoin/","source2_name":"Dagens Industri (di.se)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA456","date":"2023-11-08","precision":"day","city":"Zurich (abduction); held captive in France","country":"Switzerland","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (the victim speaks of 'millions of reais and euros' targeted; his money is lost)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Marcio Rodrigues da Silva, 44, a Brazilian entrepreneur from Itupeva who had been investing in cryptocurrency since 2018 through contacts presented as Swiss businessmen, was summoned to Zurich for a 'personal identification' before he could withdraw a large part of his gains. At Zurich airport on 8 November 2023 his luggage had vanished (fake staff had swapped his boarding pass during the stopover in Barcelona); two men who came to collect him took his fingerprints and passport, and he was then bundled into a black van in the city and driven to France. He was held for twelve days in a house at gunpoint, barefoot and without clothes, fed on bread and water; according to him, the gang was after his phone, which held a chip and an app, and 'millions of reais and euros'. On the twelfth day he overpowered the only guard left and escaped, then reached Barcelona; he was found on 21 November 2023.","victims":"Marcio Rodrigues da Silva, 44, Brazilian entrepreneur from Itupeva (Sao Paulo state), cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"The victim escaped after 12 days in captivity, was found on 21 November 2023 and placed under police protection with his family; investigations opened in Switzerland (Zurich police), Spain, France and Brazil (Federal Police, Interpol). His money is lost; no arrests reported.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private cryptocurrency investor lured to Switzerland and held captive so the gang could seize his phone and assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.20min.ch/story/marcio-rodrigues-wurde-opfer-einer-krypto-mafia-399290070232","source1_name":"20 Minuten","source2":"https://www.blick.ch/schweiz/zuerich/in-zuerich-verschwundener-brasilianer-wurde-opfer-von-kriminellen/qcx5dxy","source2_name":"Blick","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA190","date":"2023-11-10","precision":"day","city":"Portland / Banks, Oregon","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"About USD 128,000 in cryptocurrency transferred using the seed phrase","amount_usd":128000,"description":"Four men from Florida flew to Portland on November 8, 2023, rented an Airbnb in Vancouver and spent two days watching their target's apartment. On November 10 they abducted the victim (21-22 years old), transferred him from one car to another while accomplices searched his apartment, took him to a field in Banks (Washington County), tied him to a post with tape and beat him repeatedly to obtain his seed phrase, before abandoning him. He was found by a passerby the next morning.","victims":"A 21-22-year-old man from Portland","outcome":"Seed phrase obtained and about USD 128,000 in cryptocurrency transferred; the victim was found naked, with multiple fractures and a punctured lung. Ralph Moreno Jr., Justice Uallah Del Carpio, Jackson Suha Reves and Billy Shane Cordova were arrested in Florida in late September 2024 and face federal kidnapping charges; Reves pleaded guilty on 2 October 2026 and Cordova on 9 October 2026 (recommended sentence of 6.5 to 7.25 years, sentencing set for 13 January 2027), while Moreno and Del Carpio pleaded not guilty.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Kidnapping and torture of a private individual to obtain his seed phrase and personal cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2024/10/kidnapped-for-crypto-4-men-flew-from-florida-to-portland-tied-a-man-to-a-post-before-stealing-his-cryptocurrency-feds-say.html","source1_name":"The Oregonian / OregonLive","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA191","date":"2023-11-18","precision":"day","city":"Punggol","country":"Singapore","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"SGD 81,060","amount_usd":60300,"description":"On November 18, 2023, a 33-year-old man who had arranged via Telegram to exchange SGD 81,060 in cash for cryptocurrency showed up at Block 199A Punggol Field. A 16-year-old teenager, recruited on Telegram and tasked with buying a knife to \"scare\" the victim, grabbed the money and fled; chased, he attempted to brandish a kitchen knife but dropped it, and the victim, helped by two men and a woman, restrained him until police arrived. The full amount of money was recovered.","victims":"A 33-year-old man, cryptocurrency buyer","outcome":"Attempt failed, money fully recovered; teenager sentenced to 18 months' probation (March 2025); two adults including Firdaus, 33, also prosecuted","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted theft during an in-person over-the-counter transaction between a private cryptocurrency buyer and his attackers.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/crypto-token-robbery-man-teenager-charged-81000-cash-punggol-3933226","source1_name":"CNA (Channel NewsAsia)","source2":"https://mustsharenews.com/teen-robbery-knife/","source2_name":"MustShareNews","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA193","date":"2023-12-07","precision":"day","city":"Luzhou (蘆洲), New Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TWD 1,700,000 in cash","amount_usd":54000,"description":"Recruited that same morning on Telegram by two strangers (\"小阿仁\" and \"XUNW\"), Lin Tien-chen (林天辰) posed as a cryptocurrency seller and arranged to meet two buyers at a Louisa cafe in Luzhou, New Taipei, on December 7, 2023 at 3:10 p.m. Armed with pepper spray and a folding knife, he sprayed their faces and then grabbed the TWD 1.7 million in cash they had brought, before fleeing; chased by the victims, he threw the money by the roadside and hid in a bedding store, where police arrested him.","victims":"Zhang Hao (張昊) and Lu Hsin-chen (盧歆晨), in-person cryptocurrency buyers","outcome":"TWD 1.7 million stolen, TWD 107,000 never recovered; perpetrator arrested on the spot and sentenced to 3 years 10 months for armed robbery","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of two private buyers during an in-person over-the-counter transaction, the stolen cash belonging to them personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c113%2c%e9%87%91%e8%a8%b4%2c323%2c20240530%2c1","source1_name":"New Taipei District Court, case 113年度金訴字第323號","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA194","date":"2023-12-22","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Coulomb, Ille-et-Vilaine","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet","gold"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet","Valuables"],"amount":"EUR 400,000 or a cryptocurrency USB key demanded; 2 small gold bars and a headset stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On December 22, 2023 at around 10:30 p.m. in Saint-Coulomb (Ille-et-Vilaine), two gloved, masked and armed individuals broke into the home of a couple whose 2-year-old child was asleep upstairs, and demanded \"EUR 400,000\" or \"a cryptocurrency USB key\". The father, an employee of a Dubai-based trading company, was bound with zip ties, beaten, cut on the arms and legs with a knife, and had a gun barrel placed in his mouth, while the attackers — in constant phone contact with those who had commissioned the attack — threatened to rape his partner and throw the child out the window. He managed to seize a shotgun (an accidental shot was fired), the attackers fled, then returned to remove traces and took two small gold bars and a headset.","victims":"A couple (the father was an employee of a trading company registered in the United Kingdom and based in Dubai) and their 2-year-old child","outcome":"Ransom not paid; 2 gold bars and a headset stolen; three men identified; the suspected mastermind, a 42-year-old man from Cagnes-sur-Mer, partner of the trading company's majority shareholder, has been in pretrial detention since July 8, 2024, kept in detention by the Rennes court of appeal on July 11, 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers demanded EUR 400,000 or \"a cryptocurrency USB key\" from the father at his home and took personal gold bars, even though the suspected mastermind is linked to the trading company employing the victim.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://actu.fr/bretagne/saint-malo_35288/ille-et-vilaine-un-couple-sequestre-et-torture-a-son-domicile-en-presence-de-son-enfant_62904073.html","source1_name":"actu.fr / Le Pays Malouin","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA195","date":"2023-12-25","precision":"day","city":"Hernandarias (San Francisco neighborhood), Alto Paraná","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately 430 mining machines + 3 rifles","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of Monday, December 25, 2023, around twelve armed men arriving in a medium-sized truck broke into a cryptocurrency mining warehouse in the San Francisco neighborhood of Hernandarias, a border town near Ciudad del Este, and overpowered the four employees present (aged 33 to 57). They made off with approximately 430 mining computers, including out-of-service machines, as well as three rifles belonging to the site's security guards. Investigators believe December 25 was chosen on the assumption the premises would be empty; the National Police requisitioned the surveillance cameras and referred the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office.","victims":"4 employees of the mining site (men aged 33 to 57) and the warehouse operator","outcome":"Approximately 430 mining machines and 3 weapons stolen; no arrests reported as of the article's date; investigation by the National Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Armed raid targeting a professional mining warehouse, with theft of approximately 430 machines belonging to the site.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.h2foz.com.br/fronteira/assalto-mineradora-criptomoedas-paraguai/","source1_name":"H2FOZ (Foz do Iguaçu / Triple Frontier)","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/2024id_/https://www.h2foz.com.br/fronteira/assalto-mineradora-criptomoedas-paraguai/","source2_name":"Archived version (Wayback Machine) of the same H2FOZ article, actually consulted","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L081","date":"2023-12-25","precision":"day","city":"Izhevsk, Udmurtia","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"RUB 15,000,000 (ransom demanded)","amount_usd":165000,"description":"Three men, including an acquaintance of the victim, forcibly abducted a 23-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur (Konstantin) in the courtyard of his home in Izhevsk on December 25, 2023, put him in a Lada Niva registered to a retired woman from Perm, and took him to an undisclosed location. They then demanded, by phone/Telegram, a ransom of 15 million rubles from the victim's brother, threatening otherwise to plant drugs on him and hand him over to the police.","victims":"Konstantin, a 23-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur","outcome":"Police quickly arrested the three kidnappers (who already had prior convictions for robbery and extortion) before any ransom was paid; the victim was released unharmed. They faced up to 12 years in prison for kidnapping; the final judicial outcome is not specified in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ransom demanded from the brother for the release of a 23-year-old private individual who held/mined cryptocurrency; neither source mentions a company, a mining farm, or corporate funds being targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://forklog.com/news/smi-uznali-o-pohishhenii-bitkoin-majnera-v-izhevske","source1_name":"ForkLog","source2":"https://glasnarod.ru/novosti-regionov/udmurtskaya-respublika/v-izhevske-troe-muzhchin-pohitili-parnya-zanimajushhegosya-kriptovaljutoj/","source2_name":"Glas Naroda (regional press, Udmurtia)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA197","date":"2024","precision":"year","city":"Hebei (city not specified)","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 400,000","amount_usd":400000,"description":"In Hebei, an OTC USDT trader met buyers at a hotel with whom he had already dealt several times before; the cash was counted on the spot and the 400,000 USDT transferred, after which the gang left with the money. Ten people were identified through conversations, bank withdrawal records and the hotel's surveillance footage; they were convicted of robbery with violence and sentenced to terms ranging from 8 years to over 10 years, with USDT 53,262 seized restored to the victim. Neither the date of the incident nor the jurisdiction has been published (the case was reported by a lawyer based on the judgment).","victims":"An OTC USDT trader (币商) from Hebei","outcome":"USDT 400,000 stolen; 10 convictions (8 to over 10 years); USDT 53,262 restored","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"OTC USDT trader acting on his own behalf, robbed during a face-to-face transaction at a hotel.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/2041845370418880567","source1_name":"张苏杭律师 (Zhihu) – « 8人抢劫40万USDT，人均被判十年以上 »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA198","date":"2024","precision":"year","city":"Zaporizhzhia (suburb), Zaporizhzhia oblast","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","UAH"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"UAH 600,000 demanded (approx. USD 14,500); over UAH 157,000 in property and cash actually taken (cash, gold jewelry, computer equipment and appliances), approx. USD 3,800","amount_usd":3800,"description":"During the summer of 2024, an organized criminal group of six men from Zaporizhzhia (a 34-year-old leader and 22-to-29-year-old operatives, linked to a local crime figure's gang) surveilled for several days a cryptocurrency operator who regularly visited a bank branch to withdraw cash, constantly changing their lookout positions. As he left the bank, the victim and his brother were beaten, had their heads enclosed in plastic bags, and were then forcibly taken to a private house in the suburbs, where the kidnappers demanded a fabricated debt of UAH 600,000; when it went unpaid, the gang forced their way into the home of one of the victims' partner and made off with over UAH 157,000 in cash, gold jewelry, computer equipment and appliances, before abandoning the two brothers in the city center. Six members were arrested on September 25, 2024 by KORD (seizure of bats, a shotgun, assault rifles, pistols, knives, GPS trackers, walkie-talkies, and smoke grenades), and the indictment was submitted to the court in February 2025 (Articles 146 §3, 186 §5 and 189 §4 of the Criminal Code).","victims":"A cryptocurrency operator/holder (\"криптовалютчик\") from Zaporizhzhia and his brother","outcome":"The two brothers were released after being beaten and held captive; over UAH 157,000 in property and cash stolen during the burglary, while the UAH 600,000 ransom was not paid. Six suspects arrested on September 25, 2024, case submitted to the court in February 2025.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction of a private cryptocurrency holder and his brother to extort a personal debt and their own assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.061.ua/ru/news/3837117/v-zaporoze-zaderzali-clenov-gruppirovki-pohitivsih-i-trebovavsih-600-tysac-griven-u-kriptovalutcika","source1_name":"061.ua (according to the National Police, Zaporizhzhia Oblast directorate)","source2":"https://zprz.city/news/view/u-zaporizhzhi-suditimut-bandu-za-vikradennya-lyudej-i-vimagannya-groshej","source2_name":"Zaporizhzhia.city (zprz.city)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA199","date":"2024-01","precision":"month","city":"Abuja","country":"Nigeria","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Tega Abikure, founder of the crypto company Kumo Africa, disappeared in the middle of Abuja in January 2024, abducted by a group initially described by the press as kidnappers demanding a ransom. He recounted by phone that he was beaten, tortured, humiliated and dehumanized during his captivity, but refused to detail the circumstances of his release. According to fragments of conversations recorded among his captors, the kidnapping was reportedly linked to a failed OTC bitcoin transaction eight months earlier in the United States; the leading hypothesis is that rivals coveted his large crypto portfolio, but investigators had not confirmed this link.","victims":"Tega Abikure, founder of Kumo Africa (crypto expert and venture capitalist based in Abuja)","outcome":"Released, tortured during captivity, investigation ongoing (circumstances of release not disclosed)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction of the founder targeting, according to the leading hypothesis, his large personal crypto portfolio linked to a failed OTC transaction.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://leadership.ng/i-was-tortured-by-kidnappers-crypto-boss/","source1_name":"LEADERSHIP Newspapers (Nigeria)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA200","date":"2024-01-03","precision":"day","city":"Anavyssos, Attica","country":"Greece","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 3,000 in cryptocurrency (two transfers)","amount_usd":3270,"description":"On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, in the late afternoon, a 29-year-old computer programmer parked outside a friend's home in Anavyssos was approached by at least two individuals posing as police officers, who restrained him, handcuffed him and took him away in his own car, followed by a vehicle without plates, before locking him in that vehicle's trunk in a wooded area. Under violence and threats, they took two phones, his wallet, the keys to his home-office and his bank cards with PIN codes, and forced him to use his fingerprint to unlock the cryptocurrency management app on his phone, from which they carried out two transfers totaling EUR 3,000. Bound with tape and handcuffed to the steering wheel, sprayed with bleach on his face and clothes, he freed himself and alerted police at around 9:40 p.m. from a gas station; a 25-year-old Moldovan was arrested on the spot.","victims":"A 29-year-old computer programmer (identity not published)","outcome":"EUR 3,000 in crypto transferred, phones/wallet/cards stolen, victim sprayed with bleach and bound; a 25-year-old Moldovan suspect arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was forced to unlock the crypto app on his own phone to transfer his personal funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/1452623/anavussos-pos-egine-i-arpagi-tou-programmatisti-ton-edesa-me-heiropedes-kai-ton-psekasan-me-hlorini/","source1_name":"ProtoThema","source2":"https://www.ethnos.gr/greece/article/296275/anabyssosoefialthspoybioseo29xronosstaxeriatonapagogeontoyeklepsankryptonomismata","source2_name":"Ethnos","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA462","date":"2024-01-08","precision":"day","city":"Gargas (near Apt, Vaucluse)","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"Nothing extorted; the targeted key gave access to \"several tens of thousands of euros\"; EUR 127,000 seized by the authorities from the real target","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Monday 8 January 2024, a 17-year-old high school student was abducted on his way to school in Gargas (Vaucluse) by individuals who were actually looking for another young man from the town, known to them only by his online pseudonym, in order to extort a cryptocurrency security key giving access to several tens of thousands of euros. Realizing their mistake, the kidnappers released the teenager, who filed a complaint with the Apt gendarmerie.","victims":"A 17-year-old high school student abducted by mistake; the real target was another young man from Gargas who held a cryptocurrency key","outcome":"The student was released shortly after the abduction and the kidnappers obtained nothing. An investigation was opened by the Avignon public prosecutor's office and assigned to the Marseille research section and the Apt investigation unit; the real target was identified and EUR 127,000 linked to his security key was seized; the kidnappers were still being sought at the time of the articles. A link to a scam involving an online game was mentioned.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers were targeting a young private individual to extort his own cryptocurrency key; no company involved.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/vaucluse/un-lyceen-est-enleve-par-erreur-a-gargas-ses-ravisseurs-finissent-par-le-liberer-2907878.html","source1_name":"France 3 Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur","source2":"https://actu.orange.fr/societe/fait-divers/vaucluse-les-criminels-enlevent-un-lyceen-par-erreur-pres-de-130-000-euros-en-cryptomonnaie-saisis-magic-CNT000002buz1j.html","source2_name":"Orange Actualites (6Medias)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA203","date":"2024-01-18","precision":"day","city":"Envigado (La Loma del Chocho, place of captivity; abducted at the La Frontera shopping center, on the Medellín/Envigado border), Antioquia","country":"Colombia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 184,000 actually transferred in cryptocurrency (approx. COP 720-730 million); COP 3,000 million demanded in total (about USD 750,000)","amount_usd":184000,"description":"On January 18, 2024, Roberto Felipe Mejía Caicedo, 43, an influencer and businessman from Cali (460,000 followers), was lured to the shopping center in the La Frontera area, on the border between Medellín and Envigado, under the pretext of closing a million-peso cryptocurrency deal, then abducted and taken to a country house (casa finca) in La Loma del Chocho, Envigado, where he was held captive for about 36 hours, gagged, bound, mistreated and threatened with death. His kidnappers, described as members of the criminal group \"La Oficina,\" demanded 3,000 million pesos; the victim was forced to transfer 184,000 dollars in cryptocurrency before managing to alert his bodyguard by a WhatsApp message. The CTI of the Fiscalía and the army's Gaula unit located the house, freed the victim unharmed and arrested five kidnappers on the spot, seizing five firearms, two vehicles and more than 6 million pesos.","victims":"Roberto Felipe Mejía Caicedo, 43, an influencer and businessman from Cali","outcome":"Freed after about 36 hours in a CTI/Gaula operation; USD 184,000 in cryptocurrency transferred under duress and not recovered; five alleged members of \"La Oficina\" (Wilder Arley Saldarriaga Palacio, Jaime Enrique Ospina Vásquez, Joaquín Santiago Guevara Tapias, Julio César Hoyos Yalí, Wilson Andrés Ortiz Giraldo) were captured on January 18-19, 2024 and sent to prison for extortive kidnapping and illegal possession of firearms; on September 8, 2026, Jhony Muñoz Laverde, alias \"el Sobri,\" nephew of \"La Oficina\" leader alias \"Douglas,\" was captured for this same kidnapping","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction of an influencer/businessman lured under the pretext of a personal cryptocurrency deal, forced to transfer his own funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/01/20/cti-libero-a-comerciante-secuestrado-en-medellin-durante-una-negociacion-de-criptomonedas/","source1_name":"Infobae Colombia (statement from the Fiscalía General de la Nación)","source2":"https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/envigado-la-millonada-en-criptomonedas-que-influencer-secuestrado-pago-a-captores-847631","source2_name":"El Tiempo","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA491","date":"2024-01-18","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Da'an district, watch shop on Zhongxiao East Road, section 3)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"TWD 8,500,000 in cash targeted (fully recovered)","amount_usd":270000,"description":"At around 2 p.m. on 18 January 2024, Lai, sent by a crypto dealer named Liu (his employer according to ETtoday, a friend according to the Liberty Times), arrived with TWD 8.5 million in cash at a luxury watch shop on Zhongxiao East Road (section 3) in Taipei to buy more than 260,000 USDT from Feng, 35. Feng pretended to transfer the tokens to Liu's cold wallet, but nothing arrived; he then demanded that the money be left with him, accusing Lai of trying to cheat him. His five associates forced the shopkeeper to pull down the metal shutter and delete the CCTV footage, and Lai, who refused to hand over the cash, was held and beaten inside the shop. Hearing nothing from him, Liu called the police, who broke in.","victims":"Lai, courier for a crypto dealer (Liu)","outcome":"Da'an police broke down the door, freed Lai, who was slightly injured, and recovered the TWD 8.5 million; Feng and a 20-year-old accomplice were arrested on the spot and three others in a nearby hotel (one of them a wanted man), along with drugs, 7 phones and 2 cold wallets. All five were referred to the Taipei prosecutors for fraud, assault and deprivation of liberty. Court outcome not found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Cash belonging to an independent USDT dealer (no company named), carried by his courier for an over-the-counter purchase.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20240122/2669033.htm","source1_name":"ETtoday","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4559261","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA204","date":"2024-01-19","precision":"day","city":"Bucharest, Sector 1","country":"Romania","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (over RON 85,000)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"RON 87,500 in damages estimated by police (including over RON 85,000 in cash inside the terminal), plus the terminal itself","amount_usd":19100,"description":"On January 19, 2024, at around 3:30 a.m., two men stole a bitcoin ATM terminal from inside The Dubliner Irish Pub restaurant, in Sector 1 of Bucharest. According to the capital's police, they had rented a vehicle abroad (from Italy, according to judicial sources), bought tools specifically for breaking into and carrying off the ATM, and had scouted the location beforehand, then destroyed a surveillance camera during the operation; the damage is estimated at RON 87,500, including over RON 85,000 in cash contained in the machine.","victims":"The Dubliner Irish Pub restaurant (Sector 1 of Bucharest) and the operator of the bitcoin ATM","outcome":"Terminal and cash stolen; Ionuţ A., 35, was arrested on January 24, 2024 at the airport while trying to leave the country; Andrei M., 26, was arrested on February 26, 2024 upon returning to Romania","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Theft of a bitcoin ATM and its cash, equipment belonging to the terminal's operator.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.gandul.ro/actualitate/barbatii-furat-bancomat-bitcoin-restaurant-capitala-prinsi-20157421","source1_name":"Gândul (Romania), citing the Police statement (Secţia 4 Poliţie, Bucharest)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA483","date":"2024-01-21","precision":"day","city":"Belgrade (Palilula, Husinskih rudara Street)","country":"Serbia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 202,000 in cash (agreed amount of the crypto deal)","amount_usd":219000,"description":"On 21 January 2024, on Husinskih rudara Street in Belgrade's Palilula district, three men turned up near a car park for a meeting arranged with a man for a cryptocurrency deal worth EUR 202,000. According to the Interior Ministry, they took the agreed sum in cash from him by force and fled; the victim was beaten.","victims":"Man who came to carry out a cryptocurrency deal (not named)","outcome":"Three suspects, V. P. (36), Z. V. (23) and B. V. (39), arrested on 13 February 2024 by Belgrade police with the Pancevo police and the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor's Office for robbery, held for 48 hours and brought before prosecutors.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual robbed during an in-person over-the-counter deal (cash for crypto); no company named.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.tanjug.rs/srbija/hronika/73831/uhapseni-osumnjiceni-za-kradu-200-hiljada-evra-tokom-primopredaje-kriptovaluta/vest","source1_name":"Tanjug","source2":"https://www.blic.rs/vesti/hronika/ukrali-kriptovalute-vredne-200000-evra-na-paliluli-trojica-uhapsena/zzky80q","source2_name":"Blic","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA205","date":"2024-01-28","precision":"day","city":"Leipzig (jurisdiction of the Landgericht Leipzig)","country":"Germany","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Crypto assets (bitcoins) targeted, worth at least a five-figure amount in EUR; nothing was stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 28, 2024, three men recruited by a former business partner and friend of the victim, who knew the victim held at least a five-figure amount in cryptocurrency, waited in the stairwell of his building; one of them, armed with a machete, violently pushed the door open when he returned, struck him in the face and chest, then held the blade to his throat while demanding his laptop and his e-wallet password, while an accomplice pinned his partner against the hallway wall. The victim resisted and shouted; while trying to grab the armed hand, he fell onto a glass table and suffered deep cuts to his hands, shouting that one of his fingers had been cut off. The attackers, fearing others would arrive, fled without taking anything.","victims":"A man (civil party to the case) holding bitcoins, and his partner","outcome":"Failed attempt: no loot taken; victim severely injured on the hands by the machete; several convictions handed down at the Landgericht Leipzig, one of them referred back by the BGH (Federal Court of Justice) for reexamination of the withdrawal from the attempt","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A man was attacked at home and threatened with a machete for the password to his personal e-wallet containing his own bitcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.hrr-strafrecht.de/5/25/5-205-25.php","source1_name":"BGH, 5 StR 205/25, decision of 9 October 2025 (LG Leipzig) – HRR-Strafrecht case law database","source2":"https://www.hrr-strafrecht.de/5/25/5-412-25.php","source2_name":"BGH, 5 StR 412/25, decision of 9 October 2025 (LG Leipzig) – HRR-Strafrecht case law database","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L082","date":"2024-01-31","precision":"day","city":"Phuket","country":"Thailand","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"THB 30,000,000, including approx. USD 801,200 in cryptocurrency transferred under duress","amount_usd":801200,"description":"On January 31, 2024 in Phuket, a group of men intercepted a Belarusian couple (Albert Viviankou, 23, and his wife) near their residence after they had gone out, forced them into a black Hyundai minivan with red plates, covered the husband's head with a bag and beat him, then forced them to transfer the equivalent of 30 million baht (including about USD 801,200 in unspecified cryptocurrency), before releasing them about one kilometer from the abduction site.","victims":"Albert Viviankou (23 years old) and his wife, a Belarusian couple","outcome":"Five Russian nationals (Salim Nalchikov, Oleg Bogdanov, Achamat Nagov, Islam Abdokov, and Aslan Abazov) were arrested and found guilty of kidnapping and extortion by the Phuket Provincial Court, sentenced on April 10, 2024 to two years in prison each (an initial four-year sentence halved after a guilty plea).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Belarusian couple was forced to transfer their own cryptocurrency; no company, platform, or business funds appear in the sources.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://thethaiger.com/news/national/russian-gang-caught-for-phuket-kidnapping-and-30-million-baht-crypto-extortion","source1_name":"The Thaiger","source2":"https://www.thephuketnews.com/russians-jailed-for-phuket-kidnap-extortion-91926.php","source2_name":"The Phuket News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L083","date":"2024-02","precision":"month","city":"Winnsboro, Texas","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["hardware wallet","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet","BTC"],"amount":"About 100 BTC (more than USD 5,000,000 at the time)","amount_usd":5000000,"description":"In February 2024, Marlon Ferro, alias \"GothFerrari,\" a member of a social engineering ring that had stolen more than USD 250 million in cryptocurrency across the United States, traveled to Winnsboro, Texas, and burgled a victim's home to steal a hardware wallet containing about 100 BTC (more than USD 5 million at the time), before laundering the funds through exchange platforms. Arrested in May 2025 in possession of firearms, he pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy.","victims":"An unidentified victim, owner of a hardware wallet in Winnsboro, Texas","outcome":"The hardware wallet and the BTC were not recovered by the victim; Ferro was sentenced on May 6, 2026 by the federal court for the District of Columbia to 78 months in prison, three years of probation, and USD 2.5 million in restitution, as part of a larger RICO network.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A hardware wallet belonging personally to a private individual, stolen from his home; no company or client funds were targeted (CoinCentral: victims = private individuals holding large wallets).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/gothferrari-sentenced-78-months-prison-role-massive-cryptocurrency-heist","source1_name":"U.S. Department of Justice (USAO-DC)","source2":"https://coincentral.com/gothferrari-sentenced-to-78-months-for-role-in-250m-crypto-theft-ring/","source2_name":"CoinCentral","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA461","date":"2024-02-18","precision":"day","city":"Têche (near Saint-Marcellin, Isère)","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 75,000 in cryptocurrency extorted","amount_usd":81000,"description":"During the night of 18 to 19 February 2024 in Têche (Isère), a driver who had just sold a quad bike for cash was stopped on the road by fake police officers driving a vehicle fitted with a flashing light and wearing jackets marked \"Police\". Believing it was a traffic stop, he let them approach; the criminals handcuffed him, put a bag over his head and held him for about four hours, until around 3 a.m., forcing him to transfer EUR 75,000 in cryptocurrency before releasing him.","victims":"A driver from the Saint-Marcellin area (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"The victim was released after about four hours; EUR 75,000 in cryptocurrency was extorted. After a year-long investigation by the Saint-Marcellin gendarmerie investigation unit, eight suspects were arrested on 15 September 2025; five were released after 96 hours in police custody; three men aged 24 to 30 were placed under formal investigation on 19 September 2025 by a Grenoble investigating judge for unlawful detention, extortion and criminal conspiracy. The investigation still had to determine whether the victim had been targeted for his cryptocurrency.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (a driver who had just sold a quad bike) forced to transfer his own cryptocurrency; no company mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers/enlevements/info-franceinfo-trois-hommes-accuses-d-avoir-sequestre-et-derobe-75-000-euros-en-cryptomonnaies-a-leur-victime-presentes-a-un-juge-en-isere-en-vue-de-leur-mise-en-examen_7501612.html","source1_name":"franceinfo","source2":"https://www.placegrenet.fr/2025/09/21/mise-en-examen-de-faux-policiers-iserois-qui-avaient-extorque-75000-euros-de-cryptomonnaies-a-un-automobiliste/660292","source2_name":"Place Gre'net","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA442","date":"2024-02-26","precision":"day","city":"Chattogram (Bayezid Bostami; held at the DB office, Mansurabad Police Lines)","country":"Bangladesh","type":"Extortion","assets":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"About USD 272,000 from Binance (about BDT 3 to 3.1 crore) + BDT 10 lakh","amount_usd":272000,"description":"On the night of 26 February 2024, a Detective Branch team (North-South zone) of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police led by Inspector Ruhul Amin detained freelancer Abu Bakkar Siddique and a friend in the Bayezid area, seized their phones, threatened them with a false cybercrime and money-laundering case, then took them to the DB office in Mansurabad. In custody, the officers forcibly unlocked his phone with his fingerprint, logged into his Binance account and transferred about USD 272,000 to another account, and took BDT 10 lakh from his bank account.","victims":"Abu Bakkar Siddique, a freelancer licensed by the ICT ministry, and a friend","outcome":"The victim was brought before the court on 27 February 2024 for online gambling, then named on 2 March in a DB case for holding bitcoin and foreign currency. A CMP inquiry found the allegations true: six DB members (SI Md Alamgir Hossain, ASIs Babul Mia, Shah Paran Jannat, Moinul Hossen, constables Jahidur Rahman and Abdur Rahman) were suspended in March 2024 with disciplinary proceedings, and Inspector Ruhul Amin was served a show-cause notice; the victim's wife filed a complaint against eight police officers.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private freelancer detained by police officers acting on their own account, who emptied his personal Binance account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/looting-tk-31cr-freelancer-db-custody-6-cops-suspended-3566611","source1_name":"The Daily Star","source2":"https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/2-ctg-police-asis-closed-ac-withdrawn-over-allegations-extorting-cash-crypto-businessman","source2_name":"The Business Standard","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA206","date":"2024-02-29","precision":"day","city":"Wellington (New World Newlands, then New World Chaffers)","country":"New Zealand","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About NZD 7,000 per victim (2 victims, approx. NZD 14,000 in total)","amount_usd":8500,"description":"Two robberies of P2P crypto traders in the parking lots of New World supermarkets in Wellington: on February 29, 2024, at around 5:30 p.m., in the underground car park of New World Newlands, then on March 5, 2024, at around 1 p.m., at New World Chaffers. The victims had responded to a cryptocurrency sale ad on Discord and brought cash for a cash-for-crypto exchange; the attacker, who arrived in a silver Subaru Legacy wagon, got into the first victim's car and struck the victim repeatedly in the neck during the struggle over the money, then pulled out from under a seat an object resembling a handgun, which he pointed at the second victim's head. Hiram Kanona St John Tufuga, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery and was sentenced on July 4, 2025 by Judge David Laurenson KC to three years and ten months in prison, with NZD 2,000 in reparations to be paid to each victim; police had seized the Subaru and a fake weapon in a search in Strathmore.","victims":"Two individual cryptocurrency buyers (men); one attempted suicide two months later, the other suffers from depression","outcome":"About NZD 7,000 stolen from each victim; Tufuga sentenced to more than 3 years in prison (July 2025); two other men still sought","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two individuals buying cryptocurrency for their own account were robbed during a P2P meeting in a parking lot.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/information-sought-following-aggravated-robberies-wellington","source1_name":"New Zealand Police (official statement)","source2":"https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360747390/cryptocurrency-robber-jailed","source2_name":"The Post (Wellington)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA207","date":"2024-03-07","precision":"day","city":"Hung Hom, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"HKD 1,000,000 in cash","amount_usd":127400,"description":"On March 7, 2024, at 5:14 p.m., Mr. Kwong (40), a mainland Chinese national who had come to Hong Kong on a two-way permit, had withdrawn HKD 1 million in cash from a Prince Edward currency exchange on behalf of his employer (a frozen-meat trading business) to buy discounted USDT on the 9th floor of the Hang Fung Industrial Building, 2G Hok Yuen Street. One man greeted him in the unit, then four others burst in brandishing two meat cleavers and ordering him not to move; the first suspect counted and took the entire million before the five masked men fled. The Kowloon City district crime squad arrested a 56-year-old Hong Kong resident, the unit's tenant, that same day in Hung Hom, for robbery.","victims":"Mr. Kwong (鄺), 40, mainland Chinese national, acting on behalf of his employer","outcome":"HKD 1 million stolen at knifepoint; case handled by the Kowloon City district crime squad; the unit's tenant (56) arrested the following day","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Mr. Kwong was acting as an agent for his employer (frozen-meat trading business), and the HKD 1 million stolen was intended for a corporate USDT purchase.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/998146","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/article/998304","source2_name":"HK01 — arrest of the tenant of the premises","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L085","date":"2024-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Montreal, Ahuntsic–Cartierville borough (victims found in Dorval)","country":"Canada","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","credit cards"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Bank cards"],"amount":"About CAD 25,000","amount_usd":18400,"description":"A couple in their twenties was lured into an ambush around 11 p.m. on March 10, 2024, in the Montreal borough of Ahuntsic–Cartierville: armed, hooded suspects appeared and forced them into two separate vehicles. Found a few hours later in Dorval (one of them with facial injuries), the victims were stripped of about CAD 25,000 in cryptocurrency, credit cards and other personal belongings. The SPVM arrested four suspects (three aged 18-19 in Montreal, one aged 21 intercepted at Calgary airport) and seized a loaded handgun and a \"Glock switch\" device.","victims":"A couple in their twenties (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"The couple was found safe (minor facial injuries for one of them); four suspects were arrested and charged with kidnapping, unlawful confinement, armed robbery and unauthorized possession of a firearm; the investigation remains open for possible other accomplices.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The SPVM press release describes a private couple stripped of about CAD 25,000 in cryptocurrency, credit cards and personal belongings; no economic entity was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://spvm.qc.ca/fr/Communiques/Details/15820","source1_name":"SPVM (official statement)","source2":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/suspects-arrested-montreal-calgary-crypto-kidnapping-1.7203455","source2_name":"CBC News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA208","date":"2024-03-12","precision":"day","city":"Rijswijk","country":"Netherlands","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 26,001 transferred under duress to a Bitvavo account, plus EUR 10,000 withdrawn from ATMs, plus EUR 7,500 in cash (total approx. EUR 43,501)","amount_usd":47400,"description":"On March 12, 2024, at around 2:30 a.m., two masked men, who had gained entry under a false pretext after arranging a meeting through the site kinky.nl, broke into a rented home in Rijswijk, threatened two women with firearms, taped their wrists, ankles and mouths, and held them captive for several hours before locking them in from outside. They took EUR 7,500 in cash, phones and bank cards, and forced one of the victims to unlock her banking apps (facial recognition plus code) to transfer EUR 26,001 from her accounts to an account on the Bitvavo crypto platform; EUR 10,000 was then withdrawn from two ATMs in Zoetermeer.","victims":"Two women (sex workers) renting the home, identified as complainant 1 and complainant 2","outcome":"Loot of about EUR 36,000; the main perpetrator was sentenced on July 6, 2026 to 6 years in prison by the court of The Hague and ordered to pay EUR 47,930 in damages; the victim was threatened again in Amsterdam on November 8, 2024","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two women were held captive at home and forced to transfer funds from their personal bank accounts and apps to a Bitvavo account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://data.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraken/content?id=ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2026:18579","source1_name":"Rechtspraak — ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2026:18579 (full judgment)","source2":"https://www.crypto-insiders.nl/nieuws/overheid-en-regulatie/man-krijgt-zes-jaar-cel-voor-gewelddadige-cryptoroof-in-rijswijk/","source2_name":"Crypto Insiders","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA209","date":"2024-03-13","precision":"day","city":"Birmingham, Alabama","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (Bitcoin ATM cash box)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Crypto ATM"],"amount":"1 Bitcoin ATM taken (amount not specified)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 13, 2024, at around 2:40 a.m., three men robbed the Sunoco gas station on 1st Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama, and took a Bitcoin ATM. During the robbery, one of the suspects fired shots at a man, who was not injured. On April 2, 2024, Birmingham police released images of the suspects and their vehicle and appealed for witnesses; no arrests had been announced as of that date.","victims":"The Sunoco gas station on 1st Avenue North (Birmingham) and a man targeted by gunfire (unidentified, unharmed)","outcome":"Bitcoin ATM stolen, shots fired with no one injured; suspects still sought as of publication date","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The gas station's Bitcoin ATM (business property of the operator) was stolen during the robbery.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.wbrc.com/2024/04/02/birmingham-police-searching-suspects-sunoco-gas-station-robbery/","source1_name":"WBRC (FOX6 Birmingham), according to Birmingham police","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA210","date":"2024-03-21","precision":"day","city":"Seoul (Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam-dong)","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"KRW 100,000,000","amount_usd":75000,"description":"On March 21, 2024, at around 0:45 a.m., about ten men in their twenties, friends or classmates who had split up roles (luring, theft, getaway, blocking pursuers), arranged via Telegram to meet a man in his forties in Yeoksam-dong to sell him Tether below market price. While pretending to transfer the coins from a phone and then to count the money, they restrained the victim, beat him, and fled with a paper bag containing 100 million won; they in fact held no cryptocurrency at all and had obtained the victim's information via Telegram.","victims":"A man in his forties (\"B\"), a Tether buyer","outcome":"All ten perpetrators were arrested the same day (Seoul, Anseong, Busan), and the ringleader was arrested in Cheonan four days later; KRW 25 million was seized; all were charged with aggravated robbery on April 17, 2024, with 5 held in detention","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual buying Tether for his own account was robbed of his cash during a fake exchange meeting arranged via Telegram.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0014639794","source1_name":"Yonhap (via Naver)","source2":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/025/0003348870","source2_name":"JoongAng Ilbo (via Naver)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA211","date":"2024-03-22","precision":"day","city":"Taichung, Xitun District","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TWD 6,420,000 in cash targeted (attempt, nothing stolen)","amount_usd":203000,"description":"Having learned on a Telegram group that Li Kuo-hsiang wanted to buy TWD 6,420,000 worth of cryptocurrency, Tsai Chia-yu set up a fake sales meeting on March 22, 2024 around 6:44 p.m. at the \"Orange and Bear\" studio (Xitun District, Taichung), with two accomplices and pepper spray bought in advance. On the agreed signal, Lin Yu-lun overturned the table to grab the two bags of cash; the victims resisted, the bags tore and the money spilled onto the floor, Tsai sprayed pepper gas in their faces, and Li was injured (a bruise to the left side of the skull with concussion, abrasion to the right wrist). Li and Chien pinned Lin to the ground until police arrived; Tsai fled by car before being arrested the next day at 4:02 a.m., and the driver Chang Chun-wei at 10:40 a.m.","victims":"Li Kuo-hsiang (李國祥), the studio manager, and Chien Ssu-hsiu (簡思修), cryptocurrency buyers","outcome":"Nothing stolen; one attacker subdued on the spot, the other two arrested within hours","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims are cryptocurrency buyers targeted for their own cash during a fake sales meeting, with no mention of corporate funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C113%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C755%2C20241211%2C5","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, 113年度訴字第755號 (11 December 2024)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L084","date":"2024-03-31","precision":"day","city":"Scottsdale, Arizona","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["BTC","XMR"],"asset_classes":["BTC","XMR"],"amount":"About USD 302,000 (combined across two incidents, including partial conversion to Monero)","amount_usd":302000,"description":"On March 31 and then October 11, 2024, Nuruhussein Hussein posed as an Uber driver near the W Scottsdale hotel in Arizona and asked passengers for their phone on the pretext of checking the route or the app, before transferring cryptocurrency (including bitcoin converted to Monero) from their Coinbase accounts for a total of about USD 302,000; one victim reported receiving a verbal threat (\"if you don't chill out, something bad going to happen\").","victims":"Two publicly unidentified passengers, customers of a ride-hailing service in Scottsdale","outcome":"Hussein was arrested on December 11, 2024, after Scottsdale police and the U.S. Secret Service cross-referenced IP addresses; he was jailed on USD 200,000 bail with electronic monitoring and charged with theft, fraud and money laundering; the funds had not been recovered by the victims at the time of the articles consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Cryptocurrency was taken from the passengers' personal accounts/wallets; no corporate assets were involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.azfamily.com/2024/12/13/fake-uber-driver-stole-300k-cryptocurrency-scottsdale-police-say/","source1_name":"AZFamily (KTVK/KPHO)","source2":"https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/fake-uber-driver-allegedly-stole-thousands-crypto-from-customers","source2_name":"FOX 10 Phoenix","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA212","date":"2024-04","precision":"month","city":"Tehran","country":"Iran","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"Ransom demanded: IRR 500 billion (50 billion tomans) in USDT; underlying debt dispute: IRR 50 billion in USDT","amount_usd":790000,"description":"A man from out of town was abducted outside Rasoul Akram Hospital in Tehran by three young men in a Peugeot 405, who beat him before forcing him into the car (the scene was caught on CCTV). The kidnappers called his wife, threatened to kill him, and demanded payment of IRR 500 billion in Tether, the motive being a debt of IRR 50 billion in USDT that the victim had not repaid them. Sensing police were near, they released the hostage unharmed without having received anything, and fled.","victims":"An adult man (identity not published), husband of the complainant","outcome":"Nothing paid: sensing police were near, the kidnappers released the hostage unharmed, and he returned to Tehran by bus; the three kidnappers fled, and the search continued","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A man was abducted and the USDT ransom demanded corresponded to a personal debt owed to his kidnappers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/848163/%D8%A2%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%86-%DB%B5%DB%B0-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%B1","source1_name":"Hamshahri Online (statements by General Ali Valipour Goudarzi, head of the Greater Tehran judicial police)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA213","date":"2024-04-01","precision":"day","city":"Taichung, Dali District","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 3,303,000 in cash (announced transaction of TWD 3,000,000 in USDT)","amount_usd":103000,"description":"On April 1, 2024 around 4:25 p.m. in Dali (Taichung), a heavily indebted USDT trader, Lin (31), set up a fake sales meeting for TWD 3,000,000 worth of Tether with one of his regular clients, Liao (37), and paid TWD 100,000 to his friend Chen (27) to rob him. As soon as Liao got into the passenger seat in front of the 7-Eleven on Meiqun Road with a bag containing TWD 3,303,000 in cash, company seals, papers and bank cards, Chen got into the back seat, wrapped his right arm around Liao's neck and pressed a roll of kraft paper to his head to simulate a weapon, demanding the bag. Liao was let out at 4:37 p.m. near Zhuzikeng Ecological Park; both men were arrested within nine hours (Chen in Chiayi), the TWD 3,303,000 was returned, and both were sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for aggravated robbery.","victims":"Liao (廖), 37, a USDT buyer and regular client of the trader — not the trader himself, who orchestrated the robbery","outcome":"TWD 3,303,000 stolen then fully returned after both perpetrators were arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Liao, a regular client buying Tether for his own account, was robbed of his own cash during the fake sales meeting set up by the trader.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C113%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C708%2C20241009%2C2","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, 113年度訴字第708號 (9 October 2024)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4627190","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA214","date":"2024-04-02","precision":"day","city":"Limassol (Germasogeia / Yermasoyia)","country":"Cyprus","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 50,000 in cash","amount_usd":54000,"description":"On April 2, 2024 around noon, a 36-year-old Russian national had arranged via an internet messaging service to meet a stranger in the Germasogeia district of Limassol to exchange a large sum of euros for cryptocurrency. While the suspect was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle and the victim was at the wheel, he grabbed him by the throat while two other foreign nationals burst into the car and grabbed the bag containing EUR 50,000, before all three fled. Limassol CID opened an investigation and a judicial arrest warrant was issued against a 35-year-old man, while the two accomplices remained unidentified.","victims":"A 36-year-old man, Russian national","outcome":"EUR 50,000 stolen; public wanted notice issued against Denis Dzhoraev (34), Limassol CID investigation","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A Russian private individual who came to exchange euros for cryptocurrency for his own account was robbed of his bag of cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cyprus-mail.com/2024/04/03/man-robbed-of-50000-euros-is-cryptocurrency-deal-gone-wrong/","source1_name":"Cyprus Mail","source2":"https://www.philenews.com/kipros/koinonia/article/1455096/ton-epiase-apo-ton-lemo-boukaran-alli-2-ke-tou-eklepsan-tis-e50-000-sti-listia-tis-lemesou/","source2_name":"Philenews (detailed account + wanted notice)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA215","date":"2024-04-02","precision":"day","city":"Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"HKD 180,000 demanded (cryptocurrency trading profits)","amount_usd":23000,"description":"On April 2, 2024 around 6 a.m., a 19-year-old man named Lau was held captive and beaten in a room at the Harbour Grand Kowloon, Tak Fung Street in Hung Hom, a room he rented with a man of the same age named Kwok to trade cryptocurrencies there. Six men and two women had summoned him there to demand HKD 180,000 in trading profits; he was threatened, held, then struck with a softball bat by Kwok and by a 17-year-old minor, before managing to alert relatives by phone. Police arrested three men (Kwok and two 17-year-olds) for unlawful confinement, extortion and causing bodily harm; five other participants fled.","victims":"Mr. Lau, 19, a cryptocurrency trader","outcome":"The victim was injured (lip, elbow, neck, back) and hospitalized; 3 men were arrested for unlawful confinement, extortion and causing bodily harm; 3 men and 2 women remained at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Lau was held captive and beaten to hand over his own personal trading profits demanded by his attackers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/1006320","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA216","date":"2024-04-10","precision":"day","city":"Chiayi, West District","country":"Taiwan","type":"Killing","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 2,360,000 in cash (equivalent of about 70,000 USDT)","amount_usd":72800,"description":"In the early morning of April 10, 2024, at the corner of Huzinei Road and Jiankang 9th Street in Chiayi, a gang of eight people set up a fake transaction: the trader Mr. Chen, 25, handed TWD 2.36 million in cash to Lou to count in exchange for about 70,000 USDT, when a minor accomplice (Wu) sprayed him with pepper gas and the driver Qiu drove off in a car with false plates. Chen clung to the windshield; Lou ordered the driver to accelerate and swerve, and the victim was thrown to the ground and died of his injuries. In February 2025, the Chiayi District Court, sitting with a citizen jury, sentenced Lou to 13 years and Qiu to 11 years and 2 months for robbery with violence resulting in death, and six accomplices to sentences from 7 months to 3 years; the stolen money had been returned to the family.","victims":"Mr. Chen (陳), 25, a cryptocurrency trader","outcome":"The victim was killed; TWD 2.36 million was taken then returned to the family; 8 people were prosecuted, with sentences of up to 13 years. The Supreme Court dismissed two co-perpetrators' appeals on 5 March 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency trader was killed while trying to protect his own cash intended for a personal USDT purchase.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.cna.com.tw/news/asoc/202502210268.aspx","source1_name":"CNA - Central News Agency of Taiwan (21 February 2025)","source2":"https://today.line.me/tw/v3/article/LXYOLXz","source2_name":"United Daily News via LINE Today (judgment details)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA217","date":"2024-04-11","precision":"day","city":"Seoul (Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu), Seoul metropolitan area","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT (Tether)","cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"KRW 500,000,000 (about USD 364,000)","amount_usd":364000,"description":"On April 11, 2024 around 10:44 a.m., in an officetel in Samseong-dong (Gangnam-gu, Seoul), a man in his forties lured a buyer in his thirties by promising to sell him USDT (Tether) below market rate, then struck him repeatedly on the head with a blunt object before fleeing with the KRW 500 million in cash brought for the over-the-counter transaction. The attacker was arrested the next day around 2 p.m. in Cheonho-dong (Gangdong-gu) and charged with attempted murder in aggravated robbery (강도살인미수); two accomplices who had organized his getaway (a 40-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman) were also arrested, and most of the cash was recovered. Gangnam police linked the case to a series of at least four robberies targeting over-the-counter USDT transactions committed in Yeoksam-dong and Samseong-dong between March 13 and April 11, 2024, and were examining a possible link to money-laundering operations.","victims":"A man in his thirties, a buyer in an over-the-counter USDT transaction (carrying KRW 500 million in cash)","outcome":"The victim was seriously injured to the head but not in life-threatening condition, and was hospitalized; the attacker was arrested the next day in Cheonho-dong and charged with 강도살인미수 (attempted murder in aggravated robbery); two accomplices were arrested; most of the KRW 500 million was recovered by police","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private over-the-counter buyer was robbed of his own cash intended for a USDT purchase.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/014/0005174139","source1_name":"Financial News / Newsis (파이낸셜뉴스, via Naver)","source2":"https://www.sisajournal.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=288177","source2_name":"Sisa Journal (시사저널)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA196","date":"2024-04-17","precision":"day","city":"Bonnyrigg, Midlothian","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"No cryptocurrency obtained; the victim's holdings estimated by the organiser at over GBP 2 million","amount_usd":null,"description":"Robert Barr, 28, held at Edinburgh Prison, organised attacks on cryptocurrency holders from his cell. In January 2024, the Bonnyrigg (Midlothian) home of a crypto start-up co-founder, an investor since around 2014, was burgled: a Ledger wallet, jewellery and a key were stolen, but the crypto stayed out of reach without the PIN and seed phrase. On 17 April 2024, two masked and gloved men came to his home to seize the crypto assets and gave up when faced with the video doorbell.","victims":"A crypto start-up co-founder living in Bonnyrigg, whose holdings Barr estimated at over GBP 2 million (not publicly identified)","outcome":"No crypto assets obtained. At the end of September 2026 at the High Court in Edinburgh, Robert Barr (subject of an extradition request from the United States) pleaded guilty to serious organised crime and to organising the burglary and the attempt; Sean Favier and Iain Doyle pleaded guilty to attempted robbery; sentencing pending.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery followed by an attempt targeting the home of a private individual presumed to hold personal crypto assets (crypto wallet and hardware wallet stolen).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://news.stv.tv/west-central/pair-accused-of-planning-robberies-to-steal-17m-in-cryptocurrency","source1_name":"STV News","source2":"https://decrypt.co/343364/british-duo-on-trial-for-planning-to-steal-23m-in-crypto-from-behind-bars","source2_name":"Decrypt","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L087","date":"2024-04-18","precision":"day","city":"Bukit Timah, King Albert Park, Singapore","country":"Singapore","type":"Home invasion","assets":["USDT (Tether)","cash (SGD, USD, UAE dirhams)","luxury watches (Richard Mille, Rolex)","Ferrari car key","smartwatch"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash","Valuables","Vehicle"],"amount":"approximately S$4,341,328 (~US$3.2 million) in cash, cryptocurrency and valuables","amount_usd":3200000,"description":"On the night of April 18, 2024, a group of at least five men armed with machetes (parangs) and baseball bats broke into a luxury bungalow (GCB) along King Albert Park, in Bukit Timah, robbing eleven people present (aged 25-45) of a total haul of approximately S$4.34 million (~US$3.2 million) in cash (SGD, USD, dirhams), cryptocurrency (USDT) and luxury watches (Richard Mille, Rolex). The hardest-hit victim, a 29-year-old woman, lost more than S$3.9 million alone, including nearly US$2.64 million in Tether (USDT). Five Malaysians were charged with armed robbery in a gang after being arrested in Singapore or extradited from Malaysia, two of them having fled to Johor Bahru before being handed over to the Singapore police in late April.","victims":"Eleven victims aged 25 to 45 (identities undisclosed), the most heavily robbed being a 29-year-old woman","outcome":"Judgment of 14 September 2026: six Malaysians sentenced (a seventh, Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, is at large): Wong Chi Shan and Goh Boon Tong 12 years 11 months in prison and 24 strokes of the cane, Mohd Hamidon Ahmed 10 and a half years, Mohd Hashim Ismail 8 years 8 months, Kartik Palaniappan and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi 7 years 8 months. The cryptocurrency had been transferred from the host's phone to a wallet controlled by the robbers; police recovered about S$1.69 million in crypto.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The charge sheets detail individual losses (USDT in personal accounts, cash, Richard Mille/Rolex watches, Ferrari key) suffered by private individuals in a private residence; no commercial entity is mentioned as a victim.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/king-albert-park-armed-gang-robbery-bukit-timah-malaysians-millions-4324676","source1_name":"CNA (Channel News Asia)","source2":"https://mothership.sg/2024/05/2-msians-arrested-gang-robber-king-albert-park/","source2_name":"Mothership.sg","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA218","date":"2024-04-22","precision":"day","city":"Minga Guazú, Alto Paraná","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"362 Bitcoin mining machines (ASIC)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On April 22, 2024, in mid-morning, a gang of about fifteen men attacked a cryptomining farm in Minga Guazú and made off with 362 bitcoin mining machines. In the investigation led by prosecutor Gabriel Segovia, Alto Paraná police arrested Nélida Patricia Vázquez González (33) on May 1, a suspected fence caught reselling 6 miners from a Toyota Premio, then seized 15 other machines (S19, M30, M31) during a search on May 2 in Ciudad del Este, for a total of 21 recovered. The perpetrators of the robbery remained at large.","victims":"Operators of a cryptomining farm in Minga Guazú (owners not publicly identified)","outcome":"362 machines stolen, 21 recovered; one woman arrested for handling stolen goods","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Theft of 362 mining machines belonging to a cryptomining farm (professional equipment).","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lanacion.com.py/pais/2024/05/03/detuvieron-a-una-mujer-y-recuperaron-21-maquinas-en-caso-de-robo-a-criptomineria/","source1_name":"La Nación (Paraguay)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA219","date":"2024-04-27","precision":"month","city":"New York (Manhattan, Financial District)","country":"United States","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash intended for a cryptocurrency purchase"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 20,000 in cash","amount_usd":20000,"description":"On April 27, 2024, a 40-year-old man went to the Sonder Battery Park Hotel in lower Manhattan for a cash-for-cryptocurrency exchange arranged with a stranger. After meeting him in the lobby, he was lured into a third-floor room where two accomplices were waiting: the three men beat him, bound his wrists, ankles and mouth with tape, then fled with USD 20,000 in cash. The NYPD released surveillance footage of the three suspects, aged 18 to 22.","victims":"A cryptocurrency buyer, a 40-year-old man (not publicly identified)","outcome":"USD 20,000 stolen; the victim was beaten and bound; the suspects were still at large when the wanted notices were released","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was robbed during an in-person over-the-counter exchange of his own cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/nyc-police-search-suspects-cash-crypto-deal-bad","source1_name":"Fox Business — « NYC police search for suspects in cash-for-crypto deal gone bad »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L088","date":"2024-04-27","precision":"day","city":"Port Moody, British Columbia (Heritage Woods neighborhood)","country":"Canada","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately US$1.6 million (~CA$2.2 million)","amount_usd":1600000,"description":"On the evening of April 27, 2024, two men disguised as Canada Post delivery workers arrived at a home in the Heritage Woods neighborhood of Port Moody and held a family captive for thirteen hours. The father was blindfolded, stripped, beaten and subjected to waterboarding, and threatened with genital mutilation to hand over access to his crypto accounts, while his 18-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted on camera; the perpetrators emptied approximately US$1.6 million (~CA$2.2 million) from the couple's cryptocurrency accounts through multiple withdrawals.","victims":"A family protected by a publication ban (father, mother and 18-year-old daughter)","outcome":"Tsz Wing Boaz Chan, a 35-year-old Hong Kong national who traveled to Canada specifically for the attack, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, unlawful confinement and sexual assault; he was sentenced on November 14, 2025 to seven years in prison and ordered to pay CA$50,000 in restitution (the amount he had personally received, about HK$280,000); his accomplices remain at large, with the Port Moody Police Department investigation still active.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The sentencing submissions cited by Global News indicate multiple withdrawals from the father's and mother's cryptocurrency accounts, emptied of approximately US$1.6 million; these are personal family assets, not those of a corporate structure.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://nationalpost.com/news/b-c-family-tortured-for-13-hours-by-thieves-impersonating-mailmen-in-2m-crypto-heist","source1_name":"National Post","source2":"https://globalnews.ca/news/11536759/crypto-raiders-tortured-bc-family/","source2_name":"Global News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA220","date":"2024-05","precision":"month","city":"Kyiv","country":"Ukraine","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"250,000 USDT (over UAH 10,000,000)","amount_usd":250000,"description":"Four residents of Kyiv and the Kyiv and Cherkasy oblasts, posing as law enforcement officers, targeted a 20-year-old online business founder after estimating his income, falsely accused him of collaborating with Russia, and threatened him with lengthy detention for high treason, offering to \"settle the matter\" for USD 250,000. The victim transferred 250,000 USDT (over UAH 10 million), which the extortionists immediately converted to cash; the four suspects were identified and then arrested during simultaneous searches, and were notified of suspicion under Article 189, Part 4 of the Criminal Code (extortion, up to 12 years).","victims":"The founder of an online business, a 20-year-old man (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"USD 250,000 extorted; four suspects arrested during searches in Kyiv and the Kyiv and Cherkasy regions; prosecution under Article 189, Part 4 of the Criminal Code (extortion)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Extortion targeting the founder personally (threat of criminal prosecution against him), paid in his own personal USDT rather than company funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cyberpolice.gov.ua/news/vymanyly-u-cholovika--tysyach-dolariv-u-kryptovalyuti-policzejski-vykryly-zlochynnu-grupu-vymagachiv-5925/","source1_name":"Cyberpolice of Ukraine (official statement)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA482","date":"2024-05-02","precision":"day","city":"Bucharest (Sector 1, Cortina Residence complex, Pipera)","country":"Romania","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"unknown (crypto wallet passwords demanded and refused; no transfer reported)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 2 May 2024, in broad daylight, a man of about 33, a businessman from Moldova, was forced into a van in the underground car park of the luxury residential complex where he lives in Bucharest's Sector 1 (Cortina Residence complex, north of the capital). According to sources quoted by Antena 3, the three kidnappers, who allegedly acted on a tip-off that he held cryptocurrency, demanded the passwords to his crypto wallet; he refused and offered them the EUR 10,000 in cash he had at home. Handcuffed and badly beaten during the drive, he was dumped, still handcuffed, at the side of a street in Sector 1; the van was found on Soseaua Pipera.","victims":"Businessman of about 33, originally from Moldova (not named)","outcome":"Victim found injured and handcuffed by police shortly afterwards and taken to Elias hospital; no cryptocurrency transfer reported. Investigation for illegal deprivation of liberty opened under the Sector 1 court prosecutor's office; perpetrators not identified as of the articles read.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers demanded the passwords to the crypto wallet the victim holds (Antena 3, citing sources); abducted at home, no company named as the target.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/evenimente/barbat-rapit-in-bucuresti-din-fata-unui-complex-rezidential-politistii-l-au-gasit-la-cativa-kilometri-distanta-2781099","source1_name":"Digi24","source2":"https://www.antena3.ro/actualitate/surse-motiv-rapit-om-afaceri-moldovean-parcare-nord-bucuresti-709077.html","source2_name":"Antena 3 CNN","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA221","date":"2024-05-07","precision":"day","city":"Sheung Shui (Tai Tau Leng village), New Territories, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"HKD 15,000,000 in debt demanded (nothing actually handed over)","amount_usd":1920000,"description":"On May 7, 2024 at around 8 p.m., Mrs. Chu (55), a cryptocurrency investor, and her husband Mr. Ho (43, owner of an IT company) were driving on Po Shek Wu Road, near Tai Tau Leng village in Sheung Shui, when a vehicle blocked them: four men aged 30 to 50 got out and forcibly took Mrs. Chu, beating her husband with their bare hands and a stun gun when he tried to intervene. Transferred to a car park in Sheung Shui and then to a second vehicle, she was ordered to urgently settle a debt of HKD 15 million linked to her cryptocurrency investments, before being released near Ta Kwu Ling, where she went to the police station. Both spouses were hospitalized, and on the afternoon of May 8, police arrested two men named Lam, father and son aged 70 and 30, in Tai Po for assault and unlawful confinement.","victims":"Mrs. Chu, 55, a cryptocurrency investor, and her husband Mr. Ho, 43, the owner of an IT company","outcome":"Victim released the same evening, husband injured; two men (70 and 30, father and son) arrested the next day in Tai Po for assault and unlawful confinement","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction of the investor to settle a debt linked to her personal cryptocurrency investments.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/article/1017816","source1_name":"HK01 (香港01)","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/article/1017592","source2_name":"HK01 — cryptocurrency origin of the debt","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA468","date":"2024-05-09","precision":"day","city":"Pibrac (Haute-Garonne); held in the Toulouse suburbs","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","cash","Rolex watch","vehicle"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Valuables","Vehicle"],"amount":"About EUR 60,000 in cryptocurrency (bitcoins), EUR 100,000 in cash, a Rolex worth EUR 17,000, an Audi A3 and various items; about EUR 200,000 in total according to France 3","amount_usd":216000,"description":"In the late afternoon of 9 May 2024, Sofian F., a resident of Ariège described as a drug trafficker, and a friend who had come to sell a car to an acquaintance on the square in Pibrac were blocked by a van and a small car, from which six masked, gloved and armed men got out; they were handcuffed, blindfolded and thrown into the van. The friend was released a few hours later; Sofian was held for two days in several hideouts in the Toulouse suburbs, beaten and tortured, and forced to hand over about 60,000 euros in cryptocurrency (bitcoins), 100,000 euros in cash hidden in a safe, a Rolex and various items before being released on a road in Ariège. The alleged organizer, who owed 15,000 euros in a drug debt, reportedly targeted him because of his reputation for wealth.","victims":"Sofian F., a resident of Ariège described as a drug trafficker (not a civil party); a friend nicknamed Crunch, abducted then released","outcome":"The victim was released after 48 hours on a road in Ariège after handing over cryptocurrency, cash and property; six men were taken into police custody in a sweep in November 2024, and five (aged 20 to 47) were sent to trial before the Toulouse criminal court and tried on 12 and 13 May 2026 for abduction, unlawful confinement, violent theft and extortion and criminal conspiracy; the victim did not join the case as a civil party; the verdict is not known from the sources read.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (alleged trafficker) abducted for his personal wealth, including his bitcoins; no professional crypto activity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/occitanie/haute-garonne/toulouse/kidnapping-pres-de-toulouse-cinq-personnes-jugees-pour-l-enlevement-d-un-homme-et-l-extorsion-de-200-000-euros-3349948.html","source1_name":"France 3 Regions (Occitanie)","source2":"https://www.ladepeche.fr/2026/05/11/la-vente-de-voiture-etait-un-piege-kidnappe-pres-de-toulouse-il-doit-ceder-bitcoins-rolex-et-100-000-euros-cash-pour-prix-de-sa-liberte-13363350.php","source2_name":"La Depeche du Midi","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA222","date":"2024-05-13","precision":"day","city":"Honeydew (Johannesburg) and Pretoria; held captive in Eastlea (Harare, Zimbabwe)","country":"South Africa","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 13,900,000 in cryptocurrency (targeted, not transferred)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On May 13, 2024, eight men posing as Interpol agents abducted Shepherd Sikhosana at the offices of the crypto-recovery company Falcon Gold Digital Forensic in Honeydew (Johannesburg), then his wife at their home in Pretoria, on the pretext that Russian hitmen were tracking them. The couple was taken to the Beitbridge border post, illegally crossed into Zimbabwe, and held captive, with their phones confiscated, in an apartment at the Tropez Flats in Eastlea (Harare); the Zimbabwean public prosecutor's office holds that the goal was to seize the USD 13.9 million in cryptocurrency that the company had just recovered for the wife after a hack. The couple was freed by Harare police on May 19 after passing their location to relatives, and Moses Nhachi Chademana (60) was charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer, bail was refused, and the case was remanded to June 23, 2024.","victims":"Shepherd Sikhosana (a university professor) and his wife Sekayi Adelpha Sikhosana, a Zimbabwean couple residing in Pretoria","outcome":"Couple found/freed after alerting South African police; Moses Nhachi Chademana charged with kidnapping and impersonating a police officer before a Harare court, held in pre-trial detention, case remanded to June 23, 2024; South African accomplices (including Liam Evans and a man known as Sir Peter) still at large. No evidence that the cryptocurrency was actually transferred.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Target: the cryptocurrency that the recovery company had just retrieved for the wife's personal account, therefore her own assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.zimlive.com/crypto-couple-kidnapped-in-sa-and-smuggled-into-zimbabwe/","source1_name":"ZimLive","source2":"https://news.pindula.co.zw/2024/05/22/zimbabwean-couple-kidnapped-in-south-africa-and-smuggled-into-zimbabwe/","source2_name":"Pindula News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA223","date":"2024-06","precision":"month","city":"Berlin (Berlin-Mitte)","country":"Germany","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately EUR 2,000,000 in cryptocurrency targeted (no amount stolen, abduction never carried out)","amount_usd":2150000,"description":"Starting in June 2024, Nukri M., a 45-year-old Ukrainian lawyer, and at least two accomplices allegedly planned to abduct a Berlin-Mitte businessman reputed to hold approximately EUR 2 million in cryptocurrency: he was to be dragged into a vehicle with tinted windows on his way to his usual bistro and then taken to an apartment in Poland to be forced to transfer his assets, the perpetrators noting in chat messages that he would not file a complaint because his fortune had allegedly been acquired fraudulently. The plan was uncovered because an undercover agent, engaged in another case and asked to supply two vehicles, had infiltrated the group; the target's home had already been under surveillance in late June 2024 and the defendant had traveled to Poland, but the abduction was never carried out, as one of the accomplices was arrested by Polish authorities. Wanted since July 2024, Nukri M. traveled to Moldova in November 2024, was extradited in March 2025, and stood trial from July 25, 2025 before the Landgericht of Berlin; he denies the facts and claims that the crypto-millionaire never existed.","victims":"A businessman holding cryptocurrency residing in Berlin-Mitte (unnamed), the intended target; his existence is disputed by the defendant","outcome":"Abduction not carried out (foiled by an undercover agent); one defendant extradited and tried in Berlin starting July 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Planned abduction of a businessman for his own cryptocurrency holdings (EUR 2 million held personally).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/prozess-nach-verdeckten-ermittlungen-angeklagter-soll-angriff-auf-kryptomillionar-in-berlin-geplant-haben-14085788.html","source1_name":"Tagesspiegel – « Prozess nach verdeckten Ermittlungen: Angeklagter soll Angriff auf Kryptomillionär in Berlin geplant haben »","source2":"https://www.n-tv.de/regionales/berlin-und-brandenburg/Angriff-auf-Kryptomillionaer-geplant-Angeklagter-bestreitet-article25925255.html","source2_name":"n-tv / dpa (25 July 2025) – « Angriff auf Kryptomillionär geplant? Angeklagter bestreitet »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA224","date":"2024-06-04","precision":"day","city":"New Delhi (Model Town)","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"INR 3.5 lakh (350,000 INR) — attempted, nothing taken","amount_usd":4200,"description":"On June 4, 2024 at around 6:20 p.m. near Queen Mary School in Model Town (New Delhi), Naman Jain, who had come to buy USDT from a seller contacted on WhatsApp by his friend Ranbeer Rajput under the alias 'Kapil,' was caught in a trap: three men arrived on a motorcycle, two got into his car and snatched a bag containing INR 3.5 lakh from him at gunpoint. Naman held onto the bag; Gaurav @ Vicky struck him with the pistol grip and Vinay @ Laddu stabbed him twice in the chest (a deep wound beyond the 5th intercostal space, requiring surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital), but the attackers fled without the money. The investigation (FIR 375/2024, PS Model Town) identified six accused and established that Tarandeep Singh @ Taran Chopra orchestrated this type of robbery under cover of cryptocurrency transactions, supplying SIM cards to 'Kapil.'","victims":"Naman Jain (USDT buyer, seriously injured) and his friend Ranbeer Rajput (complainant)","outcome":"Attempt failed (nothing stolen) but the victim was seriously stabbed and hospitalized; at least 5 arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy USDT over the counter, robbed of his personal cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/126020111/","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Vinay vs State GNCT of Delhi (Delhi High Court, 29 April 2025)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA452","date":"2024-06-06","precision":"day","city":"São Paulo (Parada de Taipas, north zone); victim from Campinas","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About USD 100,000 in cryptocurrency (about BRL 500,000 to 600,000 depending on the source); the victim's car was taken","amount_usd":100000,"description":"On the evening of Thursday 6 June 2024, a 46-year-old doctor from Campinas traveled to São Paulo to meet a woman he had been chatting with for a week on a dating app. At the meeting point, in Parada de Taipas (north zone), he was overpowered, pulled out of his car and put into another vehicle; the kidnappers took his phone to make Pix transfers and stole about USD 100,000 in cryptocurrency from him. He escaped by jumping from the moving vehicle and alerted the Military Police, who tracked the phone and arrested three suspects in the Brasilândia area.","victims":"A 46-year-old doctor from Campinas (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"The victim escaped by jumping from the vehicle; three suspects with criminal records were arrested in the act for extortion through kidnapping, and the victim's phone and drugs were seized; an investigation was opened to identify other gang members and trace the cryptocurrency; the car had not been found at the time of publication.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (a doctor) lured by a fake online date and stripped of his personal cryptocurrency through his phone.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://sbtnews.sbt.com.br/noticia/policia/sp-medico-sai-de-campinas-e-e-sequestrado-apos-cair-no-golpe-do-amor","source1_name":"SBT News","source2":"https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/medico-perde-r-500-mil-em-criptomoedas-apos-encontro-por-aplicativo-e-sequestro-suspeitos-sao-presos/","source2_name":"Portal do Bitcoin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA225","date":"2024-06-15","precision":"day","city":"Saarbrücken (Güdingen district)","country":"Germany","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["SOL","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Solana worth approximately EUR 150,000 at the time of the events (value doubled to EUR 300,000 according to the indictment in spring 2025)","amount_usd":162000,"description":"On June 15, 2024 at around 1 a.m., a 21-year-old man walking alone on Bühler Straße in Saarbrücken-Güdingen, near a Saarbahn stop, was forcibly pulled into a dark vehicle by several attackers. In the back seat he was beaten and threatened with death until he handed over the codes to his phone and crypto account, and his Solana was then transferred to the attackers' accounts; he was thrown from the vehicle at around 2:30 a.m. in an industrial area near the Goldene Bremm and was able to alert the police. Five men were arrested in October 2024, and four of them, aged 21 to 24, stood trial starting April 1, 2025 before the juvenile chamber of the Saarbrücken Landgericht on charges of extortionate kidnapping (erpresserischer Menschenraub).","victims":"A 21-year-old man from Saarbrücken, a Solana holder","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transferred to the attackers; victim released with injuries; 5 suspects arrested in October 2024, trial opened April 1, 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction of a private individual forced to hand over the access codes to his personal crypto account (Solana).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.sol.de/blaulicht-saarland/mann-in-saarbruecken-entfuehrt-und-erpresst-prozess-gegen-vier-verdaechtige-hat-begonnen-re-1,589548.html","source1_name":"SR / SOL.DE – « Mann in Saarbrücken entführt und erpresst: Prozess gegen vier Verdächtige hat begonnen »","source2":"https://lokalo.de/artikel/331594/saarland-mann-in-auto-gezogen-und-erpresst-zugang-zu-kryptowaehrung-erzwungen/","source2_name":"Lokalo.de – « Saarland: Mann in Auto gezogen und erpresst – Zugang zu Kryptowährung erzwungen » (police appeal for witnesses)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA226","date":"2024-06-17","precision":"day","city":"London (Hoxton)","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Home invasion","assets":["ETH"],"asset_classes":["ETH"],"amount":"USD 4,300,000 (over 1,000 ETH)","amount_usd":4300000,"description":"Three teenagers from Sheffield, then aged 16 and 17, posed as delivery drivers to enter an apartment in Hoxton, London, threatened the occupant with large knives/machetes and forced him to transfer USD 4.3 million in cryptocurrency, then stole his car keys. They filmed themselves on Snapchat driving the victim's blue BMW X3; the vehicle was spotted less than three hours later by an automatic number plate recognition camera on the M1 in Northamptonshire.","victims":"A man occupying an apartment in Hoxton (identified in the press as Ramesh Nair)","outcome":"Cryptocurrency recovered by police within 72 hours; the three teenagers sentenced to prison terms (announced February 5, 2026)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion of a private individual forced to transfer his personal cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/crime/sheffield-london-cryptocurrency-burglary-5503859","source1_name":"The Star (Sheffield)","source2":"https://99bitcoins.com/news/bitcoin-btc/uk-crypto-wrench-attack-jail/","source2_name":"99Bitcoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA227","date":"2024-06-20","precision":"day","city":"Manila","country":"Philippines","type":"Killing","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"CNY 3,000,000 paid in USDT (CNY 25,000,000 demanded)","amount_usd":415000,"description":"Lured to Manila by a supposed Filipino distributor named 'Li Na,' met through a contact at the EuroPCR congress in Paris, and by a shell company, two executives of Chinese medical equipment companies, Mr. Xia and Mr. Sun, were abducted as soon as they arrived at the airport on June 20, 2024 (flight PR359 from Beijing) and then mistreated, with their families receiving death-threat calls. The kidnappers demanded 25 million yuan, then accepted 3 million, paid on June 24 into a USDT cryptocurrency account they said had only 'about 8 minutes of life.' Both hostages were killed despite the payment; the Chinese embassy in Manila alerted Philippine authorities, and Philippine, Chinese, and American police investigated.","victims":"Mr. Xia (a Chinese citizen) and Mr. Sun (Chinese-American), senior executives of two Chinese medical device companies","outcome":"CNY 3 million ransom paid in USDT, both victims killed; several arrests, main suspect extradited from the United States in 2026","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"Ransom demanded for the release of two executives via threats to their families, with no indication whether the funds came from their personal assets or their companies.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://mini.caixin.com/2024-07-08/102214002.html","source1_name":"财新 Caixin – « 菲律宾绑匪用虚拟货币交易｜解释 »","source2":"https://www.guancha.cn/internation/2024_07_03_740110.shtml","source2_name":"观察者网 – « 2名中企高管在菲律宾遭绑架撕票，知情人：熟人作案 »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L091","date":"2024-06-21","precision":"day","city":"Montreal (abduction); held captive in Les Cèdres, Montérégie; body found in Ahuntsic-Cartierville","country":"Canada","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On June 21, 2024, cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi, 25, was abducted in Montreal along with three friends by masked, armed individuals demanding access to his cryptocurrency wallet. The four victims, blindfolded, were taken to the basement of a mobile home in Les Cèdres, Montérégie, rented by an acquaintance; Mirshahi was tied to a chair with tape and beaten by several individuals until he died, while his three companions were released after 36 hours. His body, wrapped in a tarp, was found several months later in a wooded area of Montreal (Ahuntsic sector, Parc de l'Île-de-la-Visitation).","victims":"Kevin Mirshahi, 25, cryptocurrency influencer; three other people (two women and a man) abducted and held captive with him and later released","outcome":"Joanie Lepage, owner of the basement used as the place of confinement, pleaded guilty to unlawful confinement and was sentenced to two years in prison (January 29, 2026), already partly served in pre-trial detention; the alleged ringleader of the group, Guillaume Nobert, 36, has remained at large since a warrant was issued on November 22, 2024, and three other men charged in the case are awaiting trial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers had \"a single goal: to seize\" Kevin Mirshahi's personal cryptocurrency wallet and demanded his phone passcode; no corporate treasury was targeted.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2224387/joanie-lepage-condamnee-prison-kevin-mirshahi","source1_name":"Radio-Canada","source2":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2025-12-11/une-femme-coupable-de-sequestration/un-influenceur-en-cryptomonnaie-battu-a-mort-dans-une-salle-de-torture.php","source2_name":"La Presse","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA228","date":"2024-06-22","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Neihu District, near the technology park, Jiuzong Road), Taipei City","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"21,084 USDT (≈TWD 700,000) + TWD 10,000 in cash","amount_usd":21400,"description":"On June 22, 2024 at around 9 p.m., Liu Po-cheng (55), an individual USDT trader contacted via Telegram, got into a car near the Neihu technology park (Jiuzong Road, Taipei) for a supposed sale of 20,000 USDT for TWD 700,000; Lin Cheng-hsiang immediately pointed a switchblade at him, blindfolded him with a mask, and tied his hands with cable ties, while the driver Yang Chia-yu brandished a second blade. Impersonating the victim on his phone, the attackers had one of Liu's contacts transfer 84 and then 21,000 USDT (≈TWD 700,000) at 10:12 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., took TWD 10,000 in cash from him, and then threw him out of the vehicle in Shulin (New Taipei) at around 10:35 p.m. Arrested on June 24 in a rented apartment in Taishan (a machete and cable ties were seized in the vehicle), Lin and intermediary Chang Chih-chia were sentenced to 7 years 6 months and 7 years 8 months respectively for aggravated robbery with a weapon, sentences upheld on appeal on December 24, 2025.","victims":"Liu Po-cheng (劉伯正), 55, an individual OTC USDT trader/broker","outcome":"21,084 USDT and TWD 10,000 stolen; two suspects arrested 2 days later in Taishan; sentences of 7 years 6 months (Lin Cheng-hsiang) and 7 years 8 months (Chang Chih-chia) for aggravated robbery with a weapon, upheld on appeal on December 24, 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual USDT trader robbed during an over-the-counter transaction for his own account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=SLDM%2C113%2C%E5%8E%9F%E8%A8%B4%2C32%2C20241029%2C2","source1_name":"Shilin District Court, judgment 113年度原訴字第32號 (29 October 2024)","source2":"https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20241030003512-260402","source2_name":"China Times (中時新聞網), 30 October 2024 — 北市3男搶劫幣商「刀抵脖子、矇眼捆手」法院重判7年","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA229","date":"2024-06-23","precision":"day","city":"Minga Guazú (San Miguel neighborhood, km 22 on the Monday side), Alto Paraná","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"150 mining machines (mineradoras), value not specified","amount_usd":null,"description":"On June 23, 2024, six to seven perpetrators arriving in a truck and a gray Toyota Premio broke into a mining shed (tinglado) located at km 22 on the Monday side, San Miguel neighborhood, in Minga Guazú (Alto Paraná). They held Isidro Bogado Ozuna, 21, the site manager, at gunpoint in a room of the shed, assuring him they would not hurt him since they only wanted the equipment, and then made off with 150 mining machines. The young man fled into a wooded area and did not call the Comisaría 8ª until an hour later; he subsequently refused to file a complaint or reveal the identity of the owners, as the site — isolated about 8,000 meters from the urban area — was suspected of operating illegally by drawing electricity from ANDE.","victims":"Isidro Bogado Ozuna, 21, manager (encargado) of the crypto-mining farm","outcome":"150 mining machines stolen at gunpoint; victim physically unharmed; no arrests; no formal complaint filed and owners of the equipment not identified","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Crypto-mining farm robbed for its equipment (150 machines), professional property of the mining site.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/este/2024/06/24/asaltan-granja-de-criptomineria-y-roban-150-maquinas/","source1_name":"ABC Color — ABC en el Este (Paraguay), 24 June 2024","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA230","date":"2024-07","precision":"day","city":"New Mexico (location undisclosed)","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet"],"amount":"Hardware wallet stolen, amount undisclosed","amount_usd":null,"description":"In July 2024, as part of the criminal network prosecuted by the DOJ for approximately USD 263 million in cryptocurrency thefts, Marlon Ferro ('GothFerrari') traveled to New Mexico and broke into a victim's home to steal a hardware wallet containing crypto-assets. The burglary was coordinated in real time with Malone Lam, who is accused of having remotely tracked the victim's location by accessing her iCloud account. The organization included a cell dedicated to residential burglaries targeting crypto-asset holders who had been previously identified and surveilled; Ferro was sentenced to 78 months in prison as part of the RICO prosecution.","victims":"An unidentified crypto-asset holder (New Mexico), absent from their home at the time of the incident","outcome":"Hardware wallet stolen, victim absent at the time of the incident; Ferro sentenced in 2026 (78 months) as part of a RICO prosecution","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Residential burglary targeting the personal hardware wallet of a crypto-asset holder who had been identified and surveilled.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/doj-uses-organized-crime-statute-in-263-million-cryptocurrency-theft-money-laundering-and-home-invasion-conspiracy","source1_name":"TRM Labs (analysis of the DOJ indictment)","source2":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/additional-12-defendants-charged-rico-conspiracy-over-263-million-cryptocurrency-thefts","source2_name":"US Attorney's Office District of Columbia — Additional 12 Defendants Charged in RICO Conspiracy for over $263 Million Cryptocurrency Thefts, Money Laundering, Home Break-Ins","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA231","date":"2024-07-10","precision":"day","city":"Majadahonda, Madrid","country":"Spain","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no assets obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, five Eastern European men (three Russians, one Bulgarian, one Romanian, aged 29 to 48) posing as police officers beat two people in the parking lot of the Equinoccio shopping center in Majadahonda, in front of their relatives, before forcing them into a black van, as part of an extortion scheme linked to cryptocurrencies. Under surveillance since July 9 following suspicious reconnaissance reported by private security and the municipal police, they were caught in the act by the Guardia Civil of Madrid, who freed the two victims and seized two imitation firearms, radios, tactical clothing, Policia Nacional caps, holster belts, cable ties, adhesive tape, gloves, and a GPS tracker placed on the victims' vehicle. The five men, with no prior record in Spain and suspected of having come specifically to carry out the abduction, were brought before the court and placed under judicial order.","victims":"Two people described as Russian nationals believed to hold crypto assets, attacked in front of their relatives","outcome":"Kidnapping attempt foiled; one victim severely beaten; five arrests by the Guardia Civil of Madrid on July 16, 2024.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted kidnapping of two individuals presumed to hold crypto assets, targeting their personal holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.madridactual.es/municipios/majadahonda/cinco-detenidos-por-el-intento-de-secuestro-de-dos-personas-por-un-extorsion-relacionada-con-criptomonedas-20240716-7966941.html","source1_name":"Madrid Actual (citing the Guardia Civil press release)","source2":"https://majadahondamagazin.es/los-secuestradores-del-equinoccio-en-majadahonda-eran-mafiosos-del-este-de-europa-que-iban-a-robar-criptomonedas-a-dos-rusos-por-un-ajuste-de-cuentas-297533","source2_name":"Majadahonda Magazin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L093","date":"2024-07-10","precision":"day","city":"Angers, Maine-et-Loire","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 10,000 demanded in cryptocurrency (actual payment not confirmed by the sources)","amount_usd":10800,"description":"Two individuals armed with a crowbar and a butterfly knife broke down the door of a young man's apartment in Angers on July 10, 2024 around 5:30 p.m., threatening to cut off one of his fingers to demand EUR 10,000 in cryptocurrency. The victim, himself the perpetrator of minor online scams that had netted him about EUR 15,000 in his accounts, had to flee the city for fear of reprisals. Three young men from Angers were sentenced on September 6, 2024 by the Angers criminal court to two to three years in prison for extortion.","victims":"Unidentified young man residing in Angers (perpetrator of minor online scams)","outcome":"Three perpetrators were sentenced on September 6, 2024 to two to three years in prison for extortion; the victim had to leave his home for fear of reprisals, with no confirmation that the demanded sum was actually paid.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was attacked at his home (door broken down with a crowbar, threat to cut off a finger) to extort EUR 10,000 from his own assets; no economic structure was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/justice/ils-menacent-un-homme-pour-de-la-cryptomonnaie-trois-jeunes-condamnes-pour-extorsion-a-angers-9b3310c6-6c61-11ef-8186-bc3b55f9d8c3","source1_name":"Ouest-France (Courrier de l’Ouest), \"They threatened a man over cryptocurrency: three young men convicted of extortion in Angers\"","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/angers-49000/ils-avaient-pris-pour-cible-un-petit-escroc-trois-angevins-condamnes-pour-extorsion-2daa59b4-6c71-11ef-ae01-eadd2e601b92","source2_name":"Ouest-France (Courrier de l’Ouest), \"They had targeted a small-time swindler: three men from Angers convicted of extortion\"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA232","date":"2024-07-11","precision":"day","city":"Melbourne (southeastern suburbs; intercepted in Keysborough)","country":"Australia","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"AUD 14,000 to 19,000 demanded; AUD 3,000 obtained (AUD 1,000 in cash from an ATM + AUD 2,000 transferred)","amount_usd":2000,"description":"Charles Gardiner, who accused the victim — a man who had advised him on cryptocurrency investments in 2022 — of having stolen AUD 20,000 from him, threatened him by email in March 2024 (a veiled threat to send men after him, mentioning his mother's home), scouted his home on July 9, then showed up there on July 11, 2024 with Travis Thickens, who lured him outside by pretending to come tow his car. Held for about two and a half hours, brought back into his own house in front of his partner, then driven around the southeastern suburbs, he was forced to withdraw AUD 1,000 from an ATM, attempt an online loan application, and transfer AUD 2,000, under Gardiner's repeated threats to shoot him or burn his face with a blowtorch. Alerted by a friend of the victim who had located his phone via \"Find My,\" police intercepted the vehicle in Keysborough and seized a fake pistol; Gardiner was sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by a 15-month CCO, and Thickens to 7 months followed by a 12-month CCO, for blackmail and theft.","victims":"Unnamed adult man, cryptocurrency advisor/investor, living with his partner","outcome":"AUD 3,000 obtained; police interception, convictions for blackmail before the County Court of Victoria","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Extortion targeting an individual accused of having stolen AUD 20,000 from the attacker, forced to withdraw and transfer personal funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VCC/2025/1709.html","source1_name":"DPP v Gardiner & Anor [2025] VCC 1709, County Court of Victoria (19 November 2025)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L094","date":"2024-07-11","precision":"day","city":"Cyberjaya, Selangor","country":"Malaysia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"Ransom demanded of 1,007,696 USDT (RM 4.44 million); payment not confirmed by the sources","amount_usd":1007696,"description":"A Chinese national was abducted on July 11, 2024 around 11 a.m. at the exit of the MEX (Maju Expressway) in Cyberjaya by an 18-member gang, which demanded a ransom of 1,007,696 USDT (approximately RM4.44 million) for his release. On August 3, 2024, police shot dead four suspects during a shootout in Skudai, Johor; six other people, including a married couple, were charged on August 15 with kidnapping and remanded without the possibility of bail, the offense being punishable by 30 to 40 years in prison and caning.","victims":"Unidentified Chinese national","outcome":"Four suspects were killed by police during a shootout on August 3, 2024 in Skudai; six people were charged on August 15, 2024 with kidnapping for ransom and remanded in custody without bail; four other suspects from the 18-member gang remain wanted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A USDT ransom was demanded in exchange for the release of a captive private individual, drawn from his own assets; no corporate treasury was targeted according to the charge sheet.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.bernama.com/tv/news.php?id=2328296","source1_name":"Bernama, \"Police Tracking Down Four Suspects Involved In Kidnapping Chinese National\"","source2":"https://international.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/six-charged-kidnapping-rm444-million-cryptocurrency-ransom-483619","source2_name":"Awani International (Bernama), \"Six charged with kidnapping for RM4.44 million cryptocurrency ransom\"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L095","date":"2024-07-12","precision":"day","city":"Bangkok (Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei)","country":"Thailand","type":"Torture","assets":["cash","valuables (phones, luxury watches)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"THB 3,000,000 (total value of the goods stolen and later seized)","amount_usd":82000,"description":"A British crypto trader was lured to a party at an apartment in Phra Khanong (Khlong Toei, Bangkok) on July 12, 2024 around 4:50 a.m. by three men and two women, who threatened him, beat him, shocked him with a stun gun, then tied him up with rope and tape before robbing him. The attackers took two iPhones, two luxury watches (Audemars Piguet and Rolex), a bank card and 24,000 baht in cash, for a total value exceeding THB 3 million. Five suspects (a Dane and British nationals, including an unidentified woman) were arrested on July 14-15, 2024 and prosecuted for armed robbery, unlawful confinement and extortion with weapons.","victims":"British cryptocurrency trader (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Five suspects were arrested and prosecuted for armed robbery, unlawful confinement and extortion with weapons; the stolen goods (worth more than THB 3 million) were seized; the suspects pleaded not guilty and requested a trial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Personal belongings of a private individual (two iPhones, Audemars Piguet and Rolex watches, bank card, 24,000 baht in cash) were stolen at a private party; the victim, an independent crypto trader, was targeted as an individual, not as a representative of a company.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/07/15/5-foreigners-arrested-for-violent-robbery-of-british-crypto-trader-in-bangkok/","source1_name":"Khaosod English, \"5 Foreigners Arrested for Violent Robbery of British Crypto Trader in Bangkok\"","source2":"https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/general/40039689","source2_name":"The Nation Thailand, \"Five foreigners arrested for torturing and robbing British man\"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L096","date":"2024-07-22","precision":"day","city":"Pune (Bavdhan / Balewadi, Maharashtra)","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Rs 16.02 lakhs (1,602,000 INR) actually transferred","amount_usd":19200,"description":"A 26-year-old stock and cryptocurrency trading coach, residing in Bavdhan (Pune), was contacted on social media and then lured to Balewadi High Street on 22 July 2024 under the pretext of discussing his online training course, before being pushed into a car by five men. Under threat of a knife, he was forced to reveal his phone passwords, allowing the attackers to transfer the equivalent of 16.02 lakh rupees in cryptocurrency to their own accounts, before he was released at Shikrapur. The victim filed a complaint at Chaturshringi police station; five men were identified via social media and prosecuted under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Indian Arms Act.","victims":"A 26-year-old stock and cryptocurrency trading coach, residing in Bavdhan (Pune)","outcome":"Victim released safe and unharmed at Shikrapur after the forced transfer of his cryptocurrency; five suspects identified via social media and wanted by police, with proceedings initiated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Cryptocurrency was forcibly transferred from the personal accounts of a 26-year-old independent trainer/trader working alone and for his own account (online courses and packages) to the attackers' accounts; no business structure was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/share-trading-coach-kidnapped-robbed-cryptocurrency-worth-rs-16-l-9475959/","source1_name":"The Indian Express, \"Share trading coach kidnapped, robbed of cryptocurrency worth Rs 16 L\"","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/five-men-abduct-crypto-broker-in-balewadi-extort-16l/articleshow/112054005.cms","source2_name":"The Times of India, \"Five men abduct crypto broker in Balewadi, extort 16L\"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L097","date":"2024-07-28","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv (Solomianskyi district)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"UAH 7,000,000 (bitcoin)","amount_usd":170000,"description":"A 29-year-old Moroccan national was forcibly abducted outside his home in Kyiv around midnight by four men aged 24 to 29, who beat him and put him in a car after learning that he held bitcoin. Taken to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city, he was forced to transfer approximately 7 million hryvnias (170,000 dollars) in bitcoin, then strangled; the kidnappers disguised the vehicle (changed license plates) and buried his body in a forest. The four suspects were arrested by the special unit KORD and prosecuted for murder, robbery, unlawful deprivation of liberty and concealment of a crime, facing life imprisonment.","victims":"A 29-year-old Moroccan man (identity not made public)","outcome":"Victim killed by strangulation after the forced transfer of his bitcoins; body found buried in a forest after investigation. The four attackers (aged 24-29) were arrested by the special unit KORD and are prosecuted for premeditated murder, robbery, unlawful confinement and concealment of a crime, facing life imprisonment.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual (a 29-year-old Moroccan national) abducted outside his home and tortured to transfer HIS own bitcoins; no business structure was targeted. The Kyiv Independent describes him as an ordinary private individual, with no professional activity linked to the funds taken.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://kyivindependent.com/foreigner-kidnapped-forced-to-transfer-bitcoins-then-murdered-in-kyiv-police-say/","source1_name":"Kyiv Independent","source2":"https://censor.net/en/photonews/3502062/u_kyyevi_vbyly_inozemtsya_cholovika_vykraly_ta_pograbuvaly","source2_name":"Censor.NET","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L098","date":"2024-07-29","precision":"day","city":"Tallinn (Old Town)","country":"Estonia","type":"Attempted attack","assets":[],"asset_classes":[],"amount":"No amount extorted (attempt foiled, no ransom paid or set)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Men disguised as painters/decorators, wearing high-visibility vests, entered the Old Town building in Tallinn where Tim Heath, the Australian billionaire founder of the Yolo group (Bitcasino.io, Sportsbet.io), resides, intending to abduct him and hold him captive at an isolated site in the Kakerdaja bog, 65 km from the capital. Heath physically fought off his attackers and the abduction failed. None of the attackers were Estonian; they had rented the planned hideout via Airbnb and a vehicle via the Bolt app, which allowed them to be identified through video surveillance. Georgian national Ilgar Mamedov was arrested in Lithuania and then extradited to Estonia; he appeared before the Tallinn circuit court, and the investigation into the total number of accomplices remains ongoing.","victims":"Tim Heath, 46, Australian billionaire founder of the Yolo group (crypto-linked online casinos and betting)","outcome":"Kidnapping attempt foiled by the victim himself, who bit off an attacker's index finger and lost a tooth; no ransom paid. Two defendants tried in Estonia (Allahverdi Allahverdiyev, from Azerbaijan, and Ilgar Mamedov, from Georgia, arrested in Lithuania and extradited); the alleged organiser, Najaf Najafli, is wanted. A few weeks later, a demand for 30 BTC with photos of the victim's flat was sent to him on Telegram.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Target = the person of Tim Heath, abducted at his residential building for a financial motive linked to his personal fortune (AUD 2.27 billion); no demand concerning the Yolo group's treasury is reported. Personal wealth predominates, with no corporate component.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.err.ee/1609499827/attempted-abduction-of-australian-casinos-businessman-foiled-in-tallinn","source1_name":"ERR News (Estonian public broadcaster)","source2":"https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13995147/Aussie-billionaire-Tim-Heath-kidnapping.html","source2_name":"Daily Mail","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA233","date":"2024-08","precision":"month","city":"Minsk","country":"Belarus","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"5,750 BTC demanded (equivalent to more than 1 billion Belarusian rubles / BYN); nothing obtained","amount_usd":null,"description":"In August 2024, two men disguised as electricians had a Minsk computer specialist who held bitcoins open his apartment door for them. They threatened him with an air pistol imitating a Makarov fitted with a fake silencer, handcuffed him, tortured him with a stun gun, and demanded the transfer of 5,750 BTC (more than one billion Belarusian rubles) to their wallet; when he refused, they tied him up and left him with a 24-hour deadline. The victim transferred nothing; a resident of Grodno was arrested and sentenced on May 13, 2025 to 13 years in a reinforced-regime penal colony along with a fine of 500 base units (approximately BYN 21,000), while his accomplice fled abroad.","victims":"A computer specialist from Minsk who held bitcoins (age not specified)","outcome":"Nothing stolen (the victim resisted); one of the attackers arrested in Grodno and sentenced in May 2025 to 13 years under a strict regime plus a fine; the accomplice fled abroad","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Computer specialist tortured at home to transfer 5,750 BTC belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://belta.by/regions/view/minchanin-vymogal-u-ajtishnika-kriptovaljutu-na-br1-mlrd-ego-prigovorili-k-13-godam-kolonii-714523-2025/","source1_name":"BelTA (Belarusian state news agency)","source2":"https://charter97.org/ru/news/2025/5/13/640453/","source2_name":"Charter97","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA234","date":"2024-08","precision":"month","city":"Taipei (Shilin District)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 6,450,000 (200,000 USDT, attempted)","amount_usd":201000,"description":"In late August 2024, Guo (20), who claimed to have himself been robbed during a cryptocurrency purchase, posed as a broker and lured Shi (20) near a café in Taipei's Shilin District for a face-to-face exchange of 200,000 USDT for TWD 6.45 million in cash. Guo and four accomplices attacked with pepper spray and adhesive tape, but Shi and his friend Huang, who had come armed with folding knives as a precaution, fought back, wounding two attackers (Fang and Zhang) and left with the money. Shilin police station officers arrested all seven parties the same day and referred them for prosecution (armed robbery, affray and assault for the five attackers, attempted murder and affray for the two buyers).","victims":"Shi, 20, USDT buyer, and his friend Huang","outcome":"No property taken; 2 attackers stabbed; 7 people referred for prosecution","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attack during a face-to-face over-the-counter exchange between individuals for USDT held on a personal basis.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/4807751","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L099","date":"2024-08-07","precision":"day","city":"Playa Santa Teresa de Cóbano, Puntarenas","country":"Costa Rica","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","cash (Costa Rican colones)","firearms","phones"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Other","Devices"],"amount":"USD 700,000 in bitcoin (plus about 30 million Costa Rican colones in cash)","amount_usd":700000,"description":"A group of at least eight armed men, arriving in two luxury vehicles and wearing uniforms imitating those of the police, broke in in early August 2024 at a rented property in Playa Santa Teresa de Cóbano where a social gathering of eleven Israeli tourists was being held. They neutralized the security guard, bound and gagged the victims, some of whom were undressed, before forcing them to transfer about 700,000 dollars of bitcoin from their digital wallets; they also took cash, weapons and phones. Costa Rica's OIJ is investigating a possible involvement of police officers or former public officials among the attackers, who appeared to have prior information about the victims' assets.","victims":"A group of 11 Israeli tourists gathered at a social event in Santa Teresa","outcome":"About USD 700,000 in bitcoin stolen, along with cash, weapons and phones; victims bound and gagged but no serious injury reported. No suspect had been arrested as of the articles consulted; the OIJ is investigating in particular a possible participation of police officers or former public officials.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers forced eleven private Israeli individuals gathered at a private social event to empty their personal bitcoin wallets, and took their cash, weapons and phones; no corporate treasury or business premises is involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.teletica.com/sucesos/asaltantes-de-turistas-israelies-sustrajeron-unos-700-mil-en-bitcoin_364777","source1_name":"Teletica","source2":"https://www.centroamerica360.com/region/investigacion-sugiere-participacion-de-policias-en-asalto-a-turistas-israelies-en-costa-rica/","source2_name":"CentroAmérica360","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA477","date":"2024-08-11","precision":"day","city":"Hong Kong / Mong Kok (cryptocurrency exchange shop, Shop 202, W Plaza, President Commercial Centre, 608 Nathan Road)","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Other","assets":["HKD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"HK$400,000 in cash (HK$12,500 found on the staircase)","amount_usd":51000,"description":"At around 9:30 p.m. on 11 August 2024, a man wearing a face mask and a cap and carrying a 32 cm knife burst into a cryptocurrency exchange shop on the 2nd floor of W Plaza (President Commercial Centre, 608 Nathan Road, Mong Kok) while the employee, Ms Deng, was counting cash at the counter. He pointed the knife at her, pinned her to the counter by pressing her arm and shoulder, grabbed HK$400,000 in cash and fled; Ms Deng, who tried to take the money back, suffered a cut to her hand (stitched) and scratches to her chest and forearms. The robber, Peter So, who had gambling debts, had found the shop online and made a first visit at 6:16 p.m.","victims":"Ms Deng, employee of a cryptocurrency exchange shop","outcome":"HK$400,000 taken, HK$12,500 recovered; employee injured. The robber was arrested on 20 September 2024, pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced on 25 June 2026 by the Court of First Instance of the High Court (HCCC 358/2025, [2026] HKCFI 3842) to 5 years and 4 months' imprisonment, the judge treating as an aggravating factor that the target was a cryptocurrency exchange shop holding large amounts of cash.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The till of a cryptocurrency exchange shop, robbed at the counter; the employee was attacked in her professional capacity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.hklii.hk/en/cases/hkcfi/2026/3842","source1_name":"High Court of Hong Kong, Court of First Instance, HKSAR v So Peter, [2026] HKCFI 3842 (HKLII)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L100","date":"2024-08-14","precision":"day","city":"Tambon Ban Mai, Mueang, Pathum Thani (Bangkok suburb)","country":"Thailand","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 2,000,000 (THB 70,000,000) in digital currency","amount_usd":2000000,"description":"Four masked assailants, each armed with a pistol and a knife, broke into a villa in a gated community in Pathum Thani at around 2 a.m., where six people were staying. They bound Ke Jibao, a 35-year-old Chinese businessman, his wife and a housemaid by the hands and feet, then forced Mr. Ke to call a relative in China to transfer the equivalent of 2 million dollars (70 million baht) in digital currency. After confirming the transfer, the intruders took the house's video surveillance servers and fled in the victim's Toyota Alphard, later found abandoned near a power station. Mr. Ke was injured on the wrist with a knife and a domestic worker, Chen Mingfa (26), was struck in the face with a weapon; Thai police are actively searching for the four suspects, all Chinese nationals.","victims":"Ke Jibao, a 35-year-old Chinese businessman, with his wife and household staff (including Chen Mingfa, 26)","outcome":"About 2 million dollars transferred under duress; stolen vehicle found abandoned, video surveillance servers taken. Two victims injured (wrist cut, blow to the face); the four suspects, all Chinese nationals, were still being sought by Thai police at the time of publication, with no arrest confirmed.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ke Jibao was bound at his home, in a residential villa, along with his wife and household staff, and forced to have a relative in China transfer digital funds belonging to him: it is his private wealth that is targeted, his status as a businessman not being enough to link the funds to a company.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2847737/chinese-gang-hunted-for-b70m-robbery","source1_name":"Bangkok Post","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA235","date":"2024-08-15","precision":"day","city":"Verdun (Montreal), Quebec","country":"Canada","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately USD 15,000 in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":15000,"description":"On August 15, 2024, three armed men broke into the Verdun apartment of a man in his thirties who runs his own cryptocurrency business; the victim was tied up, beaten, and tortured for hours until he gave up the information needed to transfer his holdings, before the attackers fled. Approximately USD 15,000 in cryptocurrency was extracted. Omar Abdul Singateh (23), Levi Stewart-Barachin (30), and Daniel Mosiah Honoré-McFarlane (34) were arrested on March 11, 2025 by the SPVM and face charges of breaking and entering, unlawful confinement, aggravated assault, armed robbery, threats, weapons possession, and extortion.","victims":"A man in his thirties, head of his own cryptocurrency business (not identified)","outcome":"Approximately USD 15,000 in cryptocurrency extracted; victim hospitalized; three men arrested in March 2025 and charged with breaking and entering, unlawful confinement, aggravated assault, armed robbery, threats, weapons possession, and extortion","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victim tortured at home until giving up the transfer information for \"his holdings\" — his personal assets — despite his status as head of a crypto business.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2025-04-10/un-homme-torture-pendant-des-heures/trois-hommes-arretes-pour-un-vol-de-cryptomonnaie.php","source1_name":"La Presse — 'A man tortured for hours | Three men arrested for a cryptocurrency theft'","source2":"https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/3-men-facing-kidnapping-robbery-and-other-charges-in-crypto-theft-montreal-police/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA237","date":"2024-08-22","precision":"day","city":"Concesio (Costorio hamlet, Province of Brescia)","country":"Italy","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (sum entrusted for bitcoin investment, then lost)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, August 22, 2024, a 23-year-old man living in Lissone (Monza-Brianza) was held captive for several hours in a third-floor apartment in Costorio di Concesio by eight people (five men and three women) from whom he had taken money to invest in bitcoins and had lost. He was locked in a room, tied up, beaten, and strangled with a rope to make him return the funds; he escaped by climbing down from a window to the balcony of the floor below, where the occupants called for help. He was treated at Gardone Valtrompia hospital (bruising, rope marks on the neck, 15 days of medically certified incapacity); the Gardone Valtrompia Carabinieri are investigating, with the victim's account still to be verified.","victims":"A 23-year-old man living in Lissone, Monza-Brianza","outcome":"Victim held captive and beaten for several hours, escaped via a balcony, treated at hospital; Carabinieri investigation underway","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Unlawful confinement to obtain the return of a personal sum entrusted for bitcoin investment, lost by the victim.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.quibrescia.it/violenza/2024/08/23/investe-in-bitcoin-e-perde-soldi-non-suoi-sequestrato-e-picchiato-a-concesio/713737/","source1_name":"QuiBrescia","source2":"https://www.giornaledibrescia.it/cronaca/sequestrato-e-picchiato-per-investimenti-sbagliati-in-bitcoin-bffz47r9","source2_name":"Giornale di Brescia","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA236","date":"2024-08-25","precision":"day","city":"Danbury, Connecticut","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"No amount obtained (bitcoin ransom sought)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the late afternoon of 25 August 2024 in Danbury, Connecticut, the parents of a participant in the theft of about USD 245 million in bitcoin, a couple in their fifties, pulled up to a gated community in a new Lamborghini Urus, which was deliberately rear-ended by a Honda Civic. Three men from a van beat them - the husband with a baseball bat - and forced them inside; police, alerted by a witness, found the van crashed after a chase, with the couple's hands and feet bound with duct tape. The plan was to obtain the stolen bitcoin in exchange for their release. It had been preceded, from 21 to 24 August, by an aborted attempt by a first team from St. Louis (Sedric Louis, John Davis, Martel Williams), which fled.","victims":"Radhika and Suchil Chetal and their son (parents of a participant in the theft of approximately USD 245 million in BTC)","outcome":"Couple freed by police the same day, the husband injured; no bitcoin obtained. Six Floridians aged 18 to 26 were arrested at the scene and all pleaded guilty; a Californian who financed and organised the operation was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on 9 September 2026; the three St. Louis men were charged with Hobbs Act conspiracy on 22 May 2026 and pleaded not guilty in July 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted kidnapping of the parents of a holder of stolen bitcoins to pressure him into transferring his personal holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/three-missouri-men-charged-cryptocurrency-robbery-scheme","source1_name":"US Attorney's Office District of Connecticut — Three Missouri Men Charged in Cryptocurrency Robbery Scheme","source2":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/california-man-involved-danbury-kidnapping-and-bitcoin-robbery-scheme-sentenced-15-years","source2_name":"US Attorney's Office District of Connecticut — California Man Involved in Danbury Kidnapping and Bitcoin Robbery Scheme Sentenced to 15 Years","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L101","date":"2024-08-29","precision":"day","city":"Hougang, Singapore","country":"Singapore","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"S$32,000 (US$24,500): amount the victim was carrying for the intended transaction; nothing was stolen, the victim fled with his money intact","amount_usd":24500,"description":"A 19-year-old, lured via Telegram by Benedict Yee Hong Fai (29) for a peer-to-peer exchange of S$32,000 for USDT, went on the evening of 29 August 2024 to Hougang Street 51; two of Yee's accomplices then hit him in an attempt to rob him, but the victim managed to flee with his money intact to a nearby shopping mall. Three men were arrested between 30 August and 3 September; Yee was charged on 5 September with robbery with hurt (penalty: 5 to 20 years' imprisonment and at least 12 strokes of the cane).","victims":"A 19-year-old teenager (unidentified)","outcome":"Failed robbery attempt: the victim kept his money but was physically assaulted; 3 arrests, with Yee charged with robbery with hurt and two accomplices still under investigation.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"CNA article verified: a 19-year-old was coming to buy USDT for his own account during a cash peer-to-peer meeting; no business structure was involved — explicitly a 'personal' case.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/man-charged-attempted-robbery-fake-cryptocurrency-deal-teenager-4587621","source1_name":"Channel News Asia (CNA)","source2":"https://mothership.sg/2024/09/police-arrest-cryptocurrency-hougang/","source2_name":"Mothership","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA238","date":"2024-09","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv","country":"Ukraine","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"nearly UAH 10,000,000 (approximately USD 250,000)","amount_usd":250000,"description":"Four men who had learned that a 20-year-old online entrepreneur held a large sum in cryptocurrencies came to his Kyiv home posing as police officers, accused him of high treason over an alleged cooperation with a Russian national, and offered to \"fix\" the matter for USD 250,000. Under this coercion, the victim transferred nearly 10 million hryvnias in cryptocurrency to their wallet, which was converted to cash the same day at a currency exchange office in the capital. The four suspects were identified and notified of suspicion of group extortion under martial law (Article 189 §4, up to 12 years with confiscation) in early September 2024, with two placed in detention without bail; searches turned up fake press cards and law-enforcement unit ID cards, ammunition, luxury cars, and nearly USD 7,000.","victims":"A 20-year-old founder of an online business, holder of a large sum in cryptocurrencies","outcome":"USD 250,000 extorted; four suspects arrested, two placed in detention; prosecution under Article 189 §4 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code (up to 12 years)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Fake police officers extorting at home an entrepreneur holding a large sum of cryptocurrency belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-regions/3901471-u-kievi-zatrimali-fejkovih-pravoohoronciv-aki-vidibrali-u-kriptobiznesmena-250-tisac.html","source1_name":"Ukrinform","source2":"https://suspilne.media/kyiv/826971-zmusili-pererahuvati-250-tis-dolariv-u-kriptovaluti-u-kievi-zatrimali-grupu-psevdopolicejskih/","source2_name":"Suspilne","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA239","date":"2024-09","precision":"month","city":"Not specified","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (personal funds, treasury and undistributed profits of Revelo Intel, Revelo Ventures funds)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Nick Drakon, CEO of the crypto research platform Revelo Intel, revealed in a message posted on X on September 5, 2024 that he had been the victim of a home invasion: an organized group held him at gunpoint and threatened his wife and their eight-month-old son to force him to empty his wallets and log into several custodial crypto accounts. The stolen funds mixed his personal assets with the treasury and undistributed profits of Revelo Intel and Revelo Ventures funds pending settlement; Drakon suggested there were signs of inside involvement within Revelo Ventures. He resigned in favor of COO Vu Benson, gave up his equity stake, and promised 30% of future profits to affected investors; no arrests have been reported.","victims":"Nick Drakon, CEO of Revelo Intel, his wife, and their 8-month-old son","outcome":"Personal and company crypto assets stolen; CEO resigned; no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The stolen funds mixed the CEO's personal assets with the treasury/undistributed profits of Revelo Intel and Revelo Ventures funds, with the corporate share being the more detailed and larger portion.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/revelo-intel-ceo-resigns-robbed-at-gunpoint","source1_name":"Bits.media","source2":"https://protos.com/gunman-forces-revelo-fund-manager-to-drain-investors-crypto/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L102","date":"2024-09-13","precision":"day","city":"Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba","country":"Argentina","type":"Killing","assets":["bank accounts (ARS)","fraudulent loan taken out in his name"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"~20 transfers totaling 3,200,000 ARS + fraudulent loan of 3,000,000 ARS (total ≈ 6,200,000 ARS)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Gabriel Di Noto (54), an accountant, former Central Bank inspector and investment advisor including in cryptocurrencies in Villa Carlos Paz, was lured via Tinder by a female accomplice who let a gang of four criminals into his cabin complex on the night of 13 September 2024; threatened with a revolver, he was tied up and robbed while the criminals emptied two of his bank accounts (about 20 transfers totaling 3.2 million ARS) and took out a loan of 3 million ARS in his name. Found dead by his father, with no signs of blows or apparent injury (a lead pointing to poisoning or an induced heart attack), Di Noto fit the classic profile of 'black widow' victims. Five suspects were arrested shortly afterward; in June 2026 the Córdoba courts convicted three of them (16 years 8 months to 17 years in prison) and gave two others suspended sentences for handling stolen goods.","victims":"Gabriel Di Noto, 54 years old","outcome":"Victim died (exact cause still debated during the initial investigation); bank accounts emptied and a fraudulent loan taken out; 5 people arrested and later convicted in June 2026 (Braian Armesto: 17 years; Samirah Rodríguez Soto and Lucía Ayelén Olmos: 16 years 8 months each; Ángel Olmos: 3 years suspended; Walter Arce: 2 years suspended).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"TN confirms that the gang emptied Di Noto's personal bank accounts and took out a loan in his name; the cabin complex he managed was not the target of the withdrawals, only his own personal assets (as an independent crypto investor/trader) were targeted.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://tn.com.ar/policiales/2024/09/22/una-cita-por-tinder-un-engano-y-un-crimen-lleno-de-sombras-la-ultima-noche-de-un-empresario-en-carlos-paz/","source1_name":"TN (Todo Noticias)","source2":"https://www.cba24n.com.ar/cordoba/crimen-de-gabriel-di-noto--condenas-de-16-y-17-anos-para-tres-acusados_a6a3322d6033d07e850a0eaaf","source2_name":"CBA24N","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA240","date":"2024-10-07","precision":"day","city":"Sofia","country":"Bulgaria","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"14 BTC + altcoins, approximately BGN 2,500,000","amount_usd":1350000,"description":"Two men posing as GDBOP police officers stopped a 35-year-old crypto investor in Sofia, showed him fake police badges, and pushed him into a tinted-window SUV. For about two hours they beat him, applied a stun device to him, and held a gun to his temple to get access to his wallets containing about 14 bitcoins and altcoins (approximately 2.5 million leva). The victim, an associate of the missing crypto millionaire Aleksandar Altanbashev, claimed not to know his passwords, which were kept at the bank.","victims":"A 35-year-old man, cryptocurrency investor, close associate of Aleksandar Altanbashev","outcome":"No cryptocurrency obtained; four bank cards stolen; victim released in the Lyulin district with threats; a 33-year-old suspect arrested two months later, the second one still sought","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Kidnapping of an individual cryptocurrency investor to access his personal wallets containing 14 BTC and altcoins.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.flagman.bg/article/338525","source1_name":"Flagman.bg","source2":"https://razkritia.com/kriminalni/mutri-na-valyo-boreca-otvlyakoha-i-prebiha-mlad-bogatash-zaradi-bitkoyni-za-25-mln-lv/236081","source2_name":"Razkritia.com","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA242","date":"2024-10-16","precision":"day","city":"Richebourg, Pas-de-Calais","country":"France","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unspecified amount of cryptocurrency (crypto haul likely nil or marginal) + a EUR 50 Transformers toy","amount_usd":null,"description":"On October 16 at around 10 p.m., a resident of Richebourg (Pas-de-Calais) returning from work was surrounded outside his home by three men presenting themselves as anti-terrorism police officers; under this pretext they entered the premises intending to steal cryptocurrency from him. It was the trivial theft of a EUR 50 Transformers toy that put the victim onto the deception and allowed the gendarmes to reconstruct the case, reported by La Voix du Nord on May 27, 2025. The exact year of the events (2024) is inferred from the publication date, as the article is paywalled beyond the first paragraph.","victims":"A man living in Richebourg, Pas-de-Calais, identity not published","outcome":"Theft of cryptocurrency and a toy; case solved by the gendarmes and tried (report published on May 27, 2025 by La Voix du Nord)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Fake police officers seeking to steal an individual's personal cryptocurrency at his home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1589831/article/2025-05-27/les-faux-policiers-de-l-antiterrorisme-venus-voler-de-la-cryptomonnaie-repartent","source1_name":"La Voix du Nord","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA243","date":"2024-10-16","precision":"day","city":"Bang Phli Yai, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province","country":"Thailand","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"THB 300,000,000 or 10,000,000 USDT demanded; 170,148 USDT actually transferred (9,253 + 140,000 USDT on 10/16, i.e. THB 5.6 million, then 20,895 USDT on 10/17, i.e. THB 700,000)","amount_usd":170000,"description":"On October 16, 2024, a gang of twelve people including nine Thai police officers broke into the home of Mr. Sai, a Chinese national with Vanuatu citizenship, in Bang Phli Yai (Samut Prakan), brandishing a fake search warrant attributed to the Samut Prakan Provincial Court and using two Sino-Thai interpreters. After confiscating phones and a computer and accusing the victim of passport fraud and illegal employment of a foreign domestic worker, the fake investigators demanded THB 300 million or 10 million USDT, then took Mr. Sai and his wife to an interrogation room at a police division, where he ended up transferring 149,253 USDT (THB 5.6 million), followed by 20,895 USDT the next day. Seven suspects, including six police officers, were arrested on October 30, 2024 following the complaint filed on October 22; two interpreters remain at large.","victims":"Mr. Sai, a Chinese citizen with Vanuatu nationality, his Chinese wife, a friend (Mr. Wen), and their domestic worker","outcome":"About USD 165,000 extorted; 7 suspects (including 6 police officers) arrested on October 30, 2024, investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission; 2 interpreters at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Fake investigators extorting Mr. Sai, a private individual, into transferring his own USDT under the pretext of personal offenses (passport fraud, illegal employment).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2024/11/01/thai-police-gang-arrested-for-extorting-165k-in-crypto-from-expats/","source1_name":"DailyCoin","source2":"https://dailycoin.com/thailand-police-gang-arrested-for-10m-usdt-extortion-attempt/","source2_name":"Undercoverist","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA244","date":"2024-10-24","precision":"day","city":"Moscow (Tsvetnoy Boulevard)","country":"Russia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["cash linked to cryptocurrency trading activity"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 1,360,000 in cash","amount_usd":14000,"description":"On the night of October 23 to 24, 2024, five individuals posing as police officers broke into an apartment on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in Moscow, occupied by four young people aged 17 to 18 engaged in cryptocurrency trading. The victims were forced to lie on the floor while the apartment was searched, and the attackers left with RUB 1.36 million in cash. Three suspects, of an age comparable to the victims, were arrested as early as October 24; the victims suspect a tip-off related to their crypto activity.","victims":"Four cryptocurrency traders aged 17-18","outcome":"RUB 1.36 million stolen; 3 suspects arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Four young cryptocurrency traders trading on their own account, robbed at their home of personal cash linked to their trading activity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://bits.media/v-moskve-podrostki-kriptotreydery-stali-zhertvami-razboynogo-napadeniya/","source1_name":"Bits.media","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L103","date":"2024-10-27","precision":"day","city":"Chicago, Illinois","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"approximately USD 15,000,000 in cryptocurrency transferred under duress, of which approximately USD 9,000,000 was not recovered","amount_usd":15000000,"description":"On 27 October 2024, a man claiming to have accidentally damaged the garage door let an armed crew of at least six men into a Chicago townhouse: three family members and their nanny were abducted (the son, seized as he got out of the shower, was struck on the head with a possibly fake weapon), driven in a van to a Forest Park Airbnb and then to another residence, and forced over five days to transfer approximately 15 million dollars in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Released on 1 November near a dry cleaner, they made their way to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Six men were charged with kidnapping in December 2024; only one (Zehuan Wei) was arrested, on 17 January 2025 at the Mexican border, the other five having fled to China via Mexico. About 9 million dollars in cryptocurrency remains unrecovered.","victims":"Three members of one family and their nanny (identities not disclosed by authorities)","outcome":"A ransom of USD 15 million in cryptocurrency was paid under duress, of which about 4 million was recovered; the four victims were released unharmed after 5 days in captivity. Six men were charged with kidnapping: Zehuan Wei agreed to plead guilty in April 2026 and Ye Cao is also expected to plead guilty; four kidnappers fled to Mexico and then to Beijing, where they were reportedly arrested.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The FBI affidavit cited by the Chicago Tribune states that the kidnappers had the son carry out transactions and then acted themselves after gaining access to HIS accounts, for approximately USD 15M: personal assets of an individual, with no company or platform mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/chicago-kidnapping-cryptocurrency/","source1_name":"Chicago Tribune","source2":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/02/13/six-men-abduct-chicago-family-rob-15-million-in-crypto/","source2_name":"The Crypto Times","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA245","date":"2024-11","precision":"month","city":"Volgograd","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"≈USD 283,000 in crypto assets (resold for ≈RUB 22 million in cash)","amount_usd":283000,"description":"In November 2024, two Volgograd police officers (a lead operativnik and an on-duty operativnik) forced a cryptocurrency entrepreneur into a Volkswagen Touareg and extorted the passwords to his digital wallets, transferring approximately USD 283,000 in crypto assets. The funds were converted into approximately RUB 22 million in cash at exchange offices in Moscow-City, of which RUB 7 million went to the police officers and RUB 15 million to their accomplices. The two police officers were arrested and prosecuted for kidnapping and extortion; they deny the charges.","victims":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur from Volgograd (not named)","outcome":"≈USD 283,000 stolen (RUB 7 million for the police officers, RUB 15 million for their accomplices); both police officers arrested in September 2025, prosecuted for kidnapping and extortion, deny the charges","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur forced to hand over the passwords to his own digital wallets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.mk.ru/incident/2025/09/03/dvoe-policeyskikh-pokhitili-kriptopredprinimatelya-v-rossiyskom-gorode.html","source1_name":"Moskovski Komsomolets","source2":"https://novostivolgograda.ru/news/2025-09-03/my-podoshli-iz-za-ugla-politseyskie-iz-volgograda-pohitili-biznesmena-radi-kripty-5468023","source2_name":"Novosti Volgograda","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA246","date":"2024-11","precision":"month","city":"Pirmasens / B270 towards Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate","country":"Germany","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About EUR 20,000 plus EUR 750,000 in cryptocurrency according to the prosecution, but these amounts could NOT be proven at trial; only EUR 10,300 was established and attributed to one of the convicted men","amount_usd":11000,"description":"One night in November 2024, a man from Pirmasens was lured by a childhood friend who had him get into his car on the B270 towards Kaiserslautern: a sedan with Bulgarian plates forced them to stop, and two men armed with a pistol and a revolver staged an attack on the accomplice, who was thrown into the trunk, before forcing the victim into the back seat at gunpoint and threatening to kill his family. According to the public prosecutor's office, he then transferred about EUR 20,000 and then EUR 750,000 in cryptocurrency; when the kidnappers demanded a further million, he drove them to his bank in Luxembourg, where he alerted an employee, leading to the arrest of one of the perpetrators while another fled to Bulgaria. The Landgericht (regional court) of Zweibrücken sentenced the three defendants, all of whom had confessed, to prison terms of up to six and a half years; the defendants claim the weapons were fake and doubt that the cryptocurrency transfer actually went through.","victims":"A man from Pirmasens, not identified (childhood friend and near family member of one of the convicted men)","outcome":"Three men sentenced on July 7, 2025 by the Landgericht of Zweibrücken to prison terms of up to six and a half years for aggravated kidnapping and dangerous assault; a fourth suspect fled to Bulgaria and was tried later","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A victim lured and abducted, forced to transfer his own cryptocurrency under threats against his family.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/kaiserslautern/zweibruecken-prozess-landgericht-menschenraub-entfuehrung-100.html","source1_name":"SWR Aktuell — Zweibrücken Regional Court","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L104","date":"2024-11","precision":"month","city":"Indaiatuba, São Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","vehicle (van)","computers","watches"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Vehicle","Devices","Valuables"],"amount":"R$300,000 in Bitcoin + van (≈R$200,000) + computers and watches","amount_usd":52000,"description":"In November 2024, a crew of criminals posing as maintenance workers raided the office (escritório) of a woman investor in Indaiatuba, in the state of São Paulo, after she had mentioned to workers who came to renovate her premises that she invested in Bitcoin; overpowered, she was forced to transfer approximately R$300,000 in Bitcoin, with the criminals also taking her van (≈R$200,000), computers and watches. More than a year later, on 15 December 2025, the Civil Police launched 'Operation Cryptonita' in Indaiatuba and Salto (nine arrest warrants, eight search warrants): eight people (six men and two women) were arrested, with a ninth suspect still at large.","victims":"A woman Bitcoin investor, owner of an office under renovation (age not specified)","outcome":"Successful theft of cryptocurrency and physical property; the investigation led thirteen months later to the police operation 'Cryptonita' (15 December 2025): 8 arrests out of 9 warrants issued, 1 suspect at large.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"G1 and Livecoins confirm that the victim, an investor in cryptocurrency for her own account, was forced to transfer approximately R$300,000 of HER OWN bitcoins; the van, computers and watches are described as 'outros bens da vítima' [other belongings of the victim]. The location is a commercial office, but the criterion is the targeted assets, which are entirely personal — no company treasury or client funds are mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/campinas-regiao/noticia/2025/12/15/operacao-mira-quadrilha-especializada-em-crimes-com-criptomoedas-no-interior-de-sp.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 (Globo)","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/reforma-de-escritorio-em-sp-termina-em-roubo-de-r-300-000-apos-vitima-comentar-com-trabalhadores-que-investia-em-bitcoin/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L107","date":"2024-11","precision":"month","city":"Not specified","country":"United States","type":"Extortion","assets":["QUANT memecoin tokens (rug pull proceeds)","$BARI memecoin tokens (ransom demanded)","pet (dog)"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"USD 5,000 in $BARI tokens demanded as ransom; initial rug pull proceeds estimated between USD 24,000 and USD 30,000","amount_usd":5000,"description":"A 13-year-old teenager, known online by the pseudonym \"Gen Z Quant Kid\", launched a memecoin named Quant on the pump.fun platform on 20 November 2024, and sold off his entire position after a 260% surge, pocketing between USD 24,000 and USD 30,000 and causing the price to collapse (rug pull). Investors who felt cheated doxxed the boy and his family online, revealing their personal details; shortly afterward, an unidentified individual abducted the family's dog, Bari, launched a memecoin ($BARI) in its likeness, and demanded that the teenager spend USD 5,000 on $BARI tokens and issue a public apology in exchange for the animal's return.","victims":"A 13-year-old teenager, a trader known by the pseudonym \"Gen Z Quant Kid\" (identity undisclosed)","outcome":"The family's dog was held in exchange for a cryptocurrency ransom and a public apology; the $BARI token briefly reached about USD 800,000 in market capitalization before settling around USD 309,000; no arrest or confirmed return of the animal is reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The abductor demands, from the teenager personally, the purchase of USD 5,000 of $BARI tokens and a public apology to return the family's dog: it is his own proceeds from the rug pull that are targeted, with no economic entity involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2024/11/22/quant-kids-dog-stolen-after-rug-pull-kidnapper-launches-bari/","source1_name":"The Crypto Times","source2":"https://finance.yahoo.com/news/13-old-made-killing-creating-122346376.html","source2_name":"Yahoo Finance (via original content)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L236","date":"2024-11","precision":"month","city":"Las Vegas (Nevada); victim left near White Hills (Arizona)","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified crypto","NFT"],"asset_classes":["Other","Other cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 4,000,000 in cryptocurrency and NFTs","amount_usd":4000000,"description":"In November 2024, a man who had just hosted a cryptocurrency-related event at a downtown Las Vegas business was ambushed in the parking lot of his apartment complex by three young men from Florida, who forced him at gunpoint into the back seat of a vehicle, put a towel over his head and threatened to kill his father. Coached over the phone by an accomplice, they demanded his passwords and access to his accounts, then drove him more than 70 miles to near White Hills, Arizona, where he had to walk about five miles through the desert to a gas station.","victims":"Unidentified man, organizer of a cryptocurrency-related event in Las Vegas","outcome":"About USD 4 million in cryptocurrency and NFTs stolen; Belal Ashraf and Austin Fletcher, both 16, of Pasco County (Florida), arrested and certified as adults on robbery, kidnapping and extortion charges; a third teenager had left the United States, according to prosecutors (May 2025).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual abducted at his home and forced to hand over the passwords to his accounts, from which USD 4 million in cryptocurrency and NFTs was drained.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/florida-teens-kidnap-las-vegas-man-drive-him-to-arizona-desert-steal-4m-in-cryptocurrency-police/","source1_name":"8 News Now (KLAS)","source2":"https://forklog.com/en/teenagers-in-las-vegas-accused-of-kidnapping-and-robbing-crypto-investor/","source2_name":"ForkLog","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA502","date":"2024-11-02","precision":"day","city":"Paris (19th arrondissement, near the Buttes-Chaumont)","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"unknown (phone passcodes demanded to access the cryptocurrency; no transfer reported)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the evening of Saturday 2 November 2024, a 45-year-old coach and speaker, described as a promoter of the crypto investment platform OmegaPro (a Ponzi scheme that shut down in 2022-2023), was attacked at his home in Paris's 19th arrondissement. An investor ruined by OmegaPro, who had been demanding his money back without success, had watched the building all night; together with an accomplice recruited for this 'mediation' and a young woman sent to knock on the door, he forced his way in. The victim was beaten with an iron bar, choked and stabbed in the calf; according to the trial report, the attackers' aim was to obtain his phone passcodes in order to take his cryptocurrency. He escaped by crawling out and throwing himself down the stairwell.","victims":"Chadli M., 45, coach and speaker linked to OmegaPro","outcome":"Victim injured (iron-bar blows, choking, knife wound to the calf, tendons in both knees torn), taken to Lariboisiere hospital, life not in danger; he escaped and, according to the sources read, no cryptocurrency was taken. Investigation for organised-gang theft and aggravated violence (Paris prosecutor, 2nd DPJ). On 30 January 2025 the Paris criminal court sentenced Bechir B. (25, the defrauded investor) to five years in prison, three of them suspended, and his accomplice Koiry S. (25) to three years, two of them suspended.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual attacked at home by a defrauded investor who wanted his phone passcodes to take his personal cryptocurrency; no company targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/paris_75056/paris-un-homme-violemment-agresse-a-son-domicile-sur-fonds-d-escroquerie-aux-cryptomonnaies_61819215.html","source1_name":"actu.fr (Actu Paris)","source2":"https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/paris_75056/coupe-lui-l-oreille-l-arnaque-massive-aux-cryptomonnaies-finit-en-home-jacking-a-paris_62191246.html","source2_name":"actu.fr (Actu Paris)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA247","date":"2024-11-06","precision":"day","city":"Dragasani, Valcea (held captive in Verguleasa, Olt)","country":"Romania","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (Kraken account)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About EUR 90,000 in cryptocurrencies (Kraken account)","amount_usd":97000,"description":"On November 6, 2024 at around 11:30 p.m., Dan Oteleanu, a church cantor who had grown wealthy from bitcoin investments made with money from three local criminals, was lured into an apartment in Dragasani and then forcibly thrown into a car by three masked men who beat him, took his phone and pulled a hood over his head. Transported about seven kilometers to Verguleasa (Olt), he was locked in a room, tied with his hands behind his back and threatened with death while his captors unlocked his phone using Face ID to try to transfer about EUR 90,000 from the Kraken app — an operation that proved impossible, as the funds were locked in staking for eight days. Brought back to Dragasani and released, he required several days of medical care; five suspects were placed in pretrial detention by the Valcea court on January 22, 2025.","victims":"Dan Oteleanu, a church cantor, son of the priest of Cucuieti (Olt)","outcome":"No transfer completed (funds locked in staking); 5 placed in pretrial detention for aggravated theft and fraudulent transactions","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A church cantor held captive so his captors could access his personal Kraken account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://observatornews.ro/eveniment/fiul-de-preot-rapit-in-valcea-intrun-scandal-cu-criptomonede-ce-au-patit-tinerii-care-au-pus-la-cale-capcana-607496.html","source1_name":"Observator News (citing the Vâlcea Court public prosecutor's office)","source2":"https://www.gandul.ro/actualitate/un-cantaret-bisericesc-imbogatit-cu-bitcoin-rapit-si-torturat-de-trei-interlopi-cunoscuti-victima-ar-fi-facut-investitii-cu-banii-unor-hackeri-20399713","source2_name":"Gândul","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA248","date":"2024-11-06","precision":"day","city":"Portland, Oregon (series also including Albany, Oregon)","country":"United States","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (from ATM cash boxes)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Crypto ATM"],"amount":"3 bitcoin ATMs stolen; about USD 400 in cash in the deli's machine","amount_usd":null,"description":"Between October and November 2024, a fake maintenance crew (a man and a woman in matching work uniforms, carrying a fake service invoice) stole at least three bitcoin ATMs operated by Dynamic Exchange Network in Oregon: at the St. Johns Deli and Grocery on North Lombard Street in Portland, at the Jubitz truck stop on North Vancouver Way in Portland (October 2024), and at a business in Albany. The machines were unbolted and then loaded into a silver Dodge Ram whose license plate began with 050, according to surveillance video; no violence against people was reported and no arrests had been announced at the time the article was published.","victims":"Business owners hosting the machines (St. Johns Deli and Grocery and the Jubitz truck stop in Portland, a business in Albany) and the operator Dynamic Exchange Network","outcome":"At least 3 ATMs stolen, police investigation ongoing, no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Theft of cryptocurrency ATMs belonging to the operator Dynamic Exchange Network, hosted at retail businesses.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.kgw.com/article/news/crime/bitcoin-machine-stolen-thieves-work-repair-crew/283-ef30f094-9845-40bf-9c45-7bf2f624340b","source1_name":"KGW (NBC Portland), report by Katherine Cook","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/20241112104451id_/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/crime/bitcoin-machine-stolen-thieves-work-repair-crew/283-ef30f094-9845-40bf-9c45-7bf2f624340b","source2_name":"Archived version (Wayback Machine) of the KGW report, actually read","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L106","date":"2024-11-06","precision":"day","city":"Toronto, Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Canadian dollars (ransom paid in cash/electronic transfer)","WonderFi client crypto funds (indirectly at risk according to the company's concerns, but not affected)"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"CAD 1,000,000 paid as ransom (approx. USD 720,000)","amount_usd":720000,"description":"Dean Skurka, CEO of Toronto-based crypto company WonderFi (owner of the Bitbuy and Coinsquare platforms), was forced into a vehicle just before 6 p.m. on 6 November 2024 at the intersection of University Avenue and Richmond Street W., in the heart of the financial district, during rush hour. He was found safe several hours later in Centennial Park in Etobicoke, about 23 km away, after an electronic ransom payment was made. WonderFi confirmed that its clients' funds and data had not been affected and subsequently strengthened its security (hiring security personnel).","victims":"Dean Skurka, Chief Executive Officer of WonderFi Technologies","outcome":"Skurka released unharmed after an electronic payment of a ransom of about 1 million Canadian dollars (approx. USD 720,000); WonderFi stated in a public filing that it spent CAD 3.6 million in total (ransom and enhanced security measures); no arrest reported, Toronto police investigation ongoing.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Skurka was abducted in his capacity as CEO and the one-million-Canadian-dollar ransom was recorded and funded by WonderFi (public filing: CAD 3.6 million for ransom + security): it is the company's treasury that was drawn on, no personal assets of the executive appear in the demands.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/kidnapping-toronto-businessman-cryptocurrency-1.7376679","source1_name":"CBC News","source2":"https://betakit.com/wonderfi-spent-3-6-million-on-ransom-and-security-upgrades-in-connection-with-ceos-kidnapping-last-year/","source2_name":"BetaKit","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA249","date":"2024-11-08","precision":"day","city":"Kamala, Kathu district, Phuket province","country":"Thailand","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"250,000 USDT (about THB 8,560,000) transferred; USD 500,000 initially demanded","amount_usd":250000,"description":"On November 8, 2024 at around 10:45 p.m. in Kamala (Kathu district, Phuket), Viacheslav Leibov, a 23-year-old Ukrainian tourist, was lured into a room at a residence by an 18-year-old Ukrainian 'friend' (Alfred) and escorted to the room by an Armenian accomplice (Arman); two masked men lying in wait in the bathroom strangled him, and the attackers then tied him up with ropes and zip ties. Under threat of a hammer and bladed weapons, and with the promise of breaking his fingers, they demanded USD 500,000 in cryptocurrency and, after negotiation, made him transfer 250,000 USDT (about THB 8.56 million) before tying him to the bed, threatening him with retaliation if he filed a complaint, and fleeing with his personal belongings. The victim managed to free himself, photographed the passports of the room's occupants at the front desk, and filed a complaint at Kamala police station; the four suspects (Arman, 21, Armenian; Alfred, 18, Ukrainian; Ruslan, 22, Ukrainian; Mraz, 21, Russian) were arrested on November 11, 2024 at the Palm Inn hotel in Khok Kloi (Takua Thung district, Phang Nga) under a Phuket Provincial Court warrant dated November 10, for armed robbery, unlawful confinement and coercion.","victims":"Viacheslav Leibov (referred to as \"Mr. V\" / \"Mr. Viacheslav\" by Thai police), a 23-year-old Ukrainian tourist","outcome":"250,000 USDT stolen (out of USD 500,000 demanded); victim tied up and threatened for several hours then released, with no serious injury reported; four foreign suspects arrested on November 11, 2024 in Phang Nga and taken to Kamala police station","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A tourist held captive and tortured into transferring his own USDT under threat.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/11/11/foreign-gang-nabbed-for-250000-crypto-robbery-of-ukrainian-in-phuket/","source1_name":"Khaosod English","source2":"https://www.matichon.co.th/region/news_4893365","source2_name":"Matichon Online","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L105","date":"2024-11-08","precision":"day","city":"Victoriaville, Centre-du-Québec","country":"Canada","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About CAD 10,000 actually held by the victim (the attackers mistakenly believed she held CAD 2,500,000)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Four individuals (two adults and two minors) conducted surveillance on 4 and 8 November 2024 against a volunteer moderator of a crypto forum in Victoriaville, driving a black Kia without license plates and armed with a firearm, ahead of a kidnapping attempt that failed. The attackers were carrying a 2-by-2-foot tarp with a hole in the center and zip ties, equipment the victim says was intended to immobilize and potentially mutilate her; based on the victim's Facebook posts, they wrongly believed she held 2.5 million dollars in cryptocurrency, when she in fact possessed only about 10,000. Two adults were charged with conspiracy to kidnap and possession of prohibited weapons and released under conditions; the victim, a father of four and owner of a small agri-food business, says he had to repeatedly relocate his family for fear of reprisals.","victims":"A volunteer moderator of a crypto forum, father of four children, owner of a small agri-food business (unnamed)","outcome":"Kidnapping attempt aborted, no injuries; two adults charged with conspiracy to kidnap and possession of prohibited weapons, trial scheduled for March 2025, released under house arrest; two minors also arrested; the victim's family repeatedly relocated to Airbnb rentals, monitored by the youth protection department.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"La Presse confirms that the attackers wanted to torture him in order to steal HIS personal bitcoins (they believed he held CAD 2.5 million based on his posts); his small agri-food business was not targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2025-01-06/tentative-alleguee-d-enlevement/ils-avaient-de-l-equipement-pour-me-torturer.php","source1_name":"La Presse","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/equipement-torturer-braquages-cryptomonnaies-multiplieraient-ils/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA250","date":"2024-11-17","precision":"day","city":"Bali (near the Le Grande Bali hotel, Kuta/Legian area)","country":"Indonesia","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT","computer equipment (2x iPhone 15 Pro Max, MacBook Pro 14)"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Devices"],"amount":"More than 63,000 USDT + RUB 38,000 transferred under duress + 2 iPhone 15 Pro Max and 1 MacBook Pro 14; total damage recorded in the opening report: RUB 7,368,782","amount_usd":74000,"description":"On November 17, 2024 in Bali, near the Le Grande Bali hotel, two men on a motorcycle intercepted Dmitri Samsonov, a crypto investor from Volgograd aged about 25, and his partner. They beat him until he lost consciousness and dragged him toward the jungle while threatening to kill them and leave them there, while the second attacker forced the young woman to bring back money and valuables from their hotel. The haul exceeded 63,000 USDT, plus a forced bank transfer of RUB 38,000, two iPhone 15 Pro Max units and one MacBook Pro 14, for acknowledged damage of RUB 7,368,782; four expatriate Russian suspects have been identified and are subject to a federal wanted notice, with no arrest to date.","victims":"Dmitri Samsonov, about 25, a crypto investor/blogger from Volgograd, and his partner","outcome":"Acknowledged damage of RUB 7,368,782; four suspects identified (Rustam, coordinator; Alibek; Damir; Vladimir), all of whom left Russia in September 2022 and reside abroad (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, UAE); Russian federal wanted notice issued, no arrest as of the publication date (December 2025)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A crypto investor/blogger attacked along with his partner and forced to hand over his personal assets and belongings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://v1.ru/text/criminal/2025/12/04/76095078/","source1_name":"V1.ru (Новости Волгограда) — « Грозили, что убьют нас и бросят в джунглях »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA251","date":"2024-11-21","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (North, Beitun and Fengyuan districts), Taiwan","country":"Taiwan","type":"Torture","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"15,000 USDT stolen (~TWD 1.5M, ~USD 15,000); disputed transaction valued at TWD 6,000,000 (~USD 185,000); cash stolen and more than TWD 100,000 seized by police","amount_usd":15000,"description":"On the evening of November 21, 2024, a dispute over a cryptocurrency (USDT) transaction valued at TWD 6 million (~USD 185,000) pitted four men from Taichung, including two students, against a gang linked to the Bamboo Union (竹聯幫) led by a man named Peng, 23, and a man named Lien, 28. About ten attackers abducted the four victims and held them captive for three days, from November 22 to 24, in a private club in North District, then a hotel and a motel in Beitun District, and finally a temple in Fengyuan District: they were beaten with belts, bottles, baseball bats and a spiked mace; two of them were forced to ingest excrement and engage in mutual sexual acts that were filmed, the videos being used to pressure the families for a ransom; and 15,000 USDT were stolen from one victim. The four men were released after a family raised the alarm; the judicial police arrested 15 people on March 5 and 6, 2025 in Beitun, Fengyuan and Penghu (including Peng, who had been on the run and already sentenced to 14 years for forged documents, and five minors), seven were remanded in custody, and the Taichung public prosecutor's office announced its indictments on May 7, 2025 for leading and participating in a criminal organization, aggravated kidnapping for ransom, and aggravated sexual assault.","victims":"Four men, including two students, counterparties to a face-to-face USDT transaction","outcome":"Four victims held captive for three days, tortured and raped, then released; 15 arrests on March 5-6, 2025, 7 placed in incommunicado detention, 10 to 11 adults indicted on May 7, 2025 (6 kept in detention) and 4 to 5 minors referred to the juvenile court. Taichung court, December 2025: Peng 13 years, Yang 12 years 8 months, the others 10 to 11 years, the woman in the group 11 years 6 months; more than USDT 13,000 transferred.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Dispute arising from a face-to-face USDT transaction between individuals; victims held captive and held for ransom for their personal assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://news.pts.org.tw/article/750079","source1_name":"PTS News (Taiwanese public television)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5026415","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA252","date":"2024-11-22","precision":"day","city":"Las Vegas","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"more than USD 275,000 (nearly USD 300,000 according to Yahoo/AP)","amount_usd":275000,"description":"On the night of November 22, 2024, a man who had come to Las Vegas met two women at a nightclub in the Encore complex on the Strip and felt disoriented, believing he had been drugged. Taken in an SUV under the pretext of continuing the evening toward Summerlin, he was forced out of the vehicle around 2 a.m. by an armed individual and stripped of his watch, phone and wallet; more than USD 275,000 (nearly USD 300,000 according to other sources) was then withdrawn from his cryptocurrency account and his bank card. Zapri Outlaw, arrested on February 6, 2025, was charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery; a second woman was also arrested.","victims":"Unidentified man, a visitor who had come to Las Vegas for a crypto event","outcome":"More than USD 275,000 in cryptocurrency stolen; two women arrested and charged","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Visitor abducted and stripped of his personal cryptocurrency holdings after being lured by two women.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/robberies/women-accused-of-kidnapping-man-at-strip-resort-stealing-over-275k-of-crypto-3304780/","source1_name":"Las Vegas Review-Journal","source2":"https://www.yahoo.com/news/las-vegas-sex-worker-accused-213917372.html","source2_name":"8 News Now (KLAS)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA255","date":"2024-12","precision":"month","city":"Riyadh","country":"Saudi Arabia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately SAR 1,300,000 (total amount stolen from all victims)","amount_usd":346500,"description":"On December 31, 2024, the Riyadh regional police's criminal investigation and research directorate announced the arrest of a gang of seven Syrians in an irregular immigration situation who assumed false identities. They lured their victims by claiming to want to buy digital currencies and real estate, then held them captive and assaulted them with firearms, using rental vehicles fitted with stolen license plates. About SAR 1.3 million was stolen and then transferred to their backers residing outside the Kingdom; the seven men were arrested and referred to the public prosecutor's office.","victims":"Several unidentified victims, approached as sellers of cryptocurrency or real estate","outcome":"About SAR 1.3 million stolen and then transferred abroad; the 7 network members arrested and referred to the public prosecutor's office","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victims were approached and robbed as private individuals during over-the-counter transactions (sale of cryptocurrency or real estate), not as professional entities.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.akhbaar24.com/%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%B6-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B9%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-78748","source1_name":"Al Arabiya.net — « شرطة الرياض تقبض على عصابة سورية استولت على 1.3 مليون ريال » (31 December 2024)","source2":"https://www.akhbaar24.com/%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%B6-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B9%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-78748","source2_name":"Akhbaar24 — « القبض على عصابة تمتهن الاحتجاز والاعتداء والاحتيال المالي » (31 December 2024) — explicit subheading: « أفراد العصابة أوهموا ضحاياهم برغبتهم في شراء عملات رقمية وعقارات »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L109","date":"2024-12-01","precision":"day","city":"Chengdu, Sichuan","country":"China","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"6 BTC","amount_usd":400000,"description":"A 35-year-old software engineer, Wang Shu (pseudonym), was contacted over several months via a fake Twitter/Telegram account \"比特币聪儿\" posing as a young female crypto trader offering a romantic/sexual encounter. On the evening of 1 December 2024, he went to the Ritz-Carlton in Chengdu where, shortly after his arrival, a man presenting himself as the woman's friend (identified as Li Shaolin) burst into the room with several accomplices, brandishing fabricated compromising evidence to blackmail him (a \"honey trap\", xianrentiao). Under threat, the victim transferred his 6 BTC (estimated value about USD 400,000-500,000) via his phone before the group fled; the bait account continued to post approach messages after the incident.","victims":"Wang Shu (pseudonym), a 35-year-old software engineer","outcome":"The victim lost all of his 6 BTC; police opened an investigation but no arrest is mentioned in the sources consulted, and the bait account remained active on social media several months after the incident (the case also sparked legal debate in China over the criminal classification of cryptocurrency theft).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The 6 BTC were the personal assets of Wang Shu, a private individual (software engineer) entrapped in a private capacity in a hotel room; no corporate assets are targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://finance.sina.com.cn/blockchain/roll/2025-03-25/doc-ineqwfyn5785127.shtml","source1_name":"Sina Finance (律海流深)","source2":"https://www.163.com/dy/article/JRH17O0Q055655IR.html","source2_name":"163.com (NetEase)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L110","date":"2024-12-03","precision":"day","city":"North Richland Hills, Texas","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three individuals (Abdias Espinoza, 19, Rodney Hill, 19, and a 17-year-old accomplice) arrived at the victim's home disguised as DoorDash delivery drivers, then broke into the house, pistol-whipping the homeowner and threatening to kill his family in order to gain access to his cryptocurrency wallet. The wife, hiding with the children, called 911; when police arrived (with air support), the three suspects fled but were quickly apprehended.","victims":"A man and his family (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"The three suspects were arrested the same day. Espinoza pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to commit aggravated robbery and aggravated robbery, and was sentenced on 18 December 2025 to 45 years in prison (announced 22/24 December 2025); his appeal was ruled inadmissible as it stemmed from a plea agreement. Rodney Hill, facing the same charges, was still in custody at the time of the articles, with a hearing scheduled for 15 January 2026; the fate of the third, minor accomplice is not specified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers demanded access to the homeowner's personal crypto wallet, attacking him at his home along with his family; no corporate assets are involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article314309456.html","source1_name":"Fort Worth Star-Telegram","source2":"https://hoodline.com/2025/12/tarrant-county-burglar-sentenced-to-45-years-after-guilty-plea-in-violent-cryptocurrency-robbery/","source2_name":"Hoodline","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L111","date":"2024-12-03","precision":"day","city":"Mickleham, Melbourne, Victoria","country":"Australia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware","cash"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Cash"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"At around 4 a.m., two men used a stolen Toyota Ute to ram open the doors of the Merrifield City shopping center in Mickleham, in northern Melbourne, then reversed the vehicle into two Coinflip cryptocurrency ATMs. One of the two, filmed in orange clothing on the surveillance cameras, used a sledgehammer to knock over one of the Bitcoin ATMs; as the stolen vehicle was too damaged or the machine too heavy to load, the culprits dragged the ATM away by hand and fled in a dark sedan. The machine, forced open, was later found abandoned and burned in a parking lot in Coolaroo.","victims":"Operator of the Coinflip crypto ATM","outcome":"The ATM was stolen and later found burned in a nearby parking lot; police were still searching for the culprits at the time of the article's publication, with no arrest reported in the source consulted.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The targeted property is a Coinflip cryptocurrency ATM (machine + cash) operated commercially, in a shopping center: corporate assets under the ATM/operator rule.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-hunt-crypto-atm-thieves-in-melbourne-shopping-centre-ram-raid-mickleham/8e7b6106-ab8c-4374-82b5-76f147c42da8","source1_name":"9News (Nine Entertainment)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA256","date":"2024-12-10","precision":"day","city":"Miami (Brickell)","country":"United States","type":"Other","assets":["DOGE","XRP","ADA","HBAR"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"USD 84,000 stolen (USD 10,000 in cash + USD 72,860 in DOGE, HBAR, XRP and ADA); about USD 230,000 in additional transfers blocked by Coinbase","amount_usd":84000,"description":"During the night of December 10-11, 2024, Cassandra Dianne Thompson (34 according to Telemundo, 35 according to NBC) met her victim at the Blackbird Ordinary and Gekko bars in Brickell, Miami, then followed him to his apartment, where she prepared him a drink after which he lost consciousness. She took USD 10,000 in cash and his iPhone 16 Pro, which she used between 4:28 and 5:18 a.m. to transfer USD 72,860 in Dogecoin, Hedera, XRP and Cardano, with about USD 230,000 in additional transfers blocked by Coinbase. She fled at 8:02 a.m. on Spirit flight NK-1441 to New York; T-Mobile, Spirit Airlines, Coinbase and Venmo records along with video surveillance allowed her to be identified, and she was booked into Miami-Dade jail on USD 25,000 bail (grand theft, money laundering, unlawful use of a communication device, computer offense).","victims":"Man met at bars in Brickell (identity not published)","outcome":"USD 84,000 stolen; suspect arrested in July 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was drugged and stripped of cash and personal cryptocurrency held on his phone, unrelated to any business.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/brickell-miami-drugging-robbery-grand-theft/3839179/","source1_name":"NBC 6 South Florida","source2":"https://www.telemundo51.com/noticias/local/mujer-acusada-de-drogar-a-hombre-y-robar-mas-de-84-mil-en-efectivo-y-criptomonedas/2808395/","source2_name":"Telemundo 51 Miami (investigation details)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L112","date":"2024-12-15","precision":"day","city":"South Kuta / Jimbaran / Ubud, Bali","country":"Indonesia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"IDR 3.3 billion","amount_usd":214424,"description":"On December 15, 2024 at around 1:30 p.m., as he was returning to his home in South Kuta, Ukrainian businessman Igor Lermakov (born January 28, 1977) was intercepted by nine armed men (knives, hammers and firearms) disguised as police officers, traveling in a Toyota Alphard and a Toyota Innova that boxed in his vehicle. Handcuffed, beaten and hooded, he was held captive for several days in two successive villas (Jimbaran, then Ubud/Peliatan) where the kidnappers tortured him to obtain the access codes to his crypto accounts, from which they withdrew the equivalent of IDR 3.3 billion (about USD 214,000). The victim managed to escape in Ubud, bloodied and handcuffed, and alerted neighbors before filing a police report on January 30, 2025, 15 days after the abduction.","victims":"Igor Lermakov, Ukrainian businessman born in 1977","outcome":"The victim lost the equivalent of USD 214,424 in crypto assets after being tortured and held captive for several days; Balinese police identified nine suspects (Russian, Uzbek and Ukrainian nationals) and issued summonses via consulates, which went unanswered. The group's alleged leader was arrested in late January 2025 while attempting to flee to Dubai on an Emirates flight, before being released; the investigation into the other group members was ongoing at the time the consulted articles were published.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers extorted under torture the access codes to Igor Lermakov's personal crypto accounts, targeting him as an individual holder; no corporate treasury appears in the demands.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://inp.polri.go.id/artikel/nine-foreign-suspects-in-ukrainian-crypto-robbery-likely-still-in-bali-bali-police","source1_name":"Indonesian National Police (INP/Polri)","source2":"https://balidiscovery.com/criminal-gang-kidnap-rob-ukrainian-in-bali/","source2_name":"Bali Discovery","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA257","date":"2024-12-18","precision":"day","city":"Dubăsari","country":"Moldova","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"USD 400,000 in bitcoins (targeted, not obtained)","amount_usd":400000,"description":"Three men aged 39 to 43 from Dubăsari and Anenii Noi abducted an entrepreneur from Dubăsari and transported him to Poland to try to make him open his crypto wallet containing USD 400,000 in bitcoins, part of which was to go to the criminal group known as \"the Chinese.\" No bitcoins were obtained: the abductors were arrested on December 18, 2024 at the Leușeni border checkpoint as they were preparing to take the victim to Serbia, and were placed in detention for 30 days for extortion.","victims":"Entrepreneur from Dubăsari (not named)","outcome":"Failed attempt (no bitcoins obtained); the three suspects arrested by police and the Fulger unit at the Leușeni checkpoint as they intended to take the victim to Serbia; 30 days' detention for extortion","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Duplicate of case WA253: the entrepreneur was targeted for access to his personal crypto wallet holding USD 400,000 in bitcoins.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://newsmaker.md/ru/video-v-moldove-zaderzhali-muzhchin-kotorye-pohitili-i-vyvezli-predprinimatelya-iz-dubossar-oni-pytalis-poluchit-dostup-k-ego-kriptokoshelku-s-400-tys","source1_name":"NewsMaker.md","source2":"https://nokta.md/pohitili-biznesmena-iz-dubossar-i-vymogali-400-tysyach-v-bitkoinah-zaderzhany-chleny-bandy-kitajcza/","source2_name":"Nokta.md","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L113","date":"2024-12-19","precision":"day","city":"Accra (Laboma Beach)","country":"Ghana","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"no amount extorted; dispute over more than $1.6 million in joint investment (including $600,000 from Botchway and Burke)","amount_usd":1600000,"description":"In December 2024, businessman Kwadwo Agyapong Berry accused his associate Benjamin Appiah Boateng of misappropriating more than 1.6 million dollars from a joint investment; Boateng was held at Laboma Beach (Accra) from 14 December to be questioned about the missing funds. On 19 December, the situation reversed: other associates (Lamptey, Balm and Katanga) locked Berry in an office, handcuffed him and beat him with an electric cable for about thirteen hours, accusing him of having helped Boateng steal the money, before police intelligence secured his release. Three suspects (Botchway, Burke, Lamptey) were brought before the court for kidnapping and assault, while two others (Balm, Katanga) remained at large. Note: the Lopp record attributes the electric-cable torture to Boateng, but the trial minutes (GNA) indicate that it was in fact Berry, the original complainant, who suffered this abuse that day.","victims":"Kwadwo Agyapong Berry (complainant, held captive and tortured on 19 December) and Benjamin Appiah Boateng (businessman/independent trader, held at Laboma Beach from 14 December)","outcome":"Berry was rescued by police intelligence after thirteen hours of captivity. Botchway and Lamptey were arrested on 2 January 2025, Burke on 10 January; Burke and Lamptey were released on bail of 50,000 GHC each, with the trial adjourned. Boateng himself petitioned the Attorney General to report the kidnapping and violence he claims to have suffered.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The disputed sums (a $1.6 million joint investment, including $600,000 contributed by Botchway and Burke) are investments by individual associates; no company is identified as holding the funds (GNA, Graphic Online).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-cryptocurrency-fiasco-businessman-appeals-to-a-g-over-assault-kidnapping.html","source1_name":"Graphic Online","source2":"https://gna.org.gh/2025/01/three-in-court-over-alleged-kidnapping-and-assault-of-businessman/","source2_name":"Ghana News Agency (GNA)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA258","date":"2024-12-20","precision":"day","city":"Forest (Vorst), Brussels","country":"Belgium","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 11,000,000 demanded (ransom not paid)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Around 10 a.m., four masked men abducted the wife of Stéphane Winkel, a crypto influencer and self-proclaimed crypto millionaire, in front of her home and put her into a van registered in France. The mastermind demanded that the husband hand over bitcoins and other assets worth EUR 11 million. The alert enabled tracking via ANPR cameras and then a car chase on the E40: the van rolled over several times near Bruges.","victims":"Wife of Stéphane Winkel, Belgian crypto influencer","outcome":"Victim freed during the chase; the four abductors injured and arrested. On July 4, 2025, the three adults were sentenced to 12 years in prison each (hostage-taking, attempted extortion, unlawful detention, criminal conspiracy); the minor will be prosecuted in France.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The crypto influencer's wife was abducted to force her husband to hand over his personal bitcoin holdings, a typical case of a relative abducted to reach a holder's assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/07/04/drie-daders-krijgen-elk-12-jaar-cel-voor-crypto-ontvoering-in-vo/","source1_name":"VRT NWS","source2":"https://www.dhnet.be/actu/belgique/2025/10/27/des-doigts-coupes-pour-obtenir-une-rancon-lombre-de-badiss-mohamed-amide-b-plane-sur-les-cryptorapts-commis-en-belgique-GXJJQKYGHNHWLBC5XMU6OG6YTU/","source2_name":"La DH / Les Sports+ (DHnet)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA259","date":"2024-12-22","precision":"day","city":"São Paulo (Alto de Pinheiros)","country":"Brazil","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 86,000 (approx. BRL 500,000) in cryptocurrency on Binance; BRL 300,000 available in a checking account deliberately left untouched on the mastermind's orders","amount_usd":86000,"description":"On December 22, 2024, a São Paulo doctor returning from a charity soccer match, followed by a motorcycle but traveling in an armored car, found four criminals waiting for him at his home in Alto de Pinheiros: three entered the house while one kept watch in the street. Restrained and held for five hours, he was immediately asked \"Where's the phone with the Bitcoin?\" and his facial recognition was used to open his Binance account; the attackers, guided by phone by two accomplices, transferred USD 86,000 (approx. BRL 500,000) and even paid a fee to instantly unlock USD 36,000 held in staking, leaving USD 10,593 out of the account's USD 96,759. The victim suspects an inside betrayal, since the attackers entered with one of his four gate remote controls, a model that cannot be cloned; the civil police are investigating, and no suspect has been identified.","victims":"São Paulo doctor (not named)","outcome":"USD 86,000 stolen from Binance after 5 hours held captive; no suspect identified","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The doctor was held captive at home and forced to transfer the cryptocurrency from his own personal Binance account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.criptofacil.com/criminosos-roubam-r-500-mil-em-criptomoedas-de-medico-em-sp/","source1_name":"CriptoFácil","source2":"https://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2025/03/05/quadrilha-invade-casa-de-medico-em-sp-e-rouba-r-500-mil-em-criptomoedas.htm","source2_name":"UOL Notícias (original report, 5 March 2025) – « Quadrilha rouba médico e leva R$ 500 mil em cripto: 'Sabia o que eu tinha' »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA260","date":"2024-12-24","precision":"day","city":"Limassol","country":"Cyprus","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 100,000 in cash","amount_usd":104000,"description":"A 29-year-old Swede, who had been conducting crypto transactions with the victim since 2022 after meeting him via Facebook, contacted him on December 23, 2024 to arrange a meeting at a location he had chosen. The victim (a 32-year-old Vietnamese man), accompanied by his mother, arrived with EUR 100,000 in a suitcase to buy cryptocurrency. The defendant and an accomplice got into the vehicle; as soon as the victim opened the bag, he grabbed it while the accomplice struck him on the head until he bled. The perpetrator fled on foot, then toward the occupied areas, and tried to reach Turkey by sea before being handed over to Cypriot authorities. On July 10, 2026, the Limassol Assize Court sentenced him to 5 years and 2 and a half years in prison (theft and money laundering) with confiscation of assets.","victims":"A 32-year-old Vietnamese man, accompanied by his mother","outcome":"EUR 100,000 stolen, victim injured on the head; a 29-year-old Swede sentenced to 5 years plus 2.5 years in July 2026, a co-defendant still on trial","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery during an in-person over-the-counter crypto transaction between individuals, with the victim coming to buy cryptocurrency using his own cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.philenews.com/kipros/koinonia/article/1744526/pige-gia-agora-kriptonomismaton-me-e100-000-se-valitsa-tou-estisan-pagida-ke-ton-listepsan-sti-filaki-29chronos/","source1_name":"Philenews – Limassol Assize Court judgment","source2":"https://en.philenews.com/local/netflix-worthy-robbery-in-limassol-replica-gun-vanished-e100000-and-murder-for-debt-proposal/","source2_name":"in-cyprus / en.philenews (investigation details)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA261","date":"2024-12-24","precision":"day","city":"Bello (Cabañas neighborhood), Antioquia","country":"Colombia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"COP 12,000,000 ransom demanded (not paid); initial loss of USD 8,000 / COP 35,000,000 invested in cryptocurrencies","amount_usd":2700,"description":"On December 24, 2024, three alleged members of the 'las Brisas' gang, a cell allied with the organized crime group 'los Chatas', held captive a 22-year-old man in the Cabañas neighborhood of Bello (Antioquia), holding him responsible for the loss of 8,000 dollars (35 million pesos) invested on a cryptocurrency platform: the victim had put one of the kidnappers in contact with an individual known as alias 'Omar', based in Mexico, who collected the funds before cutting off all communication. The kidnappers demanded 12 million pesos for his release. The Gaula unit of the metropolitan police of the Aburrá Valley freed the victim during an operation at a house in the neighborhood and caught the three suspects in the act, including alias 'Mazamorro', alleged leader of 'las Brisas' with a criminal record of more than 23 years, who were brought before the public prosecutor's office for 'secuestro extorsivo' (extortive kidnapping); no ransom was paid.","victims":"A 22-year-old man, alleged intermediary in a cryptocurrency investment (identity not published)","outcome":"Victim rescued unharmed by the Gaula unit of the metropolitan police of the Aburrá Valley; ransom not paid; three suspects captured in the act, including alias 'Mazamorro', brought before the courts for extortive kidnapping","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, a private individual, was held captive and ordered to repay a personal cryptocurrency investment loss that he had facilitated, with no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/secuestraron-a-un-joven-en-bello-lo-responsabilizaron-de-perder-8-mil-dolares-en-criptomonedas-3412255","source1_name":"El Tiempo","source2":"https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/policia-libera-a-hombre-secuestrado-por-deuda-de-criptomonedas-en-bello-antioquia-BG26206766","source2_name":"El Colombiano","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA262","date":"2024-12-25","precision":"day","city":"Karachi (Manghopir)","country":"Pakistan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USD 340,000","amount_usd":340000,"description":"Mohammad Arsalan Malik, a cryptocurrency trader, was abducted by five plainclothes men traveling in a police van and forced at gunpoint to transfer approximately 340,000 dollars from his Binance account. Seven people, including an officer of the Counter-Terrorism Department, were arrested; approximately 12.9 million rupees were recovered and the victim identified two of his abductors before a magistrate.","victims":"Mohammad Arsalan Malik, cryptocurrency trader","outcome":"USD 340,000 transferred; 7 arrests including a CTD police officer; partial recovery of funds","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency trader was abducted and forced to transfer funds from his own Binance account, with no mention of an employing company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.dawn.com/news/1882945","source1_name":"Dawn","source2":"https://www.dawn.com/news/1887710","source2_name":"Dawn — Eight sent to prison in crypto trader's kidnap case","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA263","date":"2024-12-28","precision":"day","city":"Los Angeles (Koreatown)","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"USD 350,000 in BTC","amount_usd":350000,"description":"At around 2:30 a.m., former LAPD officer Eric Halem, 38, and three accomplices (including a man described as linked to Israeli organized crime) posed as police officers executing a search warrant at a high-rise apartment in Koreatown rented by a 17-year-old teenager, 'Daniel'. Handcuffing the victim and his girlfriend with LAPD handcuffs and threatening to kill him, they took a hard drive containing the private keys to USD 350,000 in bitcoin.","victims":"A 17-year-old teenager ('Daniel') and his girlfriend","outcome":"USD 350,000 in BTC stolen; Halem found guilty on March 2, 2026 of kidnapping for ransom and home invasion, sentenced on August 4, 2026 to life plus 15 years","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting the private keys of a personal bitcoin wallet belonging to a 17-year-old private individual, unrelated to any company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.aol.com/news/scammer-fixer-cop-inside-l-100000276.html","source1_name":"AOL / Los Angeles Times","source2":"https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/los-angeles-police-kidnapping-bitcoin-robbery/","source2_name":"NewsNation","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L115","date":"2024-12-31","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ain","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the afternoon of 31 December 2024, several armed, masked men broke into the apartment of a couple in Saint-Genis-Pouilly (Pays de Gex) and tied up the 56-year-old husband, his wife and their daughter, before demanding a ransom in cryptocurrency from their son, a crypto entrepreneur based in Dubai. When payment was not made, they abducted the father, beat him severely, doused him in gasoline and transported him, bound, in the trunk of a stolen car over more than 600 km; he was freed by chance on New Year's Eve night when police from Le Mans's BAC unit spotted the vehicle at a gas station and the two kidnappers fled on foot, leaving a balaclava behind. Six months later, five men (a 17-year-old minor and four adults aged 18 to 22) were arrested on 17 June 2025 and placed under formal investigation for kidnapping and organized extortion.","victims":"A father (56), his wife and their daughter, relatives of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur based in Dubai","outcome":"The victim was found alive but traumatized, tied up and doused with petrol in a car trunk at Saint-Pavace, near Le Mans (Sarthe), with no ransom paid. Five suspects were arrested in June 2025 and remanded in pretrial detention; four were placed under formal investigation for organized extortion, organized armed robbery and organized kidnapping/unlawful confinement, the fifth for complicity; the public prosecutor's office of Bourg-en-Bresse stated it had established no link with other cryptocurrency-related kidnapping cases. In an operation on March 9 and 10, 2026 by the Lyon gendarmerie investigation unit and the Ain gendarmerie, five new suspects, aged 16 to 42 at the time of the events, were arrested in Le Mans, Angers, Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines and Épinal, then placed under formal investigation on March 12 and 13, 2026, bringing the number of suspects in the case to ten, all of them in custody according to the Bourg-en-Bresse public prosecutor.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency ransom was demanded from the son, a crypto holder based in Dubai, via the abduction of his parents and sister: relatives were targeted to reach the holder's personal assets (Cryptoast, Le Progrès).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://cryptoast.fr/pere-influenceur-crypto-sequestre-soir-nouvel-an/","source1_name":"Cryptoast","source2":"https://www.leprogres.fr/faits-divers-justice/2025/06/21/pere-d-un-influenceur-enleve-dans-l-ain-cinq-hommes-interpelles","source2_name":"Le Progrès","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA265","date":"2025","precision":"year","city":"Port Harcourt (Aba Road and NTA Road), Rivers State","country":"Nigeria","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"SOURCE DISCREPANCY: Punch writes 'over N3.6 million and 4,000 dollars from his cryptocurrency wallet'; BitKE quotes verbatim the police statement: NGN 4,500,000 from the Opay account and USD 1,742 from the crypto wallet. Both sources agree on a total loss of NGN 7,338,800 for this victim.","amount_usd":4000,"description":"Five serving inspectors of the Rivers State Police Operations Department operated as a syndicate between September 2025 and January 2026 using minibuses, intercepting passersby at gunpoint during fake checkpoints and posing as officers from the Zone 16 Headquarters in Yenagoa. Victims were abducted, taken to isolated locations and forced to unlock their phones and hand over banking codes and access to their crypto wallets. One victim abducted with his cousin on Aba Road was stripped of several million naira from his Opay account and several thousand dollars from his cryptocurrency wallet; two other victims lost NGN 7.3 million and NGN 1.5 million.","victims":"At least three unnamed victims, including a man abducted with his cousin on Aba Road (the victim with the crypto wallet)","outcome":"The five inspectors (John Okoi, Eyibo Asuquo, Udo Ndipmong, Bright Nwachukwu, Anele Ikechukwu) were arrested and then dismissed from the Nigerian police in May 2026 following disciplinary proceedings; the case was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, official corruption and extortion. An investigation was opened after petitions from the Behind Bars Human Rights Foundation.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victims, private individuals intercepted during fake road checkpoints, were stripped of their personal bank accounts and crypto wallets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://punchng.com/rivers-police-dismiss-five-inspectors-over-robbery-kidnapping/","source1_name":"The Punch (Nigeria)","source2":"https://bitcoinke.io/2026/05/nigeria-police-over-alleged-kidnappings-extortion/","source2_name":"BitKE (BitcoinKE) — Crypto Crime section","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA267","date":"2025","precision":"year","city":"Kyiv region (including one documented episode in Kyiv)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"over USD 2,200,000 demanded (including a fake acknowledgment of debt of USD 5,000,000 imposed on one victim)","amount_usd":2200000,"description":"An armed gang made up of four former Ukrainian police officers — including two ex-colonels who organized it, having served at the Main Directorate of Police for Crimea and Sevastopol as well as in a Kyiv unit — and a civilian already convicted, tracked down, abducted at gunpoint and held captive at least four crypto-sector entrepreneurs, using service vehicles, encrypted messaging apps and posing as active-duty police officers. The victims were held in secret locations and forced to hand over their funds or sign fake acknowledgments of debt, one of them having had to acknowledge a fictitious debt of 5 million dollars during an episode that took place in Kyiv; the total amount demanded exceeds 2.2 million dollars. The group's activity was stopped in November 2025 and the Kyiv regional public prosecutor's office closed the investigation in May 2026 before referring the case to court (armed gang, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, robbery with violence, extortion, illegal possession of narcotics), all five suspects having been dismissed from the police.","victims":"At least four cryptocurrency-sector entrepreneurs","outcome":"Over USD 2.2 million extorted; five suspects referred to court (armed gang, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, robbery with violence, extortion); all dismissed from the police","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The crypto entrepreneurs were held captive to hand over their personal funds or sign fake acknowledgments of debt individually, with no mention of a company's treasury.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://noworries.news/kolyshni-ukrayinski-policzejski-vykradaly-kryptopidpryyemcziv-i-vymagaly-miljony-dolariv/","source1_name":"No Worries News","source2":"https://www.ukr.net/news/details/criminal/117727818.html","source2_name":"UKR.NET (republished)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA268","date":"2025-01","precision":"month","city":"Chalong (Phuket), then Koh Samui (Surat Thani)","country":"Thailand","type":"Extortion","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately THB 21,000,000 in total (including approximately THB 10.5 million in cash and bank transfer in Phuket, and 2.8 BTC in Koh Samui)","amount_usd":620000,"description":"An Australian businessman living in Thailand was robbed twice by a gang of fellow countrymen led by 'Billy' (Vasilios), described by Region 8 police as linked to Australian organized crime. In the first incident, four men broke into his villa in Chalong (Phuket) and, at gunpoint, forced him to transfer 2 million baht to Billy's account and then took cash from him, for a total of approximately 10.5 million baht, while warning him not to file a police report; in late January 2025, after he had taken refuge in Koh Samui, Billy sent a group of Thai men there who forced him to transfer 2.8 bitcoins, bringing the total loss to approximately 21 million baht. Billy was arrested on May 10, 2025 at a villa in Bang Lamung (Pattaya) valued at 30 million baht, where police discovered two live lions, and Pattaya-based influencer Mongkol Sorada, alias 'Ajarn Yod', 41, was arrested on May 16, 2025 and admitted to having received approximately 900,000 baht for this 'debt recovery'.","victims":"Australian businessman (identity not published)","outcome":"Approximately 21 million baht in cash and crypto stolen in two incidents; arrest warrants issued by the Phuket and Samui courts; 2 suspects arrested (May 2025), others sought","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Australian businessman was robbed at his home and then forced to transfer his own personal bitcoins and cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.thairath.co.th/news/local/east/2857566","source1_name":"Thairath","source2":"https://mgronline.com/south/detail/9680000045781","source2_name":"MGR Online (Manager Online), arrest of the Thai accomplice","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA497","date":"2025-01-02","precision":"day","city":"Yonghe, New Taipei (underground car park of Xiulang Elementary School)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 8,552,000 in cash taken (out of TWD 9,552,000 received)","amount_usd":260000,"description":"At around 3 p.m. on 2 January 2025, a crypto seller, Chen Tien-hsiang (陳天祥), had just received TWD 9,552,000 in cash from a go-between, Huang, who had been asked by a third party to pay him for a crypto purchase, in the underground car park of Xiulang Elementary School in Yonghe. Tipped off, a crew directed on Telegram (\"成龍\", \"B在\") was waiting in a car left there for the purpose; they boxed in his car at the car park exit: Lin Jung-chang pepper-sprayed him, two accomplices smashed the windows with baseball bats and beat him, and they took TWD 8,552,000.","victims":"Chen Tien-hsiang (陳天祥), a private crypto seller","outcome":"The victim was injured (forehead laceration, bruised forearm, eye injury). The New Taipei District Court sentenced Lin Jung-chang and Yang Chia-pin (the driver) to 7 years 4 months for aggravated robbery by a group (114年度原訴字第16號, 30 April 2025); the two bat-wielding attackers, She Hung-hsien and Pan Cheng-han, faced separate proceedings; the car's owner was acquitted (15 October 2025), an acquittal upheld by the High Court on 30 April 2026 (115年度上訴字第11號).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private crypto seller robbed just after collecting the price of a sale; no company is mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c114%2c%e5%8e%9f%e8%a8%b4%2c16%2c20250430%2c1","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Nouveau Taipei, 114年度原訴字第16號 (30.04.2025)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c114%2c%e5%8e%9f%e8%a8%b4%2c16%2c20251015%2c4","source2_name":"Tribunal de district de Nouveau Taipei, 114年度原訴字第16號 (15.10.2025, volet du proprietaire du vehicule)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L116","date":"2025-01-05","precision":"day","city":"Karon, Phuket","country":"Thailand","type":"Torture","assets":["cash","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately 20,000 USD in cash stolen (120,000 USD demanded over an alleged crypto debt)","amount_usd":20000,"description":"On the night of 5-6 January 2025, a 37-year-old Russian nicknamed Andrei broke into the room at the Wekata Luxury Hotel in Karon (Phuket) occupied by a fellow countryman, 31-year-old Zelimkhan, with whom he had a cryptocurrency business dispute in Russia over 120,000 dollars. He struck him repeatedly and threatened to kill him to make him unlock his crypto wallet; the victim refused to give his password but indicated where cash was located in his suitcase, and the attacker left with approximately 20,000 dollars in cash before tying him to the bathroom door and knocking him out with a blow to the head. The victim managed to free himself from his bonds and alerted police; Andrei was arrested on 7 January near Phuket, while his accomplice Dmitri, who fled to Dubai, is subject to an Interpol red notice.","victims":"Zelimkhan, 31, Russian national","outcome":"The victim's crypto wallet was not compromised, as he refused to disclose his password; approximately 20,000 dollars in cash was stolen. The main suspect (Andrei, 37) was arrested on 7 January 2025 near Phuket; his accomplice (Dmitri, 36) is wanted via an Interpol red notice after fleeing to Dubai; both are being prosecuted for extortion under threat of death and unlawful confinement.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A personal dispute between two individuals over a 120,000 dollar crypto debt arising from their business dealings in Russia; the attacker sought to unlock the victim's personal crypto wallet and took his cash (Khaosod English).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2934201/russian-attacked-robbed","source1_name":"Bangkok Post","source2":"https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2025/01/07/phuket-police-hunt-russian-suspects-in-hotel-room-attack-over-crypto-dispute/","source2_name":"Khaosod English","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA463","date":"2025-01-06","precision":"day","city":"Norges-la-Ville (near Dijon, Côte-d'Or)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Nothing obtained (team arrested before acting)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In late December 2024, the partner of a tax adviser, founder of a tax and wealth planning firm holding substantial digital assets, found a GPS tracker outside their home in Norges-la-Ville. After the Dijon BRI placed the area under surveillance, a team of four men from the Lyon region was arrested nearby on 6 January 2025 with a stolen van containing latex gloves, cable ties, tear gas, petrol cans and nails; they planned to hold the victim captive to force him to give access to his cryptocurrency wallet. The operation was allegedly ordered from Villefranche-sur-Saône prison via encrypted messaging apps.","victims":"A tax adviser from Côte-d'Or and his partner (not named)","outcome":"The attack was prevented; four men were arrested on 6 January 2025 and charged with attempted kidnapping and unlawful detention; an alleged instigator already held in Villefranche-sur-Saône prison was identified (phones and drugs seized in his cell); a fifth suspect, aged 22, was arrested on 14 May 2025; the judicial investigation continues in Dijon, and a suspect's request for release was rejected by the investigating chamber.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The plan targeted the tax adviser's personal cryptocurrency wallet, chosen for his \"substantial digital assets\"; the advisory firm was not targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cryptoast.fr/enlevement-cryptos-comment-police-dejoue-tentative-kidnapping-lyon/","source1_name":"Cryptoast","source2":"https://www.lyonmag.com/article/144147/cryptomonnaie-et-tentative-de-rapt-un-lyonnais-incarcere-apres-une-operation-dejouee-en-cote-d-or","source2_name":"LyonMag","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L117","date":"2025-01-13","precision":"day","city":"Miami (intended target); arrests in Davie, Broward County, Florida","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (targeted, not stolen)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount extorted (plot foiled); approximately $2,000,000 in cryptocurrency targeted","amount_usd":2000000,"description":"Four men aged 18 to 22 were intercepted by the FBI as they were preparing to kidnap a jeweler working in the Seybold Building in Miami, in order to force him to transfer approximately $2 million in cryptocurrency he held in his personal digital wallet. The plot, organized via a Telegram group, called for the use of firearms (pistols, AR-type weapons) to subdue the victim \"without causing him irreversible harm\"; an infiltrated informant and an undercover agent allowed the operation to be foiled before any action was taken. In the end, no violence was used and the victim was never approached.","victims":"A jeweler from Miami (identity not made public)","outcome":"Plot foiled before execution: Zacary Briggs (22), Aaron Hammond (21), Tre'von Neal (20) and Evan Puckett (18) were arrested on January 13, 2025 in Davie, Florida, and charged with several federal counts related to conspiracy to kidnap and rob; no ransom paid, no injuries.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The federal complaint cited by Local 10 states that \"Jack\" had received a screenshot of the victim's digital wallet showing approximately $2 million in crypto and was negotiating a private crypto/cash exchange with him: it was indeed the jeweler's personal assets that were targeted, not the inventory or cash register of his business in the Seybold Building.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.local10.com/news/local/2025/01/15/feds-arrest-goons-they-say-plotted-to-kidnap-rob-miami-jeweler-one-good-bop-should-do-it/","source1_name":"Local10 / WPLG News (Chris Gothner)","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/20250130083143/https://www.local10.com/news/local/2025/01/15/feds-arrest-goons-they-say-plotted-to-kidnap-rob-miami-jeweler-one-good-bop-should-do-it/","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA269","date":"2025-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Gornji Milanovac","country":"Serbia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"EUR 400,000 in cryptocurrencies (wallet data on 2 USB keys)","amount_usd":412000,"description":"On January 14, 2025, a group posing as police officers — with Ministry of Interior identification to back them up, vehicles fitted with police lights and license plates stolen in Novi Sad — stopped a 19-year-old young man in the schoolyard of a school in Gornji Milanovac and forced him into a car. Under threat of death, the attackers stole two USB keys from him containing the data of a cryptocurrency wallet valued at 400,000 euros, then abandoned him near a nearby gas station. On January 30, 2025, police arrested five men aged 22 to 31 from Novi Sad and targeted a 17-year-old minor; the USB keys, a laptop, the vehicles, the police lights and the fake identification were seized, with the suspects claiming they had come to recover a debt.","victims":"19-year-old young man","outcome":"Six arrests on January 30, 2025; USB keys, laptops, police lights and fake police IDs seized; the suspects claimed the victim owed a debt","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The 19-year-old was abducted for the USB keys to his personal crypto wallet, seized under the pretext of a private debt.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.rts.rs/lat/vesti/hronika/5640617/otmica-hapsenje-kriptovalute-gornji-milanovac.html","source1_name":"RTS (Radio-televizija Srbije)","source2":"https://www.kurir.rs/crna-hronika/9573021/oteli-tinejdzera-u-gornjem-milanovcu-zbog-kriptonovcanika-od-400-000-evra-pa-se-ovako-pravdali","source2_name":"Kurir","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L118","date":"2025-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Pattaya, Bang Lamung, Chonburi province","country":"Thailand","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","laptop computer"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices"],"amount":"Approximately THB 10,000,000 (the victim states THB 9.9 million)","amount_usd":290000,"description":"Three men, likely acquaintances of the victim with a copy of his keys, entered his apartment in a building on Soi Wat Bun Kanchanaram in Pattaya and waited for him; when he returned at around 1-2 a.m., they handcuffed his hands and bound his ankles with wire, then forced him to transfer the equivalent of approximately 10 million baht in cryptocurrency before fleeing with his laptop computer. The victim, a Turkish stock and cryptocurrency investor, freed himself and, still bound, made his way to a security guard on the ground floor to raise the alarm.","victims":"Masis Erkol, 36, Turkish stock and cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"No arrests at the time the consulted articles were published; police were searching for two of the three suspects, the third having already left Thailand, and questioned the victim's ex-girlfriend; the investigation was ongoing, handled by Chonburi police.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The extorted crypto assets belonged personally to the victim, an individual investor acting on his own behalf, attacked at his home; no company, platform or business is mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2940227/police-hunt-suspects-in-b10m-pattaya-crypto-robbery","source1_name":"Bangkok Post","source2":"https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40045165","source2_name":"The Nation Thailand","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA494","date":"2025-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Taoyuan (empty lot near a Hi-Life convenience store; district redacted in the judgment)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 350,000 in cash and two phones","amount_usd":10600,"description":"Lin Su-hsia (林素霞), whom scammers had convinced that she had to buy cryptocurrency to pay a tax, had been given the LINE contact of a \"crypto dealer\", Chiang Yu-hsiang. Learning that she would come to buy TWD 350,000 worth of crypto, he decided to rob her and recruited a friend, Chen Po-hao, and a minor. At around 3:30 p.m. on 14 January 2025 in Taoyuan, while she waited on an empty lot near the convenience store where they were to meet, the minor snatched her phone and her handbag containing the TWD 350,000; she held on to the bag and was dragged some distance before letting go. The trio, who had come from Taichung by high-speed rail and car, split the loot in a toilet at Taipei high-speed rail station.","victims":"Lin Su-hsia (林素霞), a private crypto buyer who had already been scammed","outcome":"The Taoyuan District Court (114年度訴字第801號, 30 October 2025) found robbery with violence, since the victim had been dragged: Chiang 7 years 6 months, Chen 5 years 10 months; the minor was dealt with by the Taichung juvenile court. The High Court dismissed Chiang's appeal on 30 April 2026 (115年度上訴字第739號).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came with her cash to buy crypto from a so-called dealer and was robbed by him.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TYDM%2c114%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c801%2c20251030%2c2","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Taoyuan, 114年度訴字第801號 (30.10.2025)","source2":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPHM%2c115%2c%e4%b8%8a%e8%a8%b4%2c739%2c20260430%2c1","source2_name":"Haute Cour, 115年度上訴字第739號 (30.04.2026)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L119","date":"2025-01-15","precision":"day","city":"Makati (abduction), then Barangay Mayasang, Lemery, Batangas (release)","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Lamborghini Urus","luxury watch (Rolex)","bank card","house keys"],"asset_classes":["Other","Valuables","Bank cards"],"amount":"Unknown (vehicle, watch and card stolen; no amount of stolen cryptocurrency confirmed by the press)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Under the pretext of buying his Lamborghini Urus, a man calling himself \"JC\" met the victim at his condominium in Makati and then took him for a test drive; during a stop at a spa, three accomplices forced him into another vehicle, blindfolded and with his hands bound. Held for three days, the victim was stripped of his car, a Rolex watch, a bank card and his apartment keys before being abandoned, still bound, in a village in Lemery, where residents rescued him.","victims":"Taehwa Kim, 40, South Korean bitcoin trader","outcome":"Victim found alive but still bound, rescued by residents of Barangay Mayasang (Lemery) on the Saturday following the abduction; no arrests mentioned in the press consulted as of that date.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Only the victim's own personal property was stolen (Lamborghini Urus, Rolex, bank card, condominium keys); a bitcoin trader acting on his own behalf, no assets or funds belonging to any business entity are mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/01/20/2415405/korean-bitcoin-trader-rescued-batangas","source1_name":"The Philippine Star (Ed Amoroso)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA270","date":"2025-01-16","precision":"day","city":"Jeju","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"KRW 880,000,000 in cryptocurrencies (and a bag of KRW 840,000,000 in cash)","amount_usd":600000,"description":"On January 16, 2025 at around 12:20 p.m., six Chinese nationals lured a Chinese money changer to a suite in a luxury hotel in Jeju by offering to exchange 1 billion won in cash for cryptocurrencies. After the victim made seven transfers from his electronic wallet, two attackers overpowered him, two others came in as reinforcements, beat him, took his phone and fled with the crypto and the bag of cash.","victims":"Chinese national money changer","outcome":"Two suspects arrested at the hotel and four at Jeju airport; KRW 370 million in cash seized; six charged with aggravated robbery, all denied the charges at the first hearing on April 10, 2025, invoking 'self-justice'","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The money changer was attacked during a face-to-face OTC transaction for his own electronic wallet and cash, a peer-to-peer operation even though recurring.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/422/0000707119","source1_name":"Yonhap News TV (via Naver)","source2":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/003/0013177154","source2_name":"Newsis (via Naver)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L120","date":"2025-01-21","precision":"day","city":"Méreau, near Vierzon, Cher, Centre-Val de Loire","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (ransom demanded)","BTC (1 BTC handed over by investigators to buy time)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"EUR 10,000,000 ransom DEMANDED (not paid as such); only 1 BTC (~EUR 100,000) was handed over by investigators to trace the transaction, then traced and frozen","amount_usd":10400000,"description":"David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his partner were abducted from their home in Méreau (Cher) on the morning of January 21, 2025 by a commando team that separated them into two vehicles. Angered that the EUR 10 million ransom demanded was not paid quickly, the kidnappers cut off one of David Balland's fingers and sent the video to Éric Larchevêque, another Ledger co-founder, who raised the alarm. Held captive in Châteauroux, Balland was freed on January 22 in an operation by the GIGN (230 gendarmes mobilized, including 91 from the GIGN); his partner was found bound in the trunk of a vehicle in Essonne the following day.","victims":"David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his partner","outcome":"The couple was freed safe, though David Balland was mutilated (a finger cut off); five people were placed in pretrial detention in the following days and seven were placed under formal investigation in Paris for kidnapping and unlawful confinement with torture or acts of barbarity committed by an organized group. The alleged ringleader, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou (24, French-Moroccan), was arrested in Tangier, Morocco, on June 4, 2025 on an Interpol warrant; another member of the commando team, who had fled to Spain, was in turn arrested there on March 20, 2026 near Malaga. On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the criminal chamber of the Tangier court of first instance sentenced Badiss Bajjou to 25 years in prison for kidnappings followed by blackmail and for money laundering targeting cryptocurrency figures in France, according to the Moroccan daily Al Akhbar as reported by Le360.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The EUR 10 million ransom was demanded from Éric Larchevêque, co-founder, for the release of David Balland and his partner, abducted from their home in Méreau: it targeted the executives' private wealth, not Ledger's treasury or client funds, which were never implicated.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2025/01/24/kidnappers-of-french-crypto-figure-and-his-wife-arrested-after-massive-manhunt_6737379_13.html","source1_name":"Le Monde (English edition)","source2":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/centre-val-de-loire/cher/vierzon/enlevement-et-torture-de-david-balland-un-suspect-arrete-en-espagne-3320439.html","source2_name":"France 3 Centre-Val de Loire / France Télévisions (AFP)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA271","date":"2025-01-22","precision":"day","city":"Hernandarias (Leandro Cué), Alto Paraná","country":"Paraguay","type":"Home invasion","assets":["cryptocurrency mining hardware (sought, not found at the residence)","cash (guaraníes)","mobile phones","motorcycle"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Cash","Devices","Other"],"amount":"Gs 10,000,000 in cash + 3 mobile phones + 1 Kenton GTR motorcycle (plate 994 ABKD)","amount_usd":1270,"description":"At around 00:00 on the night of Tuesday 21 to Wednesday 22 January 2025, three men armed with revolvers, wearing balaclavas and hoods, broke into the bedroom where Herminio Andrés Paredes (35) and his partner were sleeping in Leandro Cué (Hernandarias, Alto Paraná), taking advantage of an unlocked door. They tied up the couple with a cable and repeatedly questioned them about cryptocurrency mining machines they mistakenly believed were stored in the house, then searched every room without finding any such equipment. For lack of equipment, they took the 10 million guaraníes hidden in the wardrobe, three mobile phones and a Kenton GTR motorcycle (plate 994 ABKD); one attacker fled on the stolen motorcycle, the other two in a Toyota Noah van that was waiting a few meters away.","victims":"Herminio Andrés Paredes, 35, and his partner (family present at the residence)","outcome":"Victims tied up but not injured; no mining machines found on site; cash, phones and a motorcycle stolen; complaint filed at the local police station and forensic police intervention, no arrest reported.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion of a couple at their family home for mining equipment presumed to belong to them personally, with no mention of a business structure.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/este/2025/01/22/buscando-maquinas-de-criptomonedas-encapuchados-maniatan-a-pareja-y-roban-dinero-celulares-y-motocicleta/","source1_name":"ABC Color (Paraguay)","source2":"https://www.ultimahora.com/asaltantes-querian-robar-mineradores-de-criptomonedas","source2_name":"Última Hora (Paraguay)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L121","date":"2025-01-24","precision":"day","city":"Sainte-Savine, suburb of Troyes, Aube, Grand Est","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["EUR (cash ransom demanded, not paid)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 20,000 (ransom demanded, not paid)","amount_usd":20700,"description":"A 30-year-old man, who makes his living validating cryptocurrency transactions (\"miner\"), went to a business meeting on rue Lamartine in Sainte-Savine with a client with whom he had a commercial dispute. Four individuals, including this client, forced him to go with them and held him captive in a house, demanding a EUR 20,000 ransom. The victim managed to alert a relative who notified the police; officers intervened at around 10 p.m., found the man safe and unharmed, and arrested the four kidnappers.","victims":"A 30-year-old man, self-employed, validating cryptocurrency transactions (\"crypto miner\")","outcome":"Ransom not paid; victim freed unharmed by police; four suspects arrested without incident, including the client behind the ambush; the investigation for attempted extortion was assigned to the Personal Protection and Negotiation Unit (CPN) of Troyes.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was an individual \"cryptocurrency miner\" working alone on his own account, abducted and held captive for a EUR 20,000 ransom demanded in his own name following a commercial dispute with a client; no company funds or equipment were targeted (Le Parisien mentions no business entity).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/un-pro-des-cryptomonnaies-enleve-pres-de-troyes-quatre-personnes-interpellees-25-01-2025-DTP7ZSO3CJBARCCG2VWPQJBLAM.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.lejdd.fr/Societe/info-jdd-troyes-un-autre-entrepreneur-en-cryptomonnaies-enleve-quatre-suspects-interpelles-154239","source2_name":"Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA272","date":"2025-01-26","precision":"day","city":"Amora, Seixal","country":"Portugal","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 26 January 2025 at around 1 a.m., in a street in Amora (Seixal), four men approached a 38-year-old man in public, threatened him with a firearm and beat him, demanding his money, his phone and his passwords as well as the access codes to his bank account and his cryptoasset account, before fleeing. According to Correio da Manha, cryptoassets and a sum of cash were indeed stolen. The Judicial Police arrested two of the four perpetrators (27 and 36) on Monday 19 May 2025, for aggravated theft, possession of a prohibited weapon, assault and battery, and misuse of payment cards/data; the other two co-perpetrators remain at large.","victims":"A 38-year-old man","outcome":"Bank and crypto access codes extorted, transfers carried out by the attackers; two arrests (aggravated robbery, possession of a prohibited weapon, assault and battery), two co-perpetrators still at large.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Street attack targeting the bank codes and personal cryptoasset account of an individual.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/detidos-por-roubo-agravado-e-outro-crimes-no-seixal/","source1_name":"Polícia Judiciária (Portugal) — « Detidos por roubo agravado e outro crimes no Seixal »","source2":"https://www.cmjornal.pt/portugal/detalhe/gang-rouba-criptomoedas-a-mao-armada-em-rua-do-seixal","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L122","date":"2025-01-30","precision":"day","city":"Jardim Corcovado, Campo Limpo Paulista, São Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (USD/BRL equivalent)","cash","vehicle (recovered)","mobile phones","electronic devices"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash","Vehicle","Devices","Other cryptocurrency"],"amount":"US$16 thousand (R$93 thousand) in cryptocurrency, plus cash and unencrypted devices","amount_usd":16000,"description":"A couple returning home in Campo Limpo Paulista found two masked men who had already tied up the wife; she was struck on the head with a gun butt. In phone contact with an accomplice who dictated instructions, the criminals seized the victims' phones and forced them to transfer the equivalent of 16,000 dollars in cryptocurrency, claiming to belong to a criminal organization. They fled with cash, electronic devices and the family's car.","victims":"A couple (husband and wife) living in Campo Limpo Paulista","outcome":"16,000 dollars in cryptocurrency transferred to the perpetrators; wife injured by blows from a gun butt; car stolen and later recovered by the municipal guard and returned to the family the next day; suspects unidentified and at large at the time of the articles; investigation opened by the Polícia Civil.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency actually transferred belonged to the couple robbed at their home, from their own phones; no corporate structure appears in the source.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/sorocaba-jundiai/noticia/2025/01/31/familia-e-rendida-dentro-de-casa-e-forcada-a-transferir-us-16-mil-em-criptomoedas-para-criminosos.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 Globo (Sorocaba e Jundiaí)","source2":"https://www.facebook.com/poptvweb/videos/campo-limpo-paulista-na-madrugada-desta-quinta-feira-30-dois-criminosos-invadira/583416384607416/","source2_name":"POP TV (Facebook video, regional TV)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA274","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"São Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Not specified (OTC operation worth several million reais)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Gabriel Spalone, a 29-year-old cryptoasset broker presenting himself as CEO of the company Crypto-World and residing in Dubai, was ambushed in São Paulo after a face-to-face OTC transaction: the buyers, who had paid with funds from a bank intrusion, believed they had been robbed when the transfer was blocked by the bank and held him captive at gunpoint. His wife tracked his phone's location and the military police intercepted the vehicle near Santa Isabel, arresting four kidnappers in the act. In April 2026, Operation Criptonita by GAECO/CyberGAECO and the Civil Police dismantled the group specialized in extorting bitcoin investors (including a municipal guard from Indaiatuba).","victims":"Gabriel Spalone, 29, crypto broker/entrepreneur","outcome":"Victim freed by police, 4 kidnappers arrested in the act; network dismantled in April 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The broker was held captive following a face-to-face OTC transaction, a private over-the-counter deal between individuals even though he also runs a company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/empresario-de-criptomoedas-brasileiro-sequestrado-por-grupo-preso-pela-policia-e-suspeito-de-aplicar-golpe-em-banco/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/policia-civil-prende-4-suspeitos-de-sequestrar-influencer-de-criptomoedas/","source2_name":"Portal do Bitcoin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA275","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"Brasov","country":"Romania","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"over USD 595,000 in cryptocurrencies + about USD 100,000 in property (valuable watches, currency)","amount_usd":595000,"description":"Seven individuals rented the apartment located directly above the one where traders met to exchange cryptocurrencies in Brasov; in February 2025, two stayed on watch while five, wearing balaclavas and black clothing marked 'Politia', broke in pretending to conduct a home search, ordering the occupants to lie face down and handcuffing the four men with plastic cable ties in front of a helpless woman. After a first attempt to convert 400,000 virtual currency units (~USD 400,000) failed, they used physical and psychological violence and coercion to obtain transactions of over USD 595,000 to wallets they controlled, before taking valuable watches and sums of foreign currency worth about USD 100,000. Operation Jupiter (June 2025) led to 28 searches in eight counties and three arrests.","victims":"Five people present in the apartment: four men (cryptocurrency traders) and one woman","outcome":"Over USD 595,000 in cryptocurrencies transferred + about USD 100,000 in stolen property; three arrests, 28 searches","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The traders gathered in the apartment were forced to transfer their personal cryptocurrencies and stripped of property and currency belonging to them personally.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/actualitate/talharie-ca-n-filme-cum-au-furat-cinci-barbati-600-000-de-euro-in-criptomonede-dintr-un-apartament-din-brasov.html","source1_name":"Stirile ProTV (statements by prosecutor Adrian Radu, Public Prosecutor's Office at the Brasov Court)","source2":"https://www.mediafax.ro/stirile-zilei/brasov-28-de-perchezitii-si-trei-arestari-intr-un-caz-grav-de-talharie-cu-700-000-dolari-in-criptomonede-23562944","source2_name":"Mediafax","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA276","date":"2025-02","precision":"day","city":"Zaporizhzhia (oblast)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"USD 500,000 in cryptoassets (targeted, not obtained)","amount_usd":500000,"description":"A father and his eldest son, residing in Croatia, commissioned from abroad the kidnapping and torture of the younger son in Ukraine in order to make him hand over a USB key containing USD 500,000 in cryptoassets, recruiting perpetrators in the Zaporizhzhia region. The National Police of Ukraine infiltrated the plot, replaced the perpetrators with its own officers, staged the kidnapping and sent fake photos of the bloodied victim; the instigators were caught out after a second payment and are being prosecuted under Article 189 §4 of the Criminal Code (up to 12 years and confiscation).","victims":"The family's younger son, targeted by his father and elder brother","outcome":"Kidnapping prevented, no assets lost; instigators arrested after a second payment to police officers, prosecuted under Article 189 §4 (up to 12 years and confiscation)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The father and elder brother targeted the USB key containing the younger son's personal cryptoassets, a case of a relative targeting the assets of a family member.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://incrypted.com/otets-y-syn-zakazaly-pohyshchenye-rodstvennyka-v-ukrayne-rady-500-000-v-kryptoaktyvah/","source1_name":"Incrypted (according to the National Police of Ukraine)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA277","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"Miaoli, Miaoli County","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 600,000 in cash","amount_usd":19000,"description":"In February 2025, five men — Gu (22), Cai (22), Zheng (20) and two men both named Li — contacted Mr. Qiu via Messenger and Telegram, claiming they would sell him 20,000 USDT for TWD 600,000 in cash. The meeting, first set in front of a PX Mart supermarket then moved behind a restaurant to avoid passersby, turned into an ambush: Cai counted the cash then sprayed Qiu with pepper spray, while Zheng whisked him away on a scooter that had been entirely wrapped in tape to make its plate and bodywork unrecognizable. The group regrouped at a temple before scattering; Gu, Cai and Zheng were arrested and then prosecuted for snatch theft, while the two men named Li remain under arrest warrants.","victims":"Mr. Qiu, a buyer of USDT (cash-for-crypto meeting)","outcome":"TWD 600,000 stolen; 3 suspects charged, 2 others at large (Miaoli public prosecutor's office)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Qiu is a private individual robbed during an in-person P2P cash-for-crypto transaction of his personal money.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5202623","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA278","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"Melbourne (Hoppers Crossing, Bentleigh, Brunswick, Werribee, Vermont, Epping, Moonee Ponds, Eumemmerring)","country":"Australia","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["equipment: cryptocurrency dispensers (crypto ATMs)"],"asset_classes":["Crypto ATM"],"amount":"6 cryptocurrency dispensers stolen (value not specified) + about AUD 50,000 (about USD 31,800) in collectible cards","amount_usd":null,"description":"From mid-January to mid-February 2025, an organized network burgled several businesses in the suburbs of Melbourne (Hoppers Crossing, Bentleigh, Brunswick, Werribee, Epping, Moonee Ponds...), taking six cryptocurrency dispensers as well as about AUD 50,000 in collectible cards, using stolen vehicles. The search on 17 February 2025 turned up five firearms, ammunition, about a hundred car keys, a pill press and tools. Four men were arrested: a 37-year-old man from Reservoir charged with 14 counts of burglary, receiving stolen goods and illegal possession of weapons, a 32-year-old man from Epping charged with five commercial burglaries and vehicle theft; police suspect Middle Eastern organized crime syndicates commissioned the thefts.","victims":"Businesses hosting cryptocurrency dispensers and collectible card shops in the suburbs of Melbourne","outcome":"Six crypto ATMs stolen; four men arrested, two charged (including 14 counts of burglary), two released pending investigation","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The targeted haul is equipment (six cryptocurrency ATMs) belonging to the burgled businesses.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/police-uncover-stolen-bitcoin-atms-collector-cards-melbourne","source1_name":"Cointelegraph (citing the Victoria Police statement of 17 February 2025)","source2":"https://decrypt.co/306379/australian-police-bust-gang-targeting-crypto-atms-trading-cards","source2_name":"Decrypt","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA280","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"Damavand, Tehran region","country":"Iran","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"bitcoin wallet valued at 20 billion tomans (200 billion rials)","amount_usd":210000,"description":"A 35-year-old man was lured by his friend Siavash to a garden near Damavand; with an accomplice, Hamid, Siavash tied him up and tortured him to extract the password to his bitcoin wallet, estimated at 20 billion tomans. The victim resisted, and his attackers shot him dead and buried the body on the spot; the bitcoins were never recovered or located. Siavash, initially sentenced to qisas (retributive death penalty) by the 13th criminal court of Tehran province, had his conviction overturned by the Supreme Court and retried, while Hamid's 25-year sentence was upheld.","victims":"A 35-year-old man, holder of a bitcoin wallet (identity not published)","outcome":"Nothing stolen (the victim did not give up the password); victim killed and buried; confessions followed by retraction in court; the 13th criminal court of Tehran province sentenced Siavash to qisas (death penalty) and Hamid to 25 years in prison (hearing in February 2026)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was tortured to hand over the password to his personal bitcoin wallet.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/1017308/%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B4%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DA%AF%D9%84%D9%88%D9%84%D9%87-%D9%BE%D8%A7%DB%8C-%DB%B2%DB%B0-%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%AF%D8%B1","source1_name":"Hamshahri Online (report of the hearing)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA281","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"about RUB 4,000,000 in total (USD 27,400 in February + ~USD 15,000 / ~RUB 1,200,000 in March)","amount_usd":42400,"description":"In February 2025, three active Moscow police officers — Lieutenant Astemir Chaov (30), Captain Ruslan Rizaiev (33) and driver Anvar Kunkaiev (25) — approached a 21-year-old young man in a shopping mall on Kirovogradskaya Street, showed their service IDs and accused him of complicity in terrorism, telling him he was on the verge of arrest, before offering to \"settle\" the matter: frightened, he admitted to holding cryptocurrency and transferred the equivalent of USD 27,400. In March 2025, the three men repeated the scheme on Grina Street against two other young men, extorting about USD 15,000 (~RUB 1.2 million) from them; a 24-year-old civilian, Zelimkhan Vychegurov, suspected of acting as the group's \"banker,\" was also implicated. Criminal cases for abuse of power were opened on 18 April 2025, with the total damage estimated at about 4 million rubles.","victims":"Three young cryptocurrency holders (a 21-year-old man in February, two others in March), identities not disclosed","outcome":"About USD 42,000 extorted in two episodes (27,400 USDT on 8 February 2025 at the Kolizeum club in the Columbus mall; 15,000 USDT on the night of 12 March 2025 on Grina Street, with two victims driven around in a car). Sentences by the Zyuzinsky court: Rizaev 4.5 years (17 December 2025), Shaov and Kunkaev 5 and 6 years (1 June 2026), taekwondo world champion Chetinbag 5.5 years and the organiser, Kirill Mamaev, 6.5 years (15 June 2026).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Fake police officers extorted young private individuals by threatening them, making them transfer their personal cryptocurrency holdings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.moneytimes.ru/news/kriptovaljuta-sotrudniki-policii-ugolovnoe-delo-vymogatelstvo/49073/","source1_name":"MoneyTimes.ru","source2":"https://rtvi.com/news/eks-silovikam-i-chempionu-mira-vynesli-prigovor-po-delu-o-vymogatelstve-u-kriptotrejderov/","source2_name":"RTVI","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L123","date":"2025-02","precision":"month","city":"Okota, Lagos","country":"Nigeria","type":"Other","assets":["BTC (unspecified)","iPhone x3"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Devices"],"amount":"bitcoins valued at approximately 15 million naira, plus 3 iPhones","amount_usd":9700,"description":"In Lagos, a 25-year-old woman, Emmanuella Ogochukwu, conspired with her younger brother Ogbuka Tochukwu (22) and accomplices to rob her boyfriend of three iPhones and bitcoins valued at approximately 15 million naira (~$10,000). The victim filed a complaint at the Okota police station on 17 February 2025; the investigation, transferred to a specialized unit of the Lagos State Police, led to the arrest of the two suspects after the sister confessed.","victims":"Boyfriend of Emmanuella Ogochukwu, identity not disclosed by police","outcome":"The stolen phones and 6.5 million naira were recovered by police; Emmanuella Ogochukwu and her brother Ogbuka Tochukwu were arrested and confessed to the acts; the investigation continues to identify and arrest the other accomplices (the \"gang\"), with the suspects being prosecuted for conspiracy and armed robbery.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Bitcoins and iPhones belonging personally to the victim (the suspect's boyfriend), stolen in an armed robbery organized by his girlfriend and her brother; no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://saharareporters.com/2025/03/15/lagos-based-woman-brother-arrested-robbing-lover-iphones-n15million-bitcoin","source1_name":"SaharaReporters","source2":"https://bitcoinke.io/2025/06/romance-crypto-theft-in-lagos/","source2_name":"BitKE (bitcoinke.io)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA282","date":"2025-02-02","precision":"day","city":"Estepona (held captive) / Marbella, Costa del Sol","country":"Spain","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 30,000 in cryptocurrency demanded as ransom","amount_usd":31000,"description":"A 34-year-old cryptocurrency wallet manager, a British national, met fellow countrymen by chance at a hotel on the Costa del Sol and told them about his profession; invited a few days later to an apartment in a development in Estepona, he was beaten then tied up, and his armed captors demanded EUR 30,000 in cryptocurrency for his own ransom, threatening to kill him. He managed to keep his phone on the pretext of contacting the co-holder of the shared key, and used the opportunity to speak in Hindi to a friend living in London, who alerted his mother; she went to the Marbella police station with photos of the property. Seven hours later, as the Udyco-Costa del Sol unit and the GOES surrounded the building (Operation \"Espino\"), the victim jumped from the balcony, about 10 meters up, fracturing both heels, and police arrested the kidnappers.","victims":"A 34-year-old man, British national, cryptocurrency wallet manager","outcome":"Victim freed by police, ransom not paid.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Although he manages wallets, the EUR 30,000 cryptocurrency ransom was demanded explicitly for his own release, from his personal holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/secuestrado-avisa-madre-30000-euros-liberar-broker-20250208001540-nt.html","source1_name":"Diario Sur","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA283","date":"2025-02-08","precision":"day","city":"Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"330,000+ USDT (NT$10,933,339)","amount_usd":333000,"description":"Li You-kuan (李宥寬), a leader of the Hongren (弘仁會) cell of the Bamboo Union, deprived of his commissions after his intermediary switched exchanges from BITGET to PIONEX, organised an ambush against a cryptocurrency trader in Taipei. On 8 February 2025, the victim and a friend were pinned to the ground at knife- and gunpoint, tied up with cable ties, forced to transfer more than 330,000 USDT (NT$10.93 million) and to film a \"voluntary\" transfer video, then released after two hours. The same gang attacked a cryptocurrency trainer and his wife a week later (WA279).","victims":"A cryptocurrency trader (幣商/代理) and his friend","outcome":"More than 330,000 USDT transferred under duress. On 16 March 2026 the Taipei public prosecutor's office indicted eight accomplices (sentences of 10 to 23 years sought); Li and three other ringleaders, at large abroad, are the subject of a warrant.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The cryptocurrency traders attacked were stripped of their own USDT, cash and personal property (watch, car), with no mention of company or client funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20260316/3133131.htm","source1_name":"ETtoday","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA279","date":"2025-02-15","precision":"day","city":"Ximending, Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","fiat TWD","Maserati vehicle"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other","Vehicle"],"amount":"TWD 13,000,000 (cash + cryptocurrencies) + a Maserati","amount_usd":400000,"description":"In mid-February 2025, a man working in cryptocurrency training and his wife were lured to Ximending (Taipei) under the pretext of a video shoot whose script had been arranged the day before; on arrival, the attackers changed the meeting location and nine men dressed in black surrounded them, handcuffed them, beat them and threatened them with a knife and a firearm to force them to transfer all their cash and cryptoassets, amounting to TWD 13 million, and to take their Maserati. Held captive for a day and a half, photographed naked under duress, the victim had his head split open against a steel bar (two stitches); more than five months after the complaint was filed, no suspect had been arrested, with the couple stating that the gang had already robbed one of their friends a week earlier.","victims":"A cryptocurrency industry trainer and his wife (identities undisclosed)","outcome":"TWD 13 million in crypto, cash and a Maserati reported stolen by the victim (prosecutors put the loss at about NT$2.5 million). On 16 March 2026, the Taipei public prosecutor's office indicted eight members of the Bamboo Union's Hongren cell for this ambush and for the one of 8 February against a friend of the couple (WA283); the organiser, Li You-kuan, and three other ringleaders are at large abroad.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The trainer and his wife were forced to transfer their own cash and cryptoassets as well as their personal Maserati.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://news.tvbs.com.tw/local/2931456","source1_name":"TVBS新聞網","source2":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20260316/3133131.htm","source2_name":"ETtoday","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA273","date":"2025-02-19","precision":"day","city":"Sao Pedro do Sul / Viseu","country":"Portugal","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"\"several million dollars\" in dividends demanded; \"thousands of bitcoins\" believed to be on the device (actual amount never established)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In February 2025, a group of four foreign men (aged 27 to 46, linked according to the press to a London-based gang acting for an English financial company), assisted by a Portuguese businesswoman living in Porto, targeted a 42-year-old Luso-Brazilian financial intermediary at his home in Sao Pedro do Sul, allegedly the holder of codes allowing the release of several million dollars in dividends. Under coercion and violence, they held him and forced him, on 20 February, to go and retrieve a digital device from a bank safe deposit box in Viseu, supposedly containing thousands of bitcoins; the victim claimed a technical problem requiring a second device, returned to the bank and raised the alarm, which triggered the intervention of the PSP and then the Judicial Police. Four men were arrested and placed in pretrial detention, followed the next day by a Portuguese businesswoman; all five were subsequently convicted (judgment reported in August 2026, sentence amounts not verified).","victims":"Armando Taveres, a 42-year-old Luso-Brazilian financial intermediary, resident of Sao Pedro do Sul","outcome":"Victim freed thanks to his alert at the bank; no transfer completed. Five arrests (four men in Porto on 21 February, a Portuguese woman on the 26th). All five were sentenced by the Viseu collegial court to prison terms of 6 years 6 months to 6 years 10 months for kidnapping and aggravated robbery. The alleged instigator, British businessman Srinivasan Solaraj, faces extradition proceedings to Portugal (High Court, London).","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The financial intermediary was targeted not for his own assets but for codes unlocking dividends of several million intended for third parties/clients of a financial scheme.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/criminalidade-violenta-pj-detem-cinco-pessoas-por-crimes-de-rapto-e-de-roubo/","source1_name":"Polícia Judiciária (Portugal) — « Criminalidade violenta – PJ detém cinco pessoas por crimes de rapto e de roubo »","source2":"https://executivedigest.sapo.pt/noticias/gangue-de-londres-rapta-empresario-em-viseu-para-cobrar-divida-milionaria/","source2_name":"RTP Notícias","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L125","date":"2025-02-24","precision":"day","city":"Jeju, Jeju Island","country":"South Korea","type":"Killing","assets":["cash (KRW)","unspecified cryptocurrency (OTC transaction in progress)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"KRW 85,000,000","amount_usd":58600,"description":"A Chinese national in his thirties was found stabbed to death in a luxury hotel room in Jeju after meeting four fellow countrymen (two women and two men, including a man in his sixties) for a cash-for-cryptocurrency exchange. The attackers fled with 85 million won in cash belonging to the victim; one of the female suspects turned herself in to police five minutes after the missing-person report was filed, and the other three were arrested that same day at Jeju airport and at the hotel casino.","victims":"A Chinese man in his thirties, not publicly identified","outcome":"Victim died from multiple stab wounds; 85 million won stolen; four suspects arrested the same day (one turned herself in, the others were arrested at the airport and the hotel casino); investigation ongoing into the exact motive for the crime.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The Yonhap article states that the victim \"had gone to buy cryptocurrency\" and that the attackers fled with \"victim A's money\": an over-the-counter purchase by an individual, using his own funds.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20250225097600056","source1_name":"Yonhap News (연합뉴스)","source2":"https://www.mk.co.kr/en/society/11249711","source2_name":"Maeil Business Newspaper (mk.co.kr, English version)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA286","date":"2025-02-28","precision":"day","city":"Ho Chi Minh City (District 7 / Hoc Mon)","country":"Vietnam","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"600,000 USDT (initial demand of 10 then 5 million USDT)","amount_usd":600000,"description":"At dawn on 28 February 2025, a 38-year-old Chinese businessman living in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City was intercepted as he left a restaurant: his car was blocked, he was threatened with a knife and then put into a sedan and taken to Long An and then a vacant lot in Hoc Mon. There, the gang beat him and threatened him with a knife and a hammer to demand 10 million USDT, later reduced to 5 million; the victim managed to have more than 600,000 USDT transferred by his relatives before police, alerted at 6 a.m., freed him after twelve hours of investigation. Seven people (three Chinese, four Vietnamese) were sentenced on 13 May 2026 to terms of 2 to 6 years.","victims":"Ye Sun Jun, a 38-year-old Chinese businessman","outcome":"More than 600,000 USDT extorted then partly recovered; 7 convictions (2 to 6 years in prison)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnapped businessman was ransomed for his own USDT, transferred via his relatives.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://vnexpress.net/bang-bat-coc-dai-gia-trung-quoc-o-tp-hcm-linh-an-5073589.html","source1_name":"VnExpress","source2":"https://vnexpress.net/ke-hoach-bat-coc-dai-gia-o-tp-hcm-cua-nhom-nguoi-trung-quoc-vnepre-4860535.html","source2_name":"VnExpress (reconstruction)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA287","date":"2025-03","precision":"day","city":"Rancho Cucamonga, California","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","gold"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"more than USD 1,000,000 siphoned off (cash, gold bars and cryptocurrency)","amount_usd":1000000,"description":"Naiping (Nai Ping) Hou, 74, father of Wen Hou, chief investment officer of the crypto fund Coincident Capital, was last seen in mid-March 2025 at his home in Rancho Cucamonga while his wife was in China; he was not reported missing until 4 May 2025, during a wellness check that found the house completely emptied of furniture and belongings. More than a million dollars were siphoned from his accounts through withdrawals, unauthorized sales of his vehicles, and purchases of gold and cryptocurrency, and text messages with \"robotic\" phrasing were sent to his family from his phone. The San Bernardino County Sheriff and the FBI are treating the case as a possible kidnapping, potentially motivated by the family's crypto fortune; no arrests and no trace of the victim to date, with a USD 250,000 family reward.","victims":"Naiping (Nai Ping) Hou, 74, father of Wen Hou, CIO of the crypto fund Coincident Capital","outcome":"Victim still missing; more than USD 1 million diverted; USD 250,000 family reward; joint FBI / San Bernardino County Sheriff investigation","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The crypto fund executive's father was targeted for the family's personal wealth (accounts, vehicles, gold, cryptocurrency), not for the Coincident Capital fund's assets.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ktvu.com/news/nai-ping-hou-missing-california-cryptocurrency-millionaire","source1_name":"KTVU FOX 2","source2":"https://iecn.com/missing-grandfather-naiping-hou-kidnapped-from-rancho/","source2_name":"Inland Empire Community News","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA288","date":"2025-03","precision":"month","city":"Chelyabinsk","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 8,000,000 demanded","amount_usd":100000,"description":"Four men aged 26, 28, 31 and 33 had entrusted funds to a 22-year-old crypto trader from Chelyabinsk, who lost them on the markets; from February to September 2025 they demanded repayment plus interest, totaling 8 million rubles. In March 2025 they kidnapped him and held him captive for a week in a house where he was beaten, then in May they made the same demands of his 48-year-old mother. The four suspects were arrested, with two high-end vehicles and cash seized.","victims":"A 22-year-old crypto trader and his 48-year-old mother","outcome":"Victim held captive for a week and beaten; 4 arrests, property seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An independent trader was kidnapped, then his mother threatened, to repay a personal debt linked to trading losses, with no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://74.ru/text/criminal/2025/11/02/76104906/","source1_name":"74.ru","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L126","date":"2025-03","precision":"month","city":"Not specified","country":"Sweden","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A 30-year-old man was reportedly kidnapped by a gang in Sweden, forcibly taken into a forest where he was kicked and punched, doused in gasoline with threats to set him on fire, and the attackers reportedly applied pliers to his hand while threatening to cut off his fingers. The exact connection to cryptoassets and the outcome of the case are not documented in any verifiable source found.","victims":"A 30-year-old man, unidentified","outcome":"Outcome not documented: no amount, ransom, arrest or judicial follow-up known to date.","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"No accessible source specifies which assets were targeted or whether the victim himself held cryptoassets; classified as undetermined in accordance with the rule against guessing.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.globalguardian.com/global-digest/crypto-physical-risks","source1_name":"Global Guardian - Global Digest (page consulted but the Swedish entry cited by Lopp no longer appears there; the original archive.is snapshot was inaccessible - error 429/captcha)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA500","date":"2025-03","precision":"month","city":"Fuzhou (Jin'an district), Fujian","country":"China","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","CNY fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"More than 40,000 USDT transferred (payment: more than CNY 340,000 in cash, taken back by force)","amount_usd":40000,"description":"In March 2025 a gang led by Zheng and Zou set up a fake over-the-counter USDT deal to rob a trader (a \"black eats black\" scheme): they pooled more than CNY 340,000 in cash and arranged to meet a cryptocurrency dealer. Once the dealer had transferred more than 40,000 USDT to a wallet controlled by the gang, Zheng sprayed pepper spray into his eyes and his accomplices took back all the cash from the deal by force; six people shared the proceeds.","victims":"A cryptocurrency dealer (U-merchant) selling USDT","outcome":"The whole gang was arrested the following day and most of the loot was returned to the victim. Prosecuted for robbery (抢劫罪) by the Jin'an district procuratorate, five defendants were sentenced in February 2026 to between 5 years 7 months and 10 years 4 months.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An over-the-counter USDT dealer (\"cryptocurrency merchant\") trapped by fake buyers; no company is mentioned, classified like the other U-merchants in the register (WA197, WA141).","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"http://news.fznews.com.cn/fzyw/20261014/6acecfeb7c0e6.shtml","source1_name":"福州晚报 / 福州新闻网 (communique du parquet de Jin'an), 14.10.2026","source2":"https://c.m.163.com/news/a/L7N4GLF70551N37X.html","source2_name":"网易号 (张毅律师, cabinet 东卫), 11.10.2026","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L127","date":"2025-03-02","precision":"day","city":"Houston (Spring Branch neighborhood), Texas","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"no property taken","amount_usd":0,"description":"Three masked, armed men broke into the home of streamer Kaitlyn Siragusa, known as Amouranth, in Spring Branch (Houston) at night, a few days after she posted a screenshot of her wallet holding 211 BTC (approximately 20 million dollars) and 79,500 dollars of ETH. One intruder struck her on the head and forced her, at gunpoint, to lead him to her husband in the detached garage; her husband, alerted by the phone line left open, opened fire on the group as he entered, wounding one of the attackers, and the three men fled without taking anything.","victims":"Kaitlyn Siragusa (Amouranth), 31-year-old streamer, and her husband","outcome":"No property stolen; one attacker wounded by gunfire; the group's driver, Bryan Anthony Salazar Guerrero (19), was arrested on 7 March and charged with aggravated robbery and kidnapping, then released on bail; local press reports three other suspects (including minors) also charged in the following weeks.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Decrypt reports that the intruders demanded access to Kaitlyn Siragusa's personal crypto account at gunpoint (\"they gave me my phone and said log in\"): these are her personal assets as an individual, not those of a corporate structure.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://decrypt.co/308472/police-investigating-amouranth-home-invasion-bitcoin","source1_name":"Decrypt","source2":"https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/amouranth-arrest-influencer-break-in-robbery-20220011.php","source2_name":"Houston Chronicle","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA289","date":"2025-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Braine-l'Alleud, Walloon Brabant; torture room set up in Loverval, Gerpinnes municipality, Hainaut","country":"Belgium","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Ransom envisaged, amount not specified","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of 9 to 10 March 2025, Belgian federal police, alerted as part of cooperation with French investigators, observed a suspicious reconnaissance operation conducted by a commando of French nationals in a residential neighborhood of Braine-l'Alleud and arrested ten people, including a minor, on Monday 10 March at dawn, before any attack took place. Searches uncovered in Loverval (Gerpinnes, Hainaut) a room entirely lined with plastic sheeting serving as a torture room, where cable ties, saws, pliers, hammers, box cutters, nails and adhesive tape were seized; the group planned to kidnap and torture two teenagers aged 13 and 17, relatives of an investor who had grown wealthy in cryptocurrency, in order to obtain a ransom. In March 2026, the Brussels court convicted seven defendants, two to 14 years and five to 12 years in prison; the suspected mastermind, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, 24, arrested in Tangier and linked to several crypto kidnappings in France, is the subject of an extradition request.","victims":"Two teenagers aged 13 and 17, relatives of a cryptocurrency investor (March 2025 press reports named Belgian crypto-millionaire Stéphane Winkel as the intended target)","outcome":"Kidnapping prevented; in March 2026 the Brussels court sentenced two defendants to 14 years and five others to 12 years in prison. The suspected mastermind, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, arrested in Tangier in June 2025, is also linked to several crypto kidnappings in France.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two teenagers close to a crypto investor were to be kidnapped and tortured to obtain a ransom targeting that holder's personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2026/03/19/stiff-sentences-after-police-uncover-belgian-torture-chamber/","source1_name":"VRT NWS (English edition)","source2":"https://www.crypto-insiders.nl/nieuws/overheid-en-regulatie/celstraffen-voor-bende-die-belgische-kinderen-wilde-martelen-voor-crypto/","source2_name":"Crypto Insiders (report of the judgment, citing the Belgian federal police)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA290","date":"2025-03-11","precision":"day","city":"Kiryat Bialik","country":"Israel","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 5,000 in cash (50 $100 bills)","amount_usd":5000,"description":"A man who had announced in a WhatsApp cryptocurrency trading group that he wanted to buy USD 5,000 worth of digital currency was put in contact with a 19-year-old from Kabul (Galilee), who arranged to meet him on 11 March 2025 in a park near the Kiryon shopping mall in Kiryat Bialik. After asking for the bills \"to verify their authenticity\" and receiving 50 $100 notes, an unidentified accomplice sprayed pepper spray in the victim's face while the defendant pushed him, and the two fled with the money. The Haifa district public prosecutor's office filed an indictment on 31 March 2025 for aggravated robbery before the Haifa District Court, requesting detention until the end of proceedings.","victims":"A cryptocurrency buyer (man, not named)","outcome":"USD 5,000 stolen; a 19-year-old defendant charged with aggravated robbery on 31 March 2025 before the Haifa District Court, detention until the end of proceedings requested; second attacker unidentified","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual acting on his own behalf was attacked during a peer-to-peer cash-for-cryptocurrency transaction.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.c14.co.il/article/1164807","source1_name":"C14 — indictment from the Haifa district public prosecutor's office","source2":"","source2_name":"Israel Hayom — 'A 19-year-old suspect arrested after posing as a cryptocurrency seller' (13 March 2025, headline picked up via Google News RSS)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L235","date":"2025-03-11","precision":"day","city":"Le Mont-sur-Lausanne (Vaud)","country":"Switzerland","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About USD 200,000 in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":200000,"description":"During the night of 11 to 12 March 2025, two men lured an acquaintance into a trap in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, took the victim into a forest and beat them violently, then dragged them into a car where they tied them up and gagged them. Over several hours they forced the victim to give access to their cryptocurrency accounts and emptied them (about USD 200,000), then released the victim with threats of reprisals, including death, if they spoke, and left Switzerland by car. The funds passed through two accounts opened in the name of one of the attackers; injuries consistent with the violence were recorded by the Lausanne forensic medicine centre (CURML).","victims":"An acquaintance of the attackers (identity and sex not published)","outcome":"Accounts emptied, funds largely unrecovered (part seized from a wallet belonging to the suspect). A French national living in Strasbourg, arrested in Spain on 28 July 2025 and extradited on 26 November 2025, is being prosecuted by the Vaud cantonal prosecutor's office (Strada division) for aggravated robbery and remains in pre-trial detention (compulsory measures court, upheld by the criminal appeals chamber on 12 March 2026); he disputes the charges. The alleged accomplice has not been found.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual lured into a trap by acquaintances and forced to empty their own cryptocurrency accounts.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.20min.ch/fr/story/vaud-un-francais-poursuivi-pour-agression-liee-a-un-vol-de-cryptos-103545470","source1_name":"20 minutes (Suisse)","source2":"https://prestations.vd.ch/pub/101623/api/decision/download/375143f3-7b4c-4e77-b819-8d1c5011e867","source2_name":"Tribunal cantonal du canton de Vaud, Chambre des recours penale","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L128","date":"2025-03-13","precision":"day","city":"Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash (HKD)","unspecified cryptocurrency (proceeds of a P2P sale)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"HKD 318,000 (HK$318,000)","amount_usd":40800,"description":"A 41-year-old man, nicknamed Wong, went to Sung Wong Toi Garden (Kowloon City) to collect, at a friend's request, more than HKD 300,000 in cash handed over by a woman following a cryptocurrency sale. On his way back, as he was walking along Lai Chi Kok Park around 11:39 pm, an individual struck him on the arm with a wooden stick and snatched the plastic bag containing the HKD 318,000 before fleeing toward Ching Lai Court.","victims":"A 41-year-old man, nicknamed Wong","outcome":"HKD 318,000 taken; the victim was slightly injured on the hand and examined by emergency services on site; the suspect (about 1.75 m tall, wearing a black long-sleeved top) remains at large, with no arrest reported to date; the case was classified as robbery with violence by the Sham Shui Po district police.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Cash from a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency sale between private individuals, carried by a private person; no source mentions a business structure (exchange office, platform) owning the funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20250314/bkn-20250314000054979-0314_00822_001.html","source1_name":"on.cc 東網","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/突發/60219535/荔枝角男子交收完虛擬貨幣-即遭賊人棍毆-搶走逾-30萬現金","source2_name":"香港01 (HK01)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA291","date":"2025-03-17","precision":"day","city":"Las Palmas de Gran Canaria","country":"Spain","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","EUR (fiat currency)","valuables"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other","Valuables"],"amount":"High amount, not specified","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 17, 2025, between 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a group of individuals arrived in a van and, posing as police officers, intercepted the victim in the private parking lot of his home, restrained him by force, and drove him to an industrial warehouse where he was held for several hours. Under threats and assault, he was forced to make a large cryptocurrency transfer; the attackers also took cash and valuables, then abandoned him, threatening reprisals if he alerted the authorities. Operation \"Kripto\" by the UDEV of the Jefatura Superior de Policía de Canarias led, in August 2026, to seven arrests, including two pretrial detentions.","victims":"A resident of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, holder of cryptoassets","outcome":"Cryptocurrency, cash and valuables stolen; 7 arrests, 2 pretrial detentions","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A resident holding cryptoassets was abducted at his home and forced to transfer his own cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.abc.es/espana/canarias/hicieron-pasar-policias-encerraron-victima-furgon-robaron-20260812131858-nt.html","source1_name":"ABC","source2":"https://www.laprovincia.es/sucesos/sucesos-en-canarias/2026/08/12/operacion-kripto-siete-detenidos-secuestro-133291190.html","source2_name":"La Provincia","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA292","date":"2025-03-20","precision":"day","city":"Gyeonggi (exact location not specified; within the jurisdiction of the Suwon Court of Appeals)","country":"South Korea","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 43,700, i.e. KRW 64,440,000","amount_usd":43700,"description":"On March 20, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., a gang of young organized-crime members (known as \"MZ 조폭\") broke into the premises of a call center used for a stock-investment scam, threatened the employees with edged weapons, and extorted 43,700 tethers (KRW 64.44 million) from them. The two ringleaders, who had met while in detention, had planned the robbery against the fraudulent organization, recruited young affiliates (paid KRW 2.5 to 3 million) and supplied the weapons.","victims":"Employees of a stock-investment scam call center","outcome":"Six convictions for robbery causing injury, aggravated intrusion and threats of reprisal: 8 and 7 years at first instance for the two ringleaders, reduced to 7 years and 6 months and 6 years and 6 months on appeal on July 30, 2026; the other four received 4 to 6 years","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The extorted funds (USDT 43,700) belonged to the scam organization operating the call center, not to the employees personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/421/0009088686","source1_name":"News1 (via Naver)","source2":"","source2_name":"Chosun Ilbo (« 사기 조직 사무실 급습해 코인 뺏은 MZ조폭 일당, 항소심도 징역형 », 30 July 2026, spotted via Google News RSS)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA503","date":"2025-03-20","precision":"day","city":"Lille (Wechelsebaan, Kempen, Antwerp province)","country":"Belgium","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no crypto obtained, wrong target)","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of March 20, 2025, four men entered a house on Wechelsebaan in Lille (Antwerp Kempen); the occupant, a 40-year-old man who was asleep, was beaten and tied up. The attackers talked about cryptocurrency, but when they opened his phone they realized they had the wrong target and left. According to the defense, the attackers came from the Netherlands and a client based in Dubai was mentioned.","victims":"A 40-year-old man living in Lille, mistaken for a cryptocurrency holder","outcome":"Police found the victim shirtless, tied with a belt, his mouth taped and with a bruise on his right eye. Only the driver, E.D., 25, from Mol, identified through ANPR cameras and his phone, was tried on September 30, 2026 by the Turnhout criminal court (two years in prison requested, the defense arguing moral duress); judgment expected on October 28, 2026. The other attackers and the people who ordered the attack were not identified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Night-time home invasion at a private individual's home, targeted (by mistake) for presumed personal cryptocurrency.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.gva.be/regio/antwerpen/kempen/lille/vergis-homejacking-in-lille-met-cryptogeld-als-doelwit-toen-ze-gsm-van-slachtoffer-openden-merkten-ze-hun-fout/162361775.html","source1_name":"Gazet van Antwerpen","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA293","date":"2025-03-21","precision":"day","city":"Recife (Imbiribeira neighborhood), Pernambuco","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"BRL 3,300,000 in bitcoin (about BTC 5)","amount_usd":575000,"description":"A retired teacher, mother of a man working in cryptoasset management, was surveilled and then abducted in March 2025 as she was leaving a courthouse (forum) in the Imbiribeira neighborhood, in the southern zone of Recife, by a gang traveling in a vehicle with cloned license plates. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of BRL 3.3 million in bitcoin (about BTC 5), which was paid before her release. The Pernambuco Civil Police announced on August 13, 2025 the arrest of the four perpetrators, prosecuted for extorsão mediante sequestro (extortion through kidnapping) and money laundering.","victims":"A retired teacher, mother of a cryptoasset manager","outcome":"Ransom partially paid in cryptocurrency; four people arrested, prosecuted for extorsão mediante sequestro (kidnapping for extortion) and money laundering","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The mother of a cryptoasset manager was abducted to obtain a ransom in bitcoin targeting her son's personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/pe/pernambuco/noticia/2025/08/13/professora-aposentada-e-sequestrada.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 / Globo Pernambuco","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/operacao-em-recife-rastreia-criptomoedas-de-sequestradores-e-prende-quatro-pessoas/","source2_name":"Livecoins","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L129","date":"2025-03-24","precision":"day","city":"São Paulo (Ipiranga neighborhood; held captive in Biritiba Ussu/Mogi das Cruzes)","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","bank transfers"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"R$ 250 million (approximately USD 50 million)","amount_usd":50000000,"description":"Rodrigo Pérez Aristi Sá, a 25-year-old Spanish entrepreneur, was intercepted in his car by two armed men disguised as plainclothes police officers (counterfeit uniforms, a marked vehicle), handcuffed and forcibly taken away. Held for five days handcuffed to a camp bed and drugged with sedatives, he freed himself by giving the sleeping drug to his captor, then escaped to a bar where he alerted the federal police. Approximately 250 million reais (about $50 million) were transferred via bank transfers and cryptocurrency movements during his captivity.","victims":"Rodrigo Pérez Aristi Sá, 25-year-old Spanish businessman","outcome":"The victim escaped alone after drugging one of the kidnappers; one of the two abductors (Ronaldo Batista, a former military police officer) was arrested in possession of a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, the second remains at large; the investigation is continuing into possible financial connections.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"CryptoTimes states that the kidnappers used \"his bank accounts\" to carry out bank transfers and cryptocurrency transactions during the confinement: these were the victim's personal accounts and wallets, not a company's treasury.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/04/04/spaniard-alleges-250m-crypto-theft-in-sao-paulo-kidnapping/","source1_name":"CryptoTimes","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/empresario-sequestrado-em-sp-alega-roubo-de-r-250-milhoes-em-criptomoedas/","source2_name":"Livecoins (Brazil)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L130","date":"2025-03-27","precision":"day","city":"Tsim Sha Tsui (outside Golden Crown Court, Nathan Road), Hong Kong","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No loot taken (attempt targeting a briefcase containing EUR 5,000,000 in cash)","amount_usd":5400000,"description":"A 27-year-old Turkish businessman, who had arrived in Hong Kong the previous day with EUR 5 million in cash intended for the purchase of cryptocurrency, was approached at around 4 p.m. by two individuals armed with a long knife who tried to snatch his briefcase. The victim resisted and suffered a 10 cm cut to his forehead as well as leg injuries, but kept his money; the attackers fled empty-handed.","victims":"A 27-year-old Turkish businessman","outcome":"No loot taken; the victim was injured but out of danger, and was hospitalized. Four suspects of Pakistani origin, aged 17 to 31, were arrested the very next day in Jordan and Mong Kok (two direct assailants, a lookout, and an accomplice for evidence disposal).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual who came to buy cryptocurrency over the counter, in person, with his own cash; the SCMP mentions no company or employer funds — a natural person acting on his own behalf remains an individual.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3304169/man-slashed-during-attempted-robbery-popular-hong-kong-tourist-area","source1_name":"South China Morning Post","source2":"https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/article/231023/Police-catch-violent-robbers-of-Turkish-businessman-in-Tsim-Sha-Tsui","source2_name":"The Standard (Hong Kong)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L131","date":"2025-03-29","precision":"day","city":"Meycauayan, Bulacan; bodies found in Rodriguez, Rizal","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Initial demand of USD 20,000,000; approximately PHP 200,000,000 actually paid in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":3500000,"description":"Anson Que (alias Anton Tan), a Chinese-Filipino steel businessman, and his driver Armanie Pabillo disappeared on March 29, 2025 after leaving their office in Valenzuela City; surveillance cameras filmed them arriving at a house in Meycauayan (Bulacan), where they were held captive for about 11 days. The kidnappers demanded $20 million; the family paid approximately 200 million pesos (about $3.5 million) in cryptocurrency in several installments, but the two hostages were nevertheless killed by asphyxiation/manual strangulation (rope). Their bodies, bound in nylon bags with their faces taped, were found on April 9, 2025 in Rodriguez (Rizal).","victims":"Anson Que (alias Anton Tan), businessman, and his driver Armanie Pabillo","outcome":"Both victims were killed despite the partial payment of the ransom. Five suspects were identified: two Filipinos arrested on April 18 (Richardo Austria David and Raymart Catequista), a Chinese national (David Tan Liao) who surrendered on April 19, another undocumented foreign national arrested on May 17 (Gong Wenli), and a fifth (Jonin Lin) still at large as of late May 2025; the victim's son, briefly implicated by a suspect, was cleared by police.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Rappler states that \"The Que family paid around P200 million through cryptocurrency in several tranches\": the ransom was paid by the family from the executive's personal assets, with no withdrawal from the steel company's treasury.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.rappler.com/philippines/timeline-anson-que-killing-kidnapping-case/","source1_name":"Rappler","source2":"https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2054543/pnp-autopsy-shows-que-driver-died-of-asphyxia-by-manual-strangulation","source2_name":"Philippine Daily Inquirer","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA294","date":"2025-04","precision":"month","city":"Moirans","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Watch, jewelry and car keys stolen; attempted extortion of cryptoassets unsuccessful","amount_usd":null,"description":"In mid-April 2025, a 22-year-old man from Isère was lured to a fake romantic date arranged via social media: a young woman and a man presented as her cousin drove him to Moirans (Isère), where several masked individuals were waiting near the Parc Martin. Pulled from the vehicle at gunpoint with a sawed-off shotgun, he was beaten, threatened and held for several hours; the attackers, convinced from his online posts that he held a large sum in cryptoassets, left with his watch, jewelry and car keys and contacted him again the next day to obtain the money, without success. Five suspects aged 21 to 23 were arrested on November 5, 2025 in Isère and the Alpes-Maritimes and placed under formal investigation for unlawful confinement, attempted extortion and armed robbery in an organized group.","victims":"A 22-year-old man from Isère","outcome":"No cryptocurrency obtained; victim released and then filed a complaint; five suspects aged 21 to 23 arrested on November 5, 2025 in Isère and the Alpes-Maritimes by the Saint-Marcellin research brigade, placed under formal investigation for unlawful confinement, attempted extortion and armed robbery in an organized group (one held in pretrial detention, four under judicial supervision)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was held captive after a fake date because the attackers believed he held a large sum in personal cryptoassets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://tgplus.fr/article/piege-lors-dun-faux-rendez-vous-sequestre-pour-ses-cryptoactifs/","source1_name":"TG Plus / Le Dauphiné Libéré","source2":"https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/11/18/isere-moirans-sequestre-et-vole-ses-agresseurs-etaient-convaincus-qu-il-detenait-une-somme-importante-en-cryptoactifs","source2_name":"Le Dauphiné Libéré","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA295","date":"2025-04","precision":"month","city":"Mijas, Málaga","country":"Spain","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"In April 2025, a couple was attacked in Mijas (Costa del Sol) by three to four masked individuals, dressed in black, wearing gloves and armed; the man was shot in the leg while trying to flee, then both victims were put into a vehicle and held for several hours in a house while the kidnappers tried to access their cryptoasset wallets. The woman was released around midnight; her partner's body was found in a wooded area of Mijas, showing clear signs of violence in addition to the gunshot wound. On December 10, 2025, the Policía Nacional announced five arrests in Spain (six searches carried out in Madrid and Málaga, two handguns and blood-stained clothing seized) and charges against four other suspects in Denmark, two of whom were already imprisoned for similar acts.","victims":"A 37-year-old Dutch crypto millionaire (killed) and his Colombian partner","outcome":"Victim killed, partner released; 5 arrests in Spain, 4 suspects in Denmark","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple was abducted and held so that the kidnappers could access their personal cryptoasset wallets.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/es/detalle/articulo/La-Policia-Nacional-detiene-a-cinco-personas-por-el-secuestro-y-asesinato-de-un-hombre-para-sustraer-sus-criptoactivos/","source1_name":"Spanish Ministry of the Interior (Policía Nacional)","source2":"https://www.eldiario.es/andalucia/malaga/policia-detiene-cinco-personas-secuestrar-asesinar-hombre-mijas-robarle-criptomonedas_1_12832947.html","source2_name":"elDiario.es","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA296","date":"2025-04","precision":"month","city":"Lara State (location not specified)","country":"Venezuela","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USD 1,000,000 demanded; between USD 500,000 and 800,000 actually paid in USDT","amount_usd":800000,"description":"In late April 2025, a business owner from Lara State was abducted by an armed commando and held captive for 19 days. His relatives paid between USD 500,000 and 800,000 in USDT out of the USD 1 million demanded, and the victim was released in mid-May. The investigation established that the gang, nicknamed \"Los Cripto Activos\" for its preference for digital currencies, included serving and former officers of CONAS of the Bolivarian National Guard: five people were arrested (including three former CONAS members) and five others remain at large.","victims":"A business owner from Lara State (identity not published)","outcome":"Victim released after 19 days; ransom paid in USDT; 5 arrests (3 former CONAS officers and 2 civilians), 5 kidnappers at large; seizure of 3 weapons, a grenade and vehicles","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The ransom in USDT was paid by the relatives of the abducted business owner to secure his release, with no mention of funds targeting the company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.criptonoticias.com/sucesos/funcionarios-criptomonedas-hombre-secuestrado-venezuela/","source1_name":"CriptoNoticias — « Funcionarios exigieron criptomonedas por liberar a un hombre secuestrado en Venezuela »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA297","date":"2025-04-04","precision":"day","city":"Magistralny (Kazachinsko-Lensky District), Irkutsk Oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"28 mining machines, more than RUB 5,300,000","amount_usd":64000,"description":"On the night of April 4-5, 2025, four residents of the town of Magistralny climbed over the concrete fence of an industrial site, forced open the doors of a warehouse, and took 28 mining machines worth more than RUB 5.3 million, which were then moved between several hiding places. The equipment was found in a truck and returned to the owner. The Kazachinsko-Lensky District Court (Irkutsk Oblast) found them guilty of group theft \"on an especially large scale\" and sentenced them to suspended prison terms ranging from 1 year 8 months to 2 years (ruling published June 30, 2026).","victims":"Owner of a mining farm located on an industrial site in Magistralny","outcome":"Equipment found and returned; four men found guilty by the Kazachinsko-Lensky District Court","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Mining machines belonging to a mining farm located on an industrial site were stolen.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://bits.media/v-sibiri-s-mayningovoy-fermy-ukrali-oborudovanie-na-5-3-mln-rubley/","source1_name":"Bits.media (Russian-language crypto media outlet)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA298","date":"2025-04-12","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (abducted in Songshan District, held captive in a private site in Shilin District), Taipei Special Municipality","country":"Taiwan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 6,859.896926 + TWD 9,334; ransom of TWD 6,000,000 demanded (not paid)","amount_usd":7150,"description":"On the night of April 12, 2025, around 11:36 p.m., Chuang Wen-che (莊文哲), 23, residing in Xinzhuang, was approached at random in front of the Yipin Huadiaoji restaurant in Songshan District (Taipei) by Lin Ting-wei, 24, who took him away by car under the pretext of \"negotiating a debt\" — the instigator, known by the alias \"東南,\" linked to a scam organization based in Cambodia, accused him of having embezzled TWD 20 million. Taken to a private site in Shilin District, he was stripped, had his ankles shackled with handcuffs, and was beaten in turn by four men (including a minor) with a baseball bat, a belt, flip-flops and bare hands until he handed over his phone's passcodes: USDT 6,859.9 were transferred on April 13 at 1:03 a.m. to Lin's wallet, then TWD 9,334 was withdrawn via his banking app, before a ransom reduced to TWD 6 million was demanded by phone from his mother. Alerted by her early in the morning, police located the vehicle, arrested the kidnappers at 3:16 p.m. and 3:26 p.m. in a parking lot in Shilin, and freed the victim in under eight hours, seizing handcuffs, 3 baseball bats, 7 machetes and 2 stun batons.","victims":"Chuang Wen-che (莊文哲), 23, residing in Xinzhuang (New Taipei), suspected by the instigator \"東南\" of having embezzled TWD 20 million for the benefit of a scam organization based in Cambodia; his mother, recipient of the ransom demand","outcome":"USDT 6,859.9 and TWD 9,334 stolen; ransom not paid; victim freed by police in under 8 hours after his mother's call. Convictions by the Shilin District Court (114年度重訴字第2號): Lin Ting-wei sentenced to 10 years and 2 months for robbery involving kidnapping for ransom, Chen Hung-li to 7 years and 6 months, Chu Po-hsiang to 7 years for armed group robbery; the fourth perpetrator, a minor, was placed under supervised education","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was stripped of his own USDT via his phone, and then a ransom was demanded from his mother for his release, targeting his personal assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=SLDM%2c114%2c%e9%87%8d%e8%a8%b4%2c2%2c20251216%2c2","source1_name":"Shilin District Court, judgment 114年度重訴字第2號 (16 December 2025)","source2":"https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20251217001653-260402","source2_name":"China Times (中時新聞網), 17 December 2025 — report of the judgment","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L133","date":"2025-04-13","precision":"day","city":"PIB Colony (Karachi), Pakistan","country":"Pakistan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"According to the Lopp reference list, a gang posing as police officers kidnapped a man named Ismail in PIB Colony and forced him to hand over his Bitcoins. The source page (archive.is) could not be accessed (CAPTCHA wall then a 429 error), and no secondary source matching this case precisely (name, neighborhood, date) could be found despite several cross-checked searches.","victims":"Ismail","outcome":"According to Lopp, the victim reportedly handed over his Bitcoins to the gang; no further details (arrests, judicial follow-up) could be verified for lack of access to a readable source.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The only information available (the Lopp entry) describes a man kidnapped by a fake police group and forced to hand over his own bitcoins: the assets of a private individual. There is no indication of a business structure, but the source remains unverifiable.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://archive.is/fpCPj","source1_name":"archive.is (Lopp source, inaccessible: CAPTCHA then error 429)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA299","date":"2025-04-26","precision":"day","city":"Incheon (Yeonsu-gu, Yeonsu-dong)","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"KRW 150,000,000 (about USD 104,500)","amount_usd":104500,"description":"On April 26, 2025, around 2:00 p.m., on a public street in Yeonsu-dong (Incheon), an Uzbek woman handed over KRW 150 million in cash to a Russian seller as part of a cryptocurrency transaction; three Russian accomplices then attacked him, beat him, and took back the bag of money. The gang had prepared a vehicle with a false license plate, which was abandoned after the incident on a deserted road in Yeongjongdo.","victims":"A Russian man, cryptocurrency seller (identified as \"C\" in the press)","outcome":"Four suspects (three Russians, one Uzbek) arrested in Ansan six days after the incident and placed in detention on May 8, 2025 for aggravated theft; a fifth accomplice, a Kyrgyz national, at large abroad and sought via Interpol","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual cryptocurrency seller was attacked during a cash over-the-counter transaction.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/421/0008237258","source1_name":"News1 (via Naver)","source2":"https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20250508/131563531/1","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA300","date":"2025-04-27","precision":"day","city":"Altos (Poraru compañía, Cordillera Department)","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"360 to 500 mining machines, estimated at USD 2,000-2,500 each","amount_usd":810000,"description":"On the night of Sunday, April 27, 2025, around midnight, about a dozen masked men in military-style clothing, armed with rifles and handguns, stormed the mining data center of the company Richford S.A., in Altos (Guillermo Naumann Avenue, next to the ANDE substation). They tied up the security guards and took the employees present hostage, then made off with between 360 and 500 ASIC mining machines belonging to the Frenchman Andy Louis Ilhan Jasmin (26), as well as phones, computers, a .38 revolver and the video surveillance equipment. Eleven machines were found in Ciudad del Este at the end of May, and a truck driver was arrested and then charged in Villarrica on May 29, 2025.","victims":"Mining company Richford S.A.; security guards and employees taken hostage; equipment owner Andy Louis Ilhan Jasmin (26, French); complaint filed by Aldo René Godoy Agüero (29)","outcome":"~360 machines stolen; 11 recovered in Ciudad del Este on May 27, 2025; a truck driver arrested in Villarrica on May 29, 2025","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Hundreds of ASIC mining machines were stolen from the data center of the mining company Richford S.A.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/nacionales/2025/04/27/altos-delincuentes-armados-se-llevan-costoso-equipo-de-mineria/","source1_name":"ABC Color (Paraguay)","source2":"https://www.abc.com.py/policiales/2025/05/29/detienen-en-villarrica-a-un-camionero-por-el-asalto-a-una-granja-mineradora-de-altos/","source2_name":"ABC Color (arrest of a truck driver)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA301","date":"2025-04-30","precision":"day","city":"Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no cryptocurrency transfer obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the early hours of 30 April 2025, a group of six to seven men broke down the front door and rear patio doors of a house on Beaufort Close in Aylesbury, gathered the seven occupants aged 21 to 75, and demanded the transfer of cryptocurrencies. When the victims were unable to comply, they were violently beaten: bruises to the face and body, swollen eyes, injuries to the head and neck, and a fractured spine for one of them. The gang had used GPS trackers and signal jammers; Glen Johnson, 49, arrested at the scene by Thames Valley Police, was found guilty on 6 March 2026 and sentenced on 3 August 2026 to 15 years in prison.","victims":"Seven occupants of the same family home: a 51-year-old man, a 75-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman, two men aged 28 and 25, and two women aged 21","outcome":"No crypto-assets obtained; seven victims injured, including one with a fractured spine; Glen Johnson, 49, arrested while fleeing and sentenced on 3 August 2026 to 15 years in prison by Aylesbury Crown Court for aggravated burglary","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Seven occupants of a family home were held captive and assaulted in order to extort their personal cryptocurrencies.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/beds-bucks-herts/news/man-jailed-15-years-aylesbury-burglary","source1_name":"Hits Radio Beds/Bucks/Herts (Rayo)","source2":"https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-08-04/man-jailed-for-aggravated-burglary-which-left-victim-with-fractured-spine","source2_name":"ITV News Meridian","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA302","date":"2025-04-30","precision":"day","city":"Resistencia, Chaco","country":"Argentina","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","exchange crypto-assets"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 150,000 in crypto-assets","amount_usd":150000,"description":"On 30 April 2025, a crypto-asset trader was intercepted at his home in Resistencia by at least four armed individuals who overpowered him, beat him, and held him captive for about four hours. The attackers used his biometric data to unlock his phone, accessed his wallets and exchange accounts, and transferred about 150,000 dollars in digital assets to an address they controlled, before forcing him to delete all his crypto apps. An OnlyFans content creator, who had had prior contact with the victim, reportedly provided the gang with his address, his schedule, and the nature of his operations.","victims":"A crypto-asset trader from Resistencia (identity not published)","outcome":"~USD 150,000 stolen; the gang was dismantled on 3 June 2025 (ten raids in Chaco and Buenos Aires, 9 people arrested, including 4 who turned themselves in); seizures of crypto, cash, weapons and vehicles; charges of armed robbery and unlawful deprivation of liberty","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A crypto-asset trader acting alone was held captive at his home and stripped of his own wallets and exchange accounts.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2025/06/03/nueva-modalidad-delictiva-cayo-una-banda-que-torturaba-traders-para-robarles-criptoactivos/","source1_name":"Infobae","source2":"https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2025/06/04/se-entregaron-cuatro-sospechosos-de-la-banda-que-torturo-a-un-trader-para-robarle-150-mil-dolares/","source2_name":"Infobae (surrender of four suspects)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA303","date":"2025-05","precision":"month","city":"Leganés, Madrid, and Valladolid","country":"Spain","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash intended for the purchase of crypto"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 28,000 (cash intended for the purchase of crypto)","amount_usd":31700,"description":"A 50-year-old Spaniard of Russian origin posed as a cryptocurrency seller on social media forums, gained the trust of individual buyers, and then arranged to meet them in shopping center parking lots in Leganés, Madrid, and then in Valladolid. Once the victims got into his vehicle — a stolen car fitted with fake plates — he threatened them with a handgun (in reality a fake pistol) and stole the cash intended for the purchase, totaling 28,000 euros. Arrested on 9 May 2025 by the Policía Nacional in possession of the fake pistol and more than 1,500 euros in cash, he was brought before the courts and then incarcerated.","victims":"At least two cryptocurrency buyers met face-to-face (one in Leganés, one in Valladolid)","outcome":"EUR 28,000 stolen; one man arrested, charged with two counts of robbery with violence and intimidation with a firearm, vehicle theft, forgery, and membership in a criminal organization, and placed in detention.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individual cryptocurrency buyers were held up one-on-one during over-the-counter transactions and robbed of their personal cash.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.telemadrid.es/noticias/madrid/Detenido-por-atracar-a-punta-de-pistola-a-compradores-de-criptomoneda-en-Madrid-0-2777722218--20250509011206.html","source1_name":"Telemadrid","source2":"https://www.elespanol.com/castilla-y-leon/region/valladolid/20250509/concertaba-citas-compradores-criptomoneda-robaba-grandes-cantidades-dinero-punta-pistola/1003743750186_0.html","source2_name":"El Español (Valladolid edition)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA304","date":"2025-05","precision":"month","city":"Batman","country":"Türkiye","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A criminal organization 'focused on cryptocurrencies' was dismantled in Batman on 11 May 2025 after a six-month investigation by the criminal investigation unit, with seven separate offenses attributed to it. A female member of the group was its key figure: she selected crypto holders and supplied their addresses and schedules, and the other members entered the victims' homes wearing balaclavas, handcuffed them at the wrists and ankles, and abducted them at gunpoint before transferring their cryptocurrencies to other accounts; the group also opened fire at night on the businesses and vehicles of certain victims. Simultaneous operations were carried out in three provinces: 10 suspects identified, 9 jailed.","victims":"Several cryptocurrency holders in Batman (identities not published; 7 incidents recorded)","outcome":"Several victims stripped of their cryptocurrencies; 9 suspects jailed out of 10 arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Cryptocurrency holders were selected and then abducted from their homes for the transfer of their personal crypto-assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.sabah.com.tr/yasam/2025/05/11/batmanda-suc-orgutunun-kilit-ismi-kadin-cikti-9-kisi-cezaevinde","source1_name":"Sabah","source2":"https://www.ilkha.com/guncel/kripto-para-odakli-suc-orgutune-darbe-9-kisi-tutuklandi-456723","source2_name":"İlke Haber Ajansı (İLKHA)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L134","date":"2025-05-01","precision":"day","city":"Paris (14th arrondissement); victim released in Essonne","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash (ransom demanded)","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (ransom of EUR 5 to 7 million demanded, never paid)","amount_usd":6500000,"description":"On the morning of 1 May 2025, four masked men abducted, using a van, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, the father of a crypto entrepreneur (who co-owned, with his son, a crypto marketing company based in Malta). The kidnappers demanded a ransom of EUR 5 to 7 million and cut off one of their hostage's fingers. Police freed him during a raid in Essonne on 3 May 2025, arresting five suspects on the spot; the suspected leader of the network, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou (24, French-Moroccan), was arrested in Tangier (Morocco) on 4 June 2025 as part of a wider investigation that led to charges against 25 people over this wave of kidnappings targeting crypto figures in France (including the case of Ledger co-founder David Balland).","victims":"The father of a crypto entrepreneur based in Malta (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"The victim was freed alive (with a severed finger) during the police raid on May 3, 2025; five suspects were arrested immediately, including the driver of the vehicle used. The suspected leader of the network, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, was arrested in Morocco on 4 June 2025; a total of 25 people were charged in this series of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings in France.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"According to France 24 (AFP/public prosecutor's office), the kidnappers abducted the father to force his son, a 'man who made a fortune in cryptocurrencies,' to pay a ransom: it is the son's personal fortune that is targeted through a relative, not the treasury of the Malta-based company (merely mentioned as jointly owned by the two men).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250504-kidnapped-dad-of-crypto-firm-boss-released-in-french-police-raid","source1_name":"France 24","source2":"https://cryptonews.com/news/suspected-french-crypto-kidnapping-ringleader-snared-in-morocco-second-suspect-sought/","source2_name":"Cryptonews","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA305","date":"2025-05-02","precision":"day","city":"Caaguazú (Constitución neighborhood, southern collector road of route PY02)","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware","solar panels"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Other cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About 130 mining machines plus solar panels (value not given by the source)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the first minutes of the night of 2 May 2025, an armed group broke into the premises of the crypto-mining company Global Hass, in the Constitución neighborhood of Caaguazú, surprising and overpowering private security guard Alcides Ramón Núñez Giménez (49), who was resting in a room on the site. The attackers brought a heavy-duty truck to load about 130 mining machines, which they had previously unplugged and ripped out, along with the solar panels powering the installation. The Caaguazú police opened an investigation, amid a series of attacks on mining sites in Alto Paraná and Caaguazú.","victims":"Mining company Global Hass; private security guard Alcides Ramón Núñez Giménez, 49","outcome":"About 130 machines and the solar panels stolen, video surveillance storage taken; investigation by the Caaguazú police","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The raid targeted the mining hardware and solar panels of the company Global Hass, a professional cryptomining site.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/policiales/2025/05/02/banda-armada-toma-por-asalto-una-criptomineria-y-roban-unas-130-maquinas/","source1_name":"ABC Color (Paraguay)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA306","date":"2025-05-06","precision":"day","city":"Kumbla, Kasaragod district, Kerala","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"20,743 USDT","amount_usd":20743,"description":"On 6 May 2025, a group of individuals abducted the complainant at Kumbla (Kasaragod district, Kerala), beat him with their bare hands, and stripped him of 20,743 USDT. Six accused are being prosecuted in crime no. 389/2025 at Kumbla police station under sections 126(2), 115(2), 137(2), 310(2) and 351 of the BNS; accused nos. 3 and 4, Anshif K.R. @ Munna (31) and Irfan (25), both residents of neighboring Karnataka, were arrested on 4 June 2025 and had their bail application rejected on 2 July 2025 by the Kerala High Court, with the investigation still incomplete and accused nos. 1 and 6 still at large.","victims":"Unnamed complainant (de facto complainant), holder of crypto-assets","outcome":"20,743 USDT stolen; several arrests, two accused still wanted","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual holder of crypto-assets was abducted and stripped of 20,743 USDT belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/116636610/","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Anshif K.R. @ Munna vs State of Kerala (Kerala High Court, 2 July 2025)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L135","date":"2025-05-06","precision":"day","city":"New York (SoHo, Manhattan), United States","country":"United States","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"Unknown (the attackers sought access to the victim's Bitcoin wallet, with no figure reported)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Having arrived from Italy in New York on 6 May 2025, a 28-year-old Italian tourist was held captive for 17 days in a luxury house in SoHo (Manhattan) rented for USD 30,000 to 40,000 a month by John Woeltz, a crypto investor from Kentucky. He was hung above a rooftop, electrocuted with electrical cables, struck with a firearm pointed at his head, attacked with a chainsaw, threatened against his family, and forced to smoke crack in order to reveal his Bitcoin wallet password. He escaped on 23 May 2025, bloodied and barefoot, just after giving up his password but before the kidnappers could retrieve his laptop.","victims":"A 28-year-old Italian tourist (identity not made public)","outcome":"The victim survived and was hospitalized. John Woeltz was arrested on the day of the escape (23 May); a woman also arrested was ultimately not prosecuted by the public prosecutor's office. A second suspect, William Duplessie (32), turned himself in to authorities on 27 May. Woeltz and Duplessie were charged with kidnapping for ransom, assault and unlawful confinement; both were held in detention, a request for one-million-dollar bail having been denied for Duplessie. Investigators linked the case to an attempted kidnapping in Nantes and to another targeting a woman and her child in Paris.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The torturers were seeking the password to the personal Bitcoin wallet of the Italian tourist held captive; no company funds were involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn84x31vw96o","source1_name":"BBC News","source2":"https://nypost.com/2025/05/23/us-news/kentucky-crypto-investor-allegedly-tortured-captive-italian-tourist-for-weeks-in-luxury-nyc-apartment-sources/","source2_name":"New York Post","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L136","date":"2025-05-09","precision":"day","city":"London (Golders Green, after a night out in Soho), United Kingdom","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Other","assets":["XRP","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"About USD 123,000 (of which USD 73,000 in XRP and USD 50,000 in BTC)","amount_usd":123000,"description":"On the night of 8 to 9 May 2025, after an evening spent at a bar in Soho (the Roxy), Jacob Irwin-Cline, a 30-year-old American software developer from Portland, Oregon, was approached near Golders Green by a fake Uber driver who offered him a cigarette laced with scopolamine (\"Devil's Breath\"). Once unconscious, he gave up his phone's unlock code, allowing the theft of about USD 123,000 in cryptocurrency (XRP and Bitcoin); the driver then struck him with his vehicle before fleeing.","victims":"Jacob Irwin-Cline, a 30-year-old American software developer (tourist)","outcome":"The funds were transferred to the MEXC and BTSE platforms and then dispersed across multiple wallets, making them very difficult to trace; no insurance covers the loss. No arrest has been reported to date; the investigation is being conducted jointly by the Metropolitan Police (London) and the FBI.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"MyLondon describes a traveling developer whose 'life savings,' built up by investing in Bitcoin, were drained from his phone: the assets of a private individual.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/american-tourist-london-loses-123k-31673388","source1_name":"MyLondon","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA307","date":"2025-05-13","precision":"day","city":"Antequera (Coronel Bogado district), Itapúa","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"Attempted theft of 2 high-performance mining machines (value not given); no equipment taken","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the early hours of Tuesday, 13 May 2025, about twenty men disguised as police officers (fake uniforms, bulletproof vests, large-caliber weapons) arrived in four vehicles and burst in shouting \"procedimiento policial\" (police operation) at a cryptomining facility in Antequera (Coronel Bogado district, Itapúa) to seize two high-performance mining machines. Two employees at the site were overpowered and tied up, one injured by a violent blow to the head, before a patrol from the 6th Police Station (Comisaría 6ª) intervened: after an exchange of gunfire in which no police officer was injured, the attackers fled without the equipment, leaving an overturned vehicle with blood traces near General Artigas, and one of them, Nahún María Velázquez Garcete (41, with a prior record of aggravated robbery), was apprehended wounded. During the subsequent search of the site, three Chinese nationals in an irregular migration situation were discovered and deported from the country — they were not the attackers, contrary to what the wording of the Lopp list suggests.","victims":"Two employees/staff of the Antequera cryptomining site, overpowered and tied up, one injured to the head; officers of the Comisaría 6ª of Coronel Bogado caught in the shootout (no injuries on the police side)","outcome":"Attempt failed: attackers repelled by police gunfire, no machines taken, one wounded attacker arrested (Nahún María Velázquez Garcete), one employee injured; three Chinese nationals in an irregular situation found at the site were subsequently deported from Paraguay","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The commando targeted the high-performance mining hardware of a professional cryptomining facility, not the personal assets of the employees.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ultimahora.com/falsos-policias-intentan-asaltar-local-de-criptomonedas-y-son-repelidos-a-tiros-en-itapua","source1_name":"Última Hora (Paraguay)","source2":"https://www.ultimahora.com/ciudadanos-chinos-son-expulsados-tras-asalto-a-granja-de-criptomoneria-en-coronel-bogado","source2_name":"Última Hora (Paraguay) — follow-up: deportation of Chinese nationals","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L137","date":"2025-05-13","precision":"day","city":"Paris (11th arrondissement, rue Pache)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (targeted, not stolen)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount exchanged (attempt foiled)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three masked men jumped out of a white van to try to abduct, in broad daylight on a street in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, co-founder of the crypto platform Paymium; the victim's partner, who tried to protect his family, was beaten about the head, and the woman wrested a weapon (a fake pistol) from one of the attackers before passersby intervened and drove the group off. The family was treated for minor injuries at the hospital.","victims":"The daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat (co-founder of Paymium), along with the victim's partner","outcome":"The attempt failed thanks to the victims' resistance and the intervention of passersby; the family sustained minor injuries and was treated at the hospital. The whole group was subsequently arrested, and the suspected leader of the network behind this series of kidnappings, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou (24, French-Moroccan), was arrested in Tangier (Morocco) on 4 June 2025 under an Interpol warrant; in total 25 people, mostly aged 16 to 23, were placed under formal investigation in this wave of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The BBC confirms that the target was the daughter (and grandson) of Paymium's owner/co-founder, targeted as a relative of a holder in order to reach his personal assets; no funds belonging to the Paymium company were targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20qee5030do","source1_name":"BBC News","source2":"https://cryptonews.com/news/suspected-french-crypto-kidnapping-ringleader-snared-in-morocco-second-suspect-sought/","source2_name":"Cryptonews","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA445","date":"2025-05-15","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv (Volodymyrskyi market, Antonovycha Street)","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified crypto","Cash"],"asset_classes":["Other","Cash"],"amount":"USD 170,000 in crypto (UAH 7.06 million) + USD 130,000 in cash (UAH 5.4 million), i.e. USD 300,000","amount_usd":300000,"description":"On 15 May 2025 at around 2 p.m., four men in military-style clothing, presenting themselves as members of a security agency, approached a cryptocurrency trader by his name and patronymic near the Volodymyrskyi market in Kyiv, forced him into an Audi and drove him to a basement. At gunpoint, with the officer chambering a round in a pistol, he had to open the crypto wallets on his phone and transfer USD 170,000 to the organizer's wallet, then gather another USD 130,000 in cash from his relatives, and was told to hand over half of his business profits every month. According to prosecutors, the gang was led by an officer of a Ukrainian assault battalion who had a service Fort-20 pistol and an AK-74, and targeted cryptocurrency traders.","victims":"Cryptocurrency trader, not named","outcome":"USD 170,000 in crypto and USD 130,000 in cash extorted; the gang was dismantled on 12 October 2025 after a second kidnapping in Kharkiv (10-11 October 2025); the officer, Oleksiy Steshak, and three accomplices (Artem Gavrilov, Andriy Gordeev, Artem Faifor) are being prosecuted for banditry, kidnapping by an organized group, robbery and extortion; detention without bail was upheld in September 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency trader kidnapped and forced to empty his own wallets and gather cash from his relatives; no company identified in the source (classification to be reviewed if a business structure emerges).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://368.media/2026/09/22/ofitser-shturmovogo-bataljonu-stvoryv-bandu-dlya-katuvannya-lyudej-zarady-vykupu-u-kryptovalyuti/","source1_name":"368.media","source2":"https://antikor.info/ru/articles/864552-ofitsera_vsu_alekseja_steshaka_podozrevajut_v_organizatsii_bandy_kotoraja_pohishchala_ljudej_i_vymogala_milliony_griven","source2_name":"Antikor","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA308","date":"2025-05-17","precision":"day","city":"Kampala (Bunamwaya Road / Segguku, Entebbe Road)","country":"Uganda","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 138,000 stolen (USD 120,000 in stablecoins + USD 18,000 in Afro Token); USD 500,000 demanded","amount_usd":138000,"description":"Festo Ivaibi, founder of Mitroplus Labs, was driving home to Segguku when three cars surrounded his vehicle; men armed with rifles and wearing UPDF uniforms held him at gunpoint, blindfolded him, and took him away, announcing they would take him to a \"torture house\". They demanded a ransom of USD 500,000, not in cash but in crypto, made him unlock his two iPhones, and accessed his wallets, taking USD 120,000 in stablecoins and USD 18,000 in the meme coin Afro Token, before abandoning him 11 km from his home.","victims":"Festo Ivaibi, founder of Mitroplus Labs","outcome":"About USD 138,000 in crypto stolen; victim released; seven people arrested by the Defence Intelligence and Security, including five UPDF soldiers and one NIRA (National Identification Registration Authority) official who had used the national database to trace the victim; a known crypto broker reportedly recruited the soldiers. The targeted wallets did not have multi-signature authentication.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The founder of Mitroplus Labs was abducted and dispossessed via his own personal phones and wallets, with no mention of company funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/how-businessman-was-abducted-and-robbed-of-over-shs480m-5167498","source1_name":"Daily Monitor (Uganda)","source2":"https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/24557986895985","source2_name":"Cryptopolitan via Binance Square","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L139","date":"2025-05-20","precision":"day","city":"Seoul (Gangseo-gu district), South Korea","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash (KRW)","unspecified cryptocurrency (pretext for the P2P transaction)"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"KRW 1,000,000,000 in cash actually taken (the 24 November 2025 ruling of the Seoul court found that the trio fled with the suitcase of cash; earlier articles from 21 May 2025, closer to the events but provisional, had indicated a failed attempt with no loot)","amount_usd":730000,"description":"Three men, including a Russian national disguised as a police officer (cap and vest, fake pistol), lured two Korean buyers to a hotel room in Gangseo-gu under the pretext of a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transaction worth about 1 billion won in cash; they bound the victims with cable ties and adhesive tape, strangled them and beat them with a telescopic baton and the fake weapon's grip, going as far as biting one victim's ear. One victim managed to break free of his restraints and alert other Koreans present in the hotel lobby, ending the assault after about twelve minutes.","victims":"Two Korean cryptocurrency buyers who had come for a P2P transaction","outcome":"One victim suffered multiple facial fractures (8 weeks of incapacity) and the other facial lacerations (2 weeks). The main suspect, a Russian national, left South Korea immediately; the two other suspects, also described as Russian nationals, were subsequently prosecuted. On 24 November 2025, the Seoul Southern District Court sentenced the main defendant to 7 years in prison for aggravated robbery causing injury (강도상해).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers targeted the cash brought by two private Korean individuals for an in-person peer-to-peer cryptocurrency purchase; no source indicates a corporate structure, so under the rule this case is classified as personal.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.mk.co.kr/en/society/11323217","source1_name":"매일경제 - Maeil Business Newspaper (mk.co.kr)","source2":"https://www.tsisalaw.com/news/article.html?no=26869","source2_name":"더시사법률 (report of the judgment, tsisalaw.com)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L141","date":"2025-05-23","precision":"day","city":"Buenos Aires (Palermo neighborhood)","country":"Argentina","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USD 43,000 in USDT","amount_usd":43000,"description":"A Russian couple (27 and 30 years old), involved in a cryptocurrency business, were invited to dinner at an apartment rented by two men of Chechen origin in Palermo on Friday, 23 May 2025. The attackers tied them up and demanded a ransom; the woman managed to shout in English from the balcony, alerting nearby restaurant staff, while a friend of the couple transferred $43,000 in USDT via a QR code to secure their release. The two abductors fled to the United Arab Emirates via Ezeiza airport before police arrived; an Interpol red notice was issued, and no arrests have been made.","victims":"A Russian couple (a 27-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman), both linked to a cryptocurrency business","outcome":"A ransom of $43,000 in USDT was paid by a friend of the couple via QR code; the victims were released unharmed after alerting neighbors; the two Chechen abductors fled to the United Arab Emirates, an Interpol red notice was issued, and no arrests have been made to date.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The couple was held captive as private individuals in a rented apartment (booked via Booking) and forced to transfer $43,000 in USDT from their own assets to secure their release; no company funds were targeted, the assets targeted belonged to the private individuals.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.clarin.com/policiales/secuestraron-pareja-rusos-obligaron-transferir-43-mil-dolares-criptomonedas-chechenos-profugos_0_r63bWRgaro.html","source1_name":"Clarín","source2":"https://tn.com.ar/policiales/2025/05/28/misterioso-secuestro-de-una-pareja-de-rusos-en-palermo-buscan-a-dos-sospechosos-que-se-fueron-del-pais/","source2_name":"TN (Todo Noticias)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L140","date":"2025-05-26","precision":"day","city":"Nantes (outskirts, residential neighborhood)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount exchanged (group neutralized before the abduction)","amount_usd":null,"description":"The Paris Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB) intercepted, without a shot being fired, a group of ten masked and gloved men split between two unmarked vans, as they were preparing to abduct a Nantes-based entrepreneur who had made his fortune in cryptocurrency as he left his home. The operation is part of a wave of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency figures in France since early May 2025 (a case of unlawful confinement in Palaiseau, an attempt on rue Pache in Paris).","victims":"A Nantes-based entrepreneur who had made his fortune in cryptocurrency (identity not publicly disclosed)","outcome":"All ten members of the group were arrested on the spot on 26 May 2025 without a shot being fired; this operation brought to more than twenty the total number of arrests linked to the May 2025 wave of crypto kidnappings, an investigation that led in early June to the arrest in Tangier (Morocco) of the network's suspected leader, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Target: an entrepreneur who had made his fortune in crypto, targeted as he left his home for his personal wealth; no source mentions the funds of a company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.france24.com/fr/france/20250527-cryptomonnaies-interpellations-tentative-enlevement-kidnapping-nantes-enquete","source1_name":"France 24 (AFP)","source2":"https://www.actualite.com/actu/justice/cryptomonnaies-un-commando-pret-a-frapper-neutralise-in-extremis-pres-de-nantes.html","source2_name":"Actualite.com","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA309","date":"2025-05-29","precision":"day","city":"Utrecht","country":"Netherlands","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"≈ USD 30,000 in cryptocurrencies extorted; additional attempt involving EUR 100,000","amount_usd":30000,"description":"On 29 May 2025 at around 11:23 pm, outside a bowling alley in Utrecht, the victim was approached by three men who pulled him away from his friends into an isolated alley in a nearby industrial area. For about thirty minutes, under duress and under threat of reprisals against his relatives — the attackers held a handwritten note with the names and addresses of his partner and her family, supplied by the complicit friend — he transferred cryptocurrencies worth about 30,000 dollars, then was subjected to an attempted extortion of a further 100,000 euros. He filed a complaint that same night (investigation 31STRIKE25).","victims":"A man holding cryptocurrencies, lured to the bowling alley by a friend who turned out to be an accomplice","outcome":"~USD 30,000 extorted, second extortion attempt failed; four convictions (30 months, 15 months, 12 months in prison, and juvenile detention)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual holding cryptocurrencies was forced to transfer his personal assets under threat against his family.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://data.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraken/content?id=ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2026:4860","source1_name":"Rechtbank Midden-Nederland, ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2026:4860","source2":"https://data.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraken/content?id=ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2026:4871","source2_name":"Rechtbank Midden-Nederland, ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2026:4871 (accomplice)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA311","date":"2025-06-03","precision":"month","city":"Resistencia, Chaco","country":"Argentina","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (multiple victims; no figure published)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In early June 2025, the Chaco police and the cybercrime division of the Buenos Aires city police dismantled a gang in Resistencia that identified cryptocurrency holders, broke violently into their homes, and, using beatings and firearm threats, forced them to transfer their crypto assets to accounts controlled by the group, then to delete their original accounts to erase the trace of the operations. Ten searches led to nine arrests and the seizure of cryptocurrency, cash, firearms, electronic equipment and vehicles; the suspects are being prosecuted for aggravated robbery and unlawful deprivation of liberty.","victims":"Several cryptocurrency holders from Resistencia (multiple complaints, identities not published)","outcome":"9 people charged with armed robbery and unlawful confinement; cryptocurrency and cash seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A gang identified individual cryptocurrency holders and forced them at home to transfer their personal crypto assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2025/06/03/nueva-modalidad-delictiva-cayo-una-banda-que-torturaba-traders-para-robarles-criptoactivos/","source1_name":"Infobae","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA312","date":"2025-06-10","precision":"day","city":"Brussels (held captive in Evere)","country":"Belgium","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 40,000 (sum the perpetrators were trying to recover; no transfer obtained)","amount_usd":43000,"description":"On June 10, 2025, a man presented as a cryptocurrency scammer was lured to Brussels by a 25-year-old woman from Londerzeel under the pretext of a romantic date, then intercepted on his way to the train station by four men who pulled a sweater over his head and locked him in the basement of an underground parking garage in Evere. There he was tortured for about an hour with a hot iron, strangled with electrical cables, and subjected to waterboarding by victims of a crypto scam, including a restaurant owner from Evere who said he had lost 40,000 euros after entrusting him with his bank card and codes. On January 23, 2026, the four men were sentenced to 5 years in prison, 3 of them suspended; the woman who had acted as bait was acquitted.","victims":"A man presented as a cryptocurrency scammer (identity not public)","outcome":"Victim released after the torture session. On January 23, 2026, four men in their twenties were sentenced to 5 years in prison, 3 of them suspended; the woman who had acted as bait was acquitted for lack of proof that she knew of the plan.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, presented as an individual cryptocurrency scammer, was held captive and tortured to recover sums he held personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/01/23/celstraf-voor-ontvoering-en-foltering-in-evere/","source1_name":"VRT NWS","source2":"https://www.bruzz.be/actua/justitie/groepje-twintigers-ontvoert-en-foltert-crypto-oplichter-met-heet-strijkijzer-en","source2_name":"BRUZZ","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA313","date":"2025-06-11","precision":"day","city":"Bolbec, Seine-Maritime","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (attack prevented)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Alerted on May 18, 2025 by a message received on Signal, a resident of Bolbec aged 46-47 discovered that her family was under surveillance by a team planning to abduct her, cut off one of her fingers, and force her 22-year-old son, a young autistic cryptocurrency trader, to empty his digital wallet; the investigation found a GPS tracker under her car and traces of intrusion at her home (socks used as gloves, cable ties). On June 11, 2025, in the late afternoon, the Rouen BRI and the OFAST unit from Le Havre intercepted five men aged 18 to 24, already known to police, in front of the home, with a knife and adhesive tape in their vehicles. They were placed under formal investigation on June 14 by the JIRS of Lille for attempted kidnapping and unlawful confinement by an organized group, and were placed in pretrial detention.","victims":"A 46-47-year-old mother, targeted to extort her 22-year-old son, a cryptocurrency trader","outcome":"Attack prevented, five arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The mother was targeted solely as leverage to force her son, an independent trader, to empty his personal digital wallet.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/economie/bitcoin/une-tentative-d-enlevement-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaies-dejouee-pres-du-havre-en-seine-maritime_7326528.html","source1_name":"ici.fr / franceinfo","source2":"https://www.europe1.fr/Police-Justice/info-europe-1-cryptomonnaies-les-enqueteurs-dejouent-un-nouveau-kidnapping-en-normandie-759929","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA314","date":"2025-06-13","precision":"day","city":"Juvisy-sur-Orge, Essonne","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 50,000 demanded in cryptocurrency, nothing obtained","amount_usd":0,"description":"During the night of Friday June 13 to Saturday June 14, 2025, a 26-year-old trader followed by 40,000 subscribers on TikTok was abducted as he was returning home in Juvisy-sur-Orge (Essonne): four kidnappers forced him into a stolen Clio and beat him while demanding EUR 50,000 in digital assets. They released him after finding he did not have that sum in his accounts; the organized and specialized crime division was assigned the case and the kidnappers were being actively sought.","victims":"A 26-year-old trader, TikTok influencer followed by 40,000 subscribers","outcome":"No funds obtained, victim released","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The trader/influencer was abducted and personally ordered to hand over EUR 50,000 in digital assets belonging to him.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/cryptomonnaie/enlevements-dans-les-cryptomonnaies-un-trader-tiktokeur-enleve-et-sequestre-e36c1c9a-49e5-11f0-b660-c6a4d2b5307d","source1_name":"Portal do Bitcoin (translation of Decrypt, citing Europe 1)","source2":"https://www.europe1.fr/Police-Justice/information-europe-1-essonne-un-trader-influent-sur-tiktok-enleve-et-sequestre-758775","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L142","date":"2025-06-17","precision":"day","city":"Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["hardware wallet","cash"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 5,000 in cash handed over + a Ledger key of unknown value (the key may have been empty, according to Le Parisien)","amount_usd":5750,"description":"On 17 June 2025 in Maisons-Alfort, a 23-year-old man was abducted mid-morning just after getting out of his partner's car to look for a parking space. Held captive for several hours and subjected to violence to make him talk, he was released around 5 p.m. in Créteil after his partner, contacted by video call, handed the abductors a Ledger key containing cryptocurrency along with 5,000 euros in cash. The Val-de-Marne judicial police are investigating for kidnapping and unlawful confinement by an organized group; no arrests are reported in this article.","victims":"A 23-year-old man","outcome":"Victim released after several hours of captivity; a Ledger key and 5,000 euros were handed over to the abductors (the key reportedly turned out to be empty); investigation opened for kidnapping and unlawful confinement by an organized group, no arrest mentioned in this article.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual was abducted and beaten to hand over his personal Ledger key and EUR 5,000 in cash kept at his home, delivered by his partner; nothing links these assets to a company.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/val-de-marne-94/maisons-alfort-ils-sequestrent-un-homme-pour-sa-cle-contenant-de-la-cryptomonnaie-19-06-2025-WU22L25EARDGPG3U2KWVG22VXQ.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA315","date":"2025-06-24","precision":"day","city":"Yongin (Suji-gu), Gyeonggi","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"KRW 70,000,000 (about USD 51,000)","amount_usd":51000,"description":"On June 24, 2025 at around 4:22 p.m., in the underground parking lot of a commercial building in Suji-gu, Yongin (Gyeonggi), two men — a man in his thirties (\"A\") and his accomplice in his twenties (\"B\") — lured the victim, whom they had met through social media, by offering an over-the-counter cryptocurrency transaction at a rate heavily discounted compared to exchange fees. As soon as the victim (\"C\"), who came as the buyer with cash, got into their vehicle, they overpowered and beat him and fled with the bag containing 70 million won (about USD 51,000). The accomplice was arrested at the scene in the act, and the ringleader, who had fled, was arrested on June 30 in a building in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, by the Yongin Seobu police station, both being prosecuted for aggravated robbery (특수강도).","victims":"A man (referred to as \"C\" in the press), buyer in an over-the-counter cryptocurrency transaction, carrying the bag of cash","outcome":"KRW 70,000,000 (about USD 51,000) in cash taken; victim beaten but without serious injury; two arrests — the accomplice in his twenties caught in the act at the scene on June 24, the ringleader in his thirties on June 30 in Gangnam-gu (Seoul), six days after the events; prosecuted for aggravated robbery (특수강도), warrants sought in early July 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of an individual buyer during an in-person over-the-counter crypto transaction, robbed of his personal bag of cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20250701097100061","source1_name":"Yonhap (연합뉴스)","source2":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0015480757","source2_name":"Yonhap via Naver News (follow-up dispatch of 1 July 2025, full text)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA316","date":"2025-06-25","precision":"day","city":"Bengaluru (Vidyaranyapura), Karnataka","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"INR 2 crore (about USD 240,000)","amount_usd":240000,"description":"A businessman was lured to the premises of A K Enterprises with 2 crore rupees in cash, under the promise of conversion into USDT worth 3 crore. On site, a group of accused held a knife, a machete and a cleaver to the throats of those carrying the money, stole their phones, and took the 2 crore. A chargesheet was filed against 16 accused (crime no. 209/2025, Vidyaranyapura PS), the money having been shared among the gang members.","victims":"A 33-year-old businessman and his money carriers","outcome":"INR 2 crore stolen; 16 accused prosecuted, partial recoveries","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The businessman personally brought cash for an OTC conversion into USDT and had this personal sum stolen, despite the setting of A K Enterprises' premises.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/167248014/","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Mohammed Ateeq @ Tinker Addu vs State of Karnataka (Karnataka High Court, 16 December 2025)","source2":"https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/businessman-robbed-conversion-cryptocurrency-arrested-10094685/","source2_name":"Indian Express (via Lopp list)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA317","date":"2025-06-26","precision":"day","city":"Pattaya (Jomtien beach)","country":"Thailand","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","Rolex Daytona watch"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Valuables"],"amount":"~1.9 to 2 million THB in bitcoin + Rolex Daytona ~500,000-600,000 THB (total ~2.5 million THB / ~4.8 million RUB)","amount_usd":77000,"description":"On June 26, 2025 at around 5 a.m., four men presented as Russians obtained by ruse the opening of the hotel room of a 26-28-year-old Russian national in Jomtien (Pattaya), then forced their way in at handgun-point. They handcuffed him, blindfolded him, beat him and filmed him to put pressure on his partner who had stayed in Bangkok, and forced him to transfer the equivalent of about 1.9 to 2 million baht in bitcoin; the partner also deposited a Rolex Daytona in a hiding place. The victim was abandoned in Pattaya and filed a complaint that same evening; a Russian suspect (A. L.) was arrested but only charged with illegal residence, with the investigation continuing on tracing the bitcoin transactions.","victims":"\"David\" / D. B., a 26-28-year-old Russian national, correspondent for a Russian news agency; his partner in Bangkok, targeted by the ransom demand","outcome":"~1.9 million THB in bitcoin transferred + Rolex handed over; victim escaped and was found handcuffed; a Russian suspect (A. L.) arrested but charged only with illegal residence for lack of direct evidence; the other members of the group left Thailand; investigation ongoing into the bitcoin transactions","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Confinement in a hotel room to extort, via the partner, a transfer of bitcoin and a Rolex owned personally by the victim.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/pattaya-kidnap-russian-journalist-extorted-for-over-2-5-million-baht","source1_name":"The Thaiger (Pattaya)","source2":"https://www.tourdom.ru/news/na-pkhukete-rossiyanin-stal-zhertvoy-vymogateley.html","source2_name":"TourDom.ru — « В Паттайе россиянин стал жертвой вымогателей » (28 June 2025)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L143","date":"2025-06-27","precision":"day","city":"Goiânia, Goiás","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash"],"amount":"R$ 6,813.28 transferred under duress (an alleged debt of R$ 500,000 tied to Bitcoin transactions)","amount_usd":1240,"description":"On 27 June 2025, a São Paulo entrepreneur was lured to Goiânia by a former advisor of the Goiás Legislative Assembly (Alego) under the pretext of a business opportunity, before being abducted by car by three accomplices citing a personal debt of 500,000 reais linked to Bitcoin transactions between the two men. Forced to make a transfer of 6,813.28 reais, he was seriously injured (fractures, internal bleeding) after being thrown from a moving vehicle during a police chase. Two of the abductors were killed in a shootout with police in Catalão, a third remains at large, and the mastermind of the operation was arrested in early July at Miami airport and later sentenced on 29 September 2025 to 12 years and 9 months in prison for extortion aggravated by unlawful confinement.","victims":"A São Paulo entrepreneur (in a sector linked to Bitcoin transactions)","outcome":"Victim forced to make a transfer of R$ 6,813.28, seriously injured while escaping from the abductors' vehicle; two accomplices killed by police, one at large; the mastermind arrested in Miami on 3 July 2025 and sentenced on 29 September 2025 to 12 years and 9 months in prison.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The alleged debt of R$ 500,000 arose from Bitcoin transactions between two private individuals (the victim and the mastermind), and the transfers were extorted from the victim's own accounts; no company treasury was targeted despite the victim's status as an entrepreneur.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/go/goias/noticia/2025/07/03/ex-assessor-da-alego-e-preso-apos-tentar-fugir-para-os-eua-suspeito-de-planejar-sequestro-de-empresario.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 (Globo)","source2":"https://portaldobitcoin.uol.com.br/ex-assessor-parlamentar-pega-12-anos-de-prisao-por-sequestrar-empresario-de-criptomoedas/","source2_name":"Portal do Bitcoin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L144","date":"2025-06-30","precision":"day","city":"Bangkok (Lat Phrao district)","country":"Thailand","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash","USDT"],"asset_classes":["Cash","USDT"],"amount":"THB 3.4 million in cash stolen (the planned exchange for 100,000 USDT never took place)","amount_usd":104000,"description":"On June 30, 2025, three men went to the parking lot of a shopping mall in the Lat Phrao district of Bangkok to exchange THB 3.4 million in cash for 100,000 USDT, a transaction arranged through an intermediary who had already facilitated previous exchanges with them. On site, accomplices armed with knives and firearms threatened them and seized the bag containing the cash before fleeing without delivering the cryptocurrency. Four of the seven suspects were arrested in early July 2025 (including Cherphat Deeduangphan and Nana Mukpradap), while three remain at large, including the group's alleged leader.","victims":"Three men: Piyalab (35), Rattaphum (20) and Satjapoj (29)","outcome":"The three victims were robbed of THB 3.4 million in cash at knife- and gunpoint, without the USDT exchange taking place; four of the seven suspects were arrested in early July 2025, three remain at large including the alleged leader.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Three private individuals were robbed during an in-person over-the-counter transaction (cash for USDT) arranged by an intermediary already used twice before; the cash belonged to them personally, and no business entity was the victim (one of them runs a cat cafe, unrelated to the funds).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/4-of-7-suspects-arrested-for-3-4-million-baht-robbery-in-bangkok-mall-car-park","source1_name":"The Thaiger","source2":"https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/2-of-7-suspects-arrested-in-3-4-million-baht-robbery-at-bangkok-mall","source2_name":"The Thaiger","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA318","date":"2025-07","precision":"month","city":"Izhevsk, Udmurtia","country":"Russia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 4.6 million (more than RUB 4.5 million according to the verdict)","amount_usd":58000,"description":"In July 2025, four men who had arrived in a rental car called the victim claiming to have damaged his vehicle in order to get him to come outside; four individuals in camouflage clothing and balaclavas then forcibly took him back into his apartment, tied him up and beat him, then forced him to hand over the access codes to his phone and his account on an exchange platform, from which they transferred the equivalent of 4.6 million rubles in cryptocurrency. Identified through surveillance cameras, they were arrested in Bashkortostan.","victims":"A resident of Izhevsk active in cryptocurrency conversion (the verdict refers to several victims in the plural)","outcome":"RUB 4.6 million in crypto stolen; Bybit access codes obtained by threats and violence from two victims active in cryptocurrency conversion. On 7 July 2026 the Ustinovsky district court of Izhevsk sentenced three men from Ufa and one from Izhevsk to 2.5 to 6.5 years in a strict-regime colony for robbery; damages repaid, RUB 120,000 awarded for moral damage.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, an individual active in cryptocurrency conversion, was forced to hand over the codes to his own exchange account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/8478735","source1_name":"Kommersant","source2":"https://izhlife.ru/criminality/v-izhevske-osudili-chetverykh-muzhchin-za-krazhu-kriptovalyuty-na-4-5-mln-rubley.html","source2_name":"Izhevsk-News","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA319","date":"2025-07-01","precision":"day","city":"Hillside (east of Huntsville, Muskoka), Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (motive reported by neighbors, not confirmed by police)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On July 1, 2025, shortly before 5 a.m., the Ontario Provincial Police responded to an armed home invasion in the hamlet of Hillside, east of Huntsville; Highway 11 was closed in both directions at Gravenhurst, a shelter-in-place order was issued, and armed officers with a canine unit pursued the suspects. Eight people aged 16 to 32 were charged between July 2025 and February 2026 with armed robbery, kidnapping with a firearm, unlawful confinement, and armed assault. Neighbors claimed the attack targeted cryptocurrency, but the OPP explicitly declined to confirm this motive.","victims":"Occupants of a private residence in Hillside (not publicly identified)","outcome":"Kidnapping and unlawful confinement; vehicle stolen; 8 people arrested and charged between July 2025 and February 2026, other armed suspects sought","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"Police explicitly declined to confirm the crypto motive claimed by neighbors, and the identity/assets of the occupants are not specified.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://muskokatoday.com/2025/12/seventh-arrest-made-in-canada-day-armed-home-invastion-kidnapping-east-of-huntsville-that-closed-hwy-11-in-gravenhurst/","source1_name":"CBC News — « Man accused of conspiring to kill jail manager charged in 2025 Muskoka home invasion: OPP »","source2":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/opp-hillside-home-invasion-new-arrest-9.7098263","source2_name":"CBC News — « Man accused of conspiring to kill jail manager charged in 2025 Muskoka home invasion: OPP »","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA320","date":"2025-07-03","precision":"day","city":"Hertfordshire (victim's home); meeting in Shoreditch, London","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"more than GBP 10,000 (bank and crypto accounts) + watches and personal items","amount_usd":13500,"description":"On July 3, 2025, a 36-year-old City employee living in Hertfordshire was approached during an after-work drink at a bar in Shoreditch (east London) by four men who befriended him and then forced him to take them to his home. There he was knocked unconscious with a wrench and left bleeding all night, with severe facial injuries, while his attackers used his facial recognition to empty his bank and crypto accounts of more than GBP 10,000 and take watches and personal items. A Coinbase alert about suspicious transactions triggered the investigation: the four men were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery, kidnapping and unlawful confinement on February 5, 2026 at St Albans Crown Court and sentenced on May 18, 2026 (Jason Kareem 6 years and 6 months, Jerome Denton 6 years, Brandon Stephenson 5 years and 6 months, Royan Campbell 3 years and 6 months), a fifth man, Rayshon Keena, receiving a community sentence for money laundering.","victims":"A 36-year-old man, City employee, living in Hertfordshire (not named)","outcome":"Sentences: Jason Kareem 6 years and 6 months, Jerome Denton 6 years, Brandon Stephenson 5 years and 6 months, Royan Campbell 3 years and 6 months, Rayshon Keena (money laundering) community sentence","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers used the victim's facial recognition to empty his personal bank and crypto accounts and took his private belongings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/thugs-attacked-traumatised-city-worker-33970593","source1_name":"Royston Crow (local press, Hertfordshire)","source2":"https://www.royston-crow.co.uk/news/26117010.herts-man-recovering-crypto-theft-kidnapping-london/","source2_name":"Hertfordshire Constabulary (statement)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA321","date":"2025-07-05","precision":"day","city":"Gurjão, Paraíba","country":"Brazil","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no loot, failed attempt)","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of Saturday, July 5, 2025, four masked and camouflaged men in a pickup truck were prowling around the home of \"Buenos Aires\", founder of Fiji Solutions and convicted for a cryptocurrency pyramid scheme; alerted, he called the police, who were met with gunfire. The chase ended with the vehicle rolling over near Gurjão, killing one of the occupants; the other three fled. The next day, a suspect was arrested and confessed to the attempted kidnapping, stating he was in charge of \"the financial part\" and was to transfer money from the victim's accounts; two men remain at large and police are investigating the link to the crypto pyramid scheme set up by Aires.","victims":"\"Buenos Aires\", a businessman from Paraíba, founder of Fiji Solutions, convicted for a cryptocurrency pyramid scheme","outcome":"Failed attempt; one kidnapper died in the crash, one arrested, two at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The businessman was targeted at his home to force him to transfer money from his own accounts, proceeds of the pyramid scheme he had set up.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://livecoins.com.br/homem-morre-e-outro-e-preso-ao-tentar-sequestrar-dono-da-fiji-solutions-condenado-por-piramide-de-criptomoedas-na-paraiba/","source1_name":"Livecoins","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L146","date":"2025-07-07","precision":"day","city":"Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (attempt foiled, nothing was stolen)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Two men forced their way into a woman's home in Suresnes in the early afternoon and struck her about ten times in the face in front of her husband and children, while the second attacker searched the home. The husband, who was present, drove the two attackers away; one of them, an 18-year-old, was arrested shortly afterward on the nearby riverbanks carrying a knife and a cleaver, and explained that he had been recruited via an encrypted messaging app to target cryptocurrency holders, mentioning a second team targeting other victims in the area.","victims":"A woman, a mother, residing in Suresnes","outcome":"Attempted robbery with violence at the home foiled by the husband's intervention; victim taken to hospital as a non-emergency case before filing a complaint. An 18-year-old suspect arrested in possession of a knife and a cleaver; investigation opened by the Hauts-de-Seine judicial police for attempted robbery with violence.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"BFMTV: the arrested suspect said he targeted the couple via social media 'because they hold cryptocurrency assets'; this was the personal wallet of a woman assaulted at her home in front of her husband and children, with no company mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.bfmtv.com/police-justice/info-bfmtv-cryptomonnaies-une-femme-violemment-agressee-a-son-domicile-dans-les-hauts-de-seine_AN-202507070726.html","source1_name":"BFMTV","source2":"https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/suresnes_92073/attaques-liees-aux-cryptomonnaies-une-mere-de-famille-violemment-agressee-dans-les-hauts-de-seine_62882705.html","source2_name":"Actu.fr","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L147","date":"2025-07-08","precision":"day","city":"Flushing, Queens, New York","country":"United States","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["bank account","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Other","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"about 900,000 Japanese yen (bank transfer) + an unspecified amount in cryptocurrency, total reported at more than USD 6,000","amount_usd":6000,"description":"A 38-year-old man, dropped off by a friend near his parked car in Flushing (Queens) after dinner, was approached by six men who tased him in the chest and then took him to an unknown location, where he was handcuffed and forced to transfer money. He ultimately gave up the equivalent of more than $6,000, partly from a bank account (about 900,000 Japanese yen) and partly from a cryptocurrency account. Released ten days later near his car, he went to the hospital himself before refusing treatment and telling police what had happened.","victims":"A 38-year-old man","outcome":"Victim released after 10 days of captivity, minor injuries, refused hospital treatment; no arrests reported at the time the articles were published (18 July 2025); investigation opened by the NYPD. Note: one source (NBC) initially reported an unverified loss potentially as high as $200,000 in cryptocurrency, a figure not repeated by other outlets, which instead cite about $6,000.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The six abductors extorted funds from a private individual's bank account and cryptocurrency account; no company, employer or third-party funds appear in either source.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.nbcnewyork.com/queens/man-tasered-queens-kidnap-beaten-group/6341283/","source1_name":"NBC New York","source2":"https://manhattandaily.com/man-kidnapped-in-queens-held-10-days-for-cash-and-crypto-he-tells-nypd/","source2_name":"New York Daily News (reprinted by Manhattan Daily)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA322","date":"2025-07-10","precision":"day","city":"Jimbaran (Perum Sakura, Kuta Selatan, Badung, Bali)","country":"Indonesia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"IDR 2,300,000,000 (debt claimed from the real target 'R', never obtained); nothing stolen from Smeliov; hundreds of millions of IDR per perpetrator across all 27 incidents","amount_usd":141000,"description":"On July 10, 2025 around 11:30 PM WITA, at Perum Sakura (Jimbaran, Kuta Selatan, Badung), Roman Smeliov, 42, a Lithuanian national, found two Russian gangsters (IV, 30, and IS, 32/33) at his home who strangled him with tape and beat him (breaking his nose), accompanied by two uniformed Indonesian immigration officers (EE, 24, and YBP, 24, a woman) who threatened him with deportation, imprisonment or death and seized his phone: the attackers realized afterward that they had the wrong target, a Russian mastermind (GG, at large) having paid EE to locate a man known as 'R' who owed 2.3 billion rupiah. The Kapolda of Bali stated that this Russian network had operated at 27 crime scenes between January and July 2025 following a consistent modus operandi (abduction, unlawful confinement, violence, then forced transfer by cryptocurrency transaction, with laundering also carried out in crypto). A complaint was filed on July 16; EE and YB were arrested in Denpasar, IV and IS in Mandalika (NTB) on July 21; the four were presented to the press on August 1, 2025 under Articles 170 and 351 of the criminal code.","victims":"Roman Smeliov, 42, a Lithuanian national (targeted by mistake); about twenty other foreigners across the network's 27 incidents","outcome":"Victim injured and extorted; 4 arrests (2 Russians, 2 immigration officers), prosecution under Articles 170 and 351 of the Indonesian criminal code; a fifth Russian (GG/IV) sought","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The operation aimed to forcibly recover a personal debt of IDR 2.3 billion owed by an individual ('R'), even though the wrong target was hit.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://tirto.id/petugas-imigrasi-sekongkol-dengan-wn-rusia-aniaya-wna-di-bali-hfed","source1_name":"Tirto.id","source2":"https://denpasar.kompas.com/read/2025/08/01/130140978/2-petugas-imigrasi-bekingi-gangster-rusia-peras-turis-asing-di-bali-beraksi","source2_name":"Kompas Denpasar","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA323","date":"2025-07-12","precision":"day","city":"Brumadinho (Greater Belo Horizonte), Minas Gerais","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approx. BRL 600,000","amount_usd":108000,"description":"During the night of July 11 to 12, 2025, Arthur, 26, a trader and programmer, left Belo Horizonte with his friend Yuri (21) and Yuri's girlfriend Julia (24) for a trip to Rio de Janeiro; according to his statement to the military police, the couple diverted the route, Julia pointed a gun at the back of his neck, he was tied up and forced under threat of death to transfer about BRL 600,000 in cryptocurrency held in an online wallet. Alerted by gunfire on Amianto street in Brumadinho, the military police found a BMW stopped on a railway track, from which Arthur shouted \"help, I'm being held captive\"; the couple fled and then turned themselves in, and a revolver was seized along with ammunition, five phones, a shovel, a knife, a pocketknife, ropes and tape. Yuri and Julia, taken to the Ibirité police station, dispute this version — Yuri, prosecuted for allegedly embezzling BRL 68 million from a bank, claims Arthur lured him into a trap — and pretrial detention for the flagrant offense had not yet been ratified at the time of publication.","victims":"Arthur, 26, programmer and cryptocurrency trader (version disputed by both suspects)","outcome":"About BRL 600,000 in cryptocurrency transferred under duress; two suspects arrested the same day","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The trader was held captive by acquaintances/friends and forced to transfer about BRL 600,000 in cryptocurrency held in his personal wallet.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.itatiaia.com.br/brasil/sudeste/mg/casal-e-preso-suspeito-de-sequestrar-amigo-na-grande-bh-e-roubar-r-600-mil-em-criptomoedas/","source1_name":"Rádio Itatiaia","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA324","date":"2025-07-12","precision":"day","city":"London (Canning Town, London Borough of Newham; ambush in east London, Shadwell/Kensington area), Greater London","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 150,000 demanded, about USD 30,000 in cryptocurrency obtained","amount_usd":30000,"description":"On July 12, 2025, two French men in their twenties, described as cryptocurrency millionaires and identified after showing off their lifestyle on social media, were ambushed in London by masked men armed with a gun (later revealed to be fake) and a knife, then taken to an apartment in Canning Town. They were held there for more than 52 hours, stripped, tied up, beaten and threatened, their captors demanding about USD 150,000; about USD 30,000 in digital assets were transferred before police, who located the flat thanks to the phone left in the vehicle by a friend pulled from the car, phone data and CCTV, freed them. In August-September 2026, Inner London Crown Court convicted Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman (conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment) as well as William Adebisi, Julius George and Isaac Bakoya (false imprisonment), all acquitted of kidnapping, possession of an imitation firearm and sexual assault; Adel Sineen, acquitted of false imprisonment, was convicted of dangerous driving following a police chase, and the alleged mastermind Ibrahim Mohamed, known as 'Nino', who directed the operation from abroad via WhatsApp and Snapchat, remains at large.","victims":"Two French men in their twenties, crypto investors described as millionaires","outcome":"About USD 30,000 transferred out of the USD 150,000 demanded; victims freed alive after 52 hours following a police intervention. Sentences handed down by Inner London Crown Court in September 2026: Mohamed Osman 9 years and Gerson Borges 7 years (each with a further 3 years on extended licence), William Adebisi 4 years 6 months, Julius George 3 years 6 months, Adel Sineen 9 months suspended; the alleged mastermind 'Nino' (Ibrahim Mohamed) remains at large abroad.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two private investors identified through their lifestyle on social media were held captive to extort their personal digital assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://decrypt.co/374889/five-convicted-of-imprisoning-crypto-millionaires-in-london-torture-ordeal","source1_name":"Decrypt","source2":"https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-jury-convicts-six-crypto-kidnapping-1812152","source2_name":"IBTimes UK","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L149","date":"2025-07-14","precision":"day","city":"Jodhpur, Rajasthan","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (rupees)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"2 lakh rupees in cash (50,000 + 50,000 taken from the victims, then 1 lakh withdrawn at an ATM using the wife's card) + cryptocurrency valued at 8.5 lakh rupees (8,600 units), for a total of 10.5 lakh rupees","amount_usd":12200,"description":"Five police officers from the Jodhpur station abducted Dilip Gaud and Ramesh Sharma by car outside the Manj Ka Hatta shopping mall, confiscated their phones and, under threat of false criminal charges, forced them to hand over 2 lakh rupees in cash and the equivalent of 8.5 lakh rupees in cryptocurrency (about 8,600 units) via QR code transfers. One of the officers had beforehand had the police station's surveillance cameras disconnected.","victims":"Dilip Gaud and Ramesh Sharma (two private individuals)","outcome":"The four officers responsible (Nrisingham Ram, Rakesh Punia, Laduram, Jagmalram Jat) were suspended and arrested on July 17, 2025, held in police custody for two days; a fifth officer, Rishabh, is actively being sought; an investigation was opened into the station chief's negligence.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two private individuals were randomly intercepted outside a shopping mall: the officers took their cash, withdrew 1 lakh at an ATM using Dilip Gaud's wife's bank card, and transferred the cryptocurrency from the victim's personal phone. No business assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.patrika.com/jodhpur-news/case-of-recovery-of-crypto-currency-in-jodhpur-police-station-four-constables-suspended-and-arrested-19786204","source1_name":"Patrika (Jodhpur)","source2":"https://www.patrika.com/jodhpur-news/police-kidnapped-two-friends-and-took-them-to-police-station-recovered-two-lakh-rupees-and-crypto-currency-19782830","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA325","date":"2025-07-15","precision":"day","city":"Ahmedabad, Gujarat","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USDT 50,000 (about 42 lakh INR) demanded","amount_usd":null,"description":"Prince Pandey, son of an army veteran and an indebted USDT trader, was lured into an ambush by three men who assaulted him and demanded 50,000 USDT. His father alerted the police; the Ahmedabad Crime Branch located and freed him within five hours.","victims":"Prince Pandey, USDT trader","outcome":"Victim freed within 5 hours, nothing paid; arrests made","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An independent trader was abducted over his own 50,000 USDT owed for personal debts.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/indebted-crypto-trader-abducted-rescued-by-crime-branch-in-5-hrs/81895330.html","source1_name":"Ahmedabad Mirror","source2":"https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/ahmedabad-youth-kidnapped-cryptocurrency-10128267/","source2_name":"Indian Express (via Lopp list)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA465","date":"2025-07-16","precision":"day","city":"Belgrade (Ustanicka Street, outside the 'Trange frange' exchange office)","country":"Serbia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"RSD 6,000,000 in cash (over EUR 50,000 according to the Greek press), brought for a USDT purchase; no cryptocurrency was part of the loot","amount_usd":60000,"description":"Contacted on Telegram by a fake seller calling himself 'Marko', a cryptocurrency buyer agreed to buy USDT for EUR 55,000 to 60,000 and went on 16 July 2025 at about 10 pm, with his partner and a bag holding 6 million dinars in cash, to a locked exchange office on Ustanicka Street in Belgrade. The sellers pushed him against the door, one of them hit him on the head and an unidentified accomplice threatened him with a knife ('let go of the bag or I'll stab you') while another snatched the bag; the attackers fled to a Skoda Superb driven by a fourth man.","victims":"A cryptocurrency buyer identified by the initials B.B., accompanied by his partner","outcome":"Bag holding 6 million dinars stolen; victim hit on the head. Indictment by the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor's Office (February 2026) against Andrej Blagojev (23), Luka Pavlovic (20) and Vid Petrovic (24), with a fourth attacker unidentified. Blagojev, wanted under a red notice, was arrested on 30 September 2026 in Thessaloniki (Greece) and on 1 October 2026 consented to extradition to Serbia.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private cryptocurrency buyer robbed during an in-person over-the-counter trade (cash for USDT) arranged on Telegram.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://informer.rs/hronika/vesti/1156273/optuznica-razbojnistvo-andrej-blagojev","source1_name":"Informer","source2":"https://www.iefimerida.gr/ellada/thessaloniki-syllipsi-serbia-listeia-50000-eyro-kryptonomismata","source2_name":"iefimerida.gr","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA326","date":"2025-07-18","precision":"month","city":"Greinsfurth (Amstetten municipality, Lower Austria)","country":"Austria","type":"Attack on a crypto ATM","assets":["mining hardware","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (value of the machine not disclosed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of Thursday July 17 to Friday July 18, 2025, burglars forced open the entrance door of an office building in Greinsfurth (Amstetten) and, using an unidentified means of transport, made off with the heavy bitcoin ATM installed in a room on the upper floor. The criminal investigation unit (KAD Wieselburg) collected forensic evidence and is reviewing CCTV footage and neighborhood testimony; no other bitcoin ATM theft was known in Lower Austria, and no arrest has been reported.","victims":"The operator of a bitcoin ATM (not named)","outcome":"Entire bitcoin ATM stolen after break-in; investigation ongoing, no arrest reported","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Theft of the hardware itself of a bitcoin ATM belonging to its operator.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.noen.at/amstetten/ungewoehnliche-beute-einbrecher-hatten-es-in-amstetten-auf-bitcoin-automaten-abgesehen-483041391","source1_name":"NÖN (Niederösterreichische Nachrichten) – « Einbrecher stahlen in Amstetten einen Bitcoin-Automaten »","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA328","date":"2025-08","precision":"month","city":"Kerman","country":"Iran","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (debt arising from digital asset transactions, not quantified by police)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A middle-aged man was abducted in the city of Kerman by a group whose motive, established by the provincial judicial police, was to recover a debt arising from cryptocurrency transactions. Injured, he was abandoned by his captors in the Mahan road area; four suspects, including one of the main suspects arrested within days, were taken into custody and the search continues for the others.","victims":"A middle-aged man (identity not published)","outcome":"Victim injured then released on the Mahan road; four suspects arrested by the Kerman provincial judicial police, search continuing for the others","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction motivated by the recovery of a personal debt arising from the victim's cryptocurrency transactions.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.mehrnews.com/news/6560225/%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%AF%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%87%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AC%DB%8C%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%84","source1_name":"Mehr News Agency (statements by the head of the judicial police of Kerman province)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA329","date":"2025-08-02","precision":"day","city":"Lima (intercepted at the intersection of Avenida Grau and Avenida Iquitos; held captive in an abandoned house in Chosica-Chaclacayo, eastern Lima), Metropolitan Lima","country":"Peru","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 1,000,000 demanded then reduced to USD 400,000 in cryptocurrency; no transfer completed, nothing paid","amount_usd":null,"description":"On August 2, 2025 in Lima, Colombian businessman Juan Mauricio Padilla Piraban, a cryptocurrency investor who had come to attend a conference, was intercepted at the intersection of Avenida Grau and Avenida Iquitos as he left his hotel heading to Jorge Chávez airport: six men posing as National Police officers put him in a Cotabambas police station patrol car, then in a private vehicle, before holding him captive for several hours under armed guard in an abandoned house in the Chosica-Chaclacayo area. The kidnappers first demanded one million dollars, then USD 400,000 held in his digital wallet, with an accomplice computer specialist (Juan Carlos Cristache Manrique, known as 'el Hacker') tasked with converting and transferring the funds. Tracked by the PNP's Intelligence Directorate and Anti-Kidnapping Division, the kidnappers changed vehicles several times before pushing the victim out of a moving car to flee: Padilla was recovered unharmed, no ransom was paid, and several active-duty police officers were arrested.","victims":"Juan Mauricio Padilla Piraban, Colombian businessman and cryptocurrency investor, who had come to Lima with his wife for a cryptocurrency conference","outcome":"Victim pushed out of a moving vehicle as the kidnappers fled, then rescued unharmed by the Anti-Kidnapping Division; no ransom paid. Active-duty police officers were arrested (Benji Daniel Castillo Espinoza, alias 'el Chino', of the Cotabambas police station; Harrison Teo Medina Sanchez, alias 'Camacho', of the Anti-Corruption Directorate) along with civilian computer specialist Juan Carlos Cristache Manrique, members of the gang known as 'Los Guardianes del Norte'; proceedings also target retired colonel Walter Palomino, former head of the Terna group","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Entrepreneur/investor held captive for the USD 400,000 held in his personal digital wallet.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2025/08/05/caen-policias-que-secuestraron-a-empresario-colombiano-con-patrullero-de-la-pnp-en-lima-exigian-us400-mil-por-su-liberacion-291385","source1_name":"La República (Peru)","source2":"https://www.infobae.com/peru/2025/08/11/policias-peruanos-secuestran-a-empresario-colombiano-para-robarle-400-mil-dolares-hacker-fue-clave-en-el-plan/","source2_name":"Infobae Peru (citing the investigation by the TV magazine Punto Final)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L150","date":"2025-08-02","precision":"day","city":"Paranaque City","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT","cash (pesos)"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"PHP 100,000 handed over initially + approximately 50,000 USDT transferred by force (an additional demand of PHP 150,000, not paid, appears in the outcome)","amount_usd":51750,"description":"Four Chinese nationals lured a man under the pretext of helping him send money to his mother in China, then took him to a casino in Paranaque where they handcuffed him, threatened him with a firearm and beat him to force him to transfer about 50,000 USDT from his cryptocurrency wallet. A young Chinese tourist present at the scene, Jali Zhong, was also held; the victim discreetly alerted a friend who called the police.","victims":"A Chinese man nicknamed \"Mr. Ang\"; Jali Zhong, a 19-year-old Chinese tourist, also held","outcome":"The four Chinese suspects (Li Yunhan, Shao Jiwen, Song Haiqing, Li Huichi) were arrested and detained by the Philippine police (PNP-AKG); no information on the return of the funds is available in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The source describes a private individual (\"Mr. Ang\") lured under a private pretext and forced to transfer USDT from his own wallet; no company or client funds were involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://globalnation.inquirer.net/287127/pnp-akg-4-chinese-arrested-for-alleged-kidnapping","source1_name":"Inquirer.net (Philippines)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L151","date":"2025-08-05","precision":"day","city":"Paris (16th, then 8th arrondissement)","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","iPhone"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Devices"],"amount":"About EUR 2 million in bitcoins on a hard drive, plus an iPhone 13 Pro Max, actually stolen (the EUR 400,000 demanded and the EUR 40,000 debt belong to the outcome)","amount_usd":2320000,"description":"Five individuals connected to a nearby nightclub, to which the victim -- a cryptocurrency professional -- owed a debt of EUR 40,000, approached him in a luxury hotel on Avenue Kleber demanding \"400,000 euros and it's over,\" then forcibly took him toward the Arc de Triomphe where he was beaten and threatened. The attackers stole from him a hard drive containing about two million euros in bitcoins as well as an iPhone, before being quickly arrested by police (BAC, then BRB).","victims":"An unidentified man, a professional in the cryptocurrency sector","outcome":"Five suspects were arrested by the anti-crime squad (BAC) then placed in police custody by the banditry suppression unit (BRB); the Paris public prosecutor's office confirmed the opening of an investigation, ongoing at the time of the article. The victim, who had been beaten and threatened, was briefly interviewed by investigators.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers were demanding payment of a private individual's own EUR 40,000 personal debt incurred at a nightclub, and seized the hard drive containing HIS bitcoins and his personal phone; even though he works in the crypto sector, no company assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/paris-un-professionnel-de-la-cryptomonnaie-agresse-dans-un-palace-des-beaux-quartiers-06-08-2025-D632HLSIFJHZNGKHHSPP6S3CPE.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L152","date":"2025-08-08","precision":"day","city":"Oslo (Haugerudhagan district)","country":"Norway","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (amount demanded or paid not specified in the source consulted)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Four men from Sweden, posing as Foodora delivery drivers, broke into the home of a family in the Haugerudhagan district of Oslo during the night of August 8-9, 2025, bound the two parents and their three children (aged 4, 8 and 12) with duct tape, and threatened to shoot the mother in the head if the family did not transfer its cryptocurrency. The attackers had left the scene more than an hour before police arrived, who are considering possible involvement by acquaintances familiar with the family's habits.","victims":"A couple in their forties and their three children (aged 4, 8 and 12)","outcome":"The article consulted (published August 9, 2025) does not mention any arrest as of its publication date; according to the Lopp record, nine people have reportedly since been charged and one man arrested, information not independently verified in the sources consulted. The family's youngest child is described as severely affected by the event.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Four men broke into the family home and demanded the transfer of the cryptocurrency held by the parents, threatening the mother and binding the three children: the assets targeted belonged to private individuals at their home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.document.no/2025/08/09/svensk-ransgjeng-slo-til-hos-familie-i-oslo-smabarn-teipet-fast-mor-truet-med-skudd-i-hodet/","source1_name":"document.no","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA330","date":"2025-08-11","precision":"day","city":"San Sebastián de los Reyes (private gated community on the northern outskirts of Madrid), Community of Madrid","country":"Spain","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","jewelry","cash","gold"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 1,300,000 in cryptocurrency transferred under duress (EUR 40,000,000 demanded), plus approx. EUR 200,000-210,000 in cash, jewelry, more than 30 watches (approx. EUR 500,000) and 20 gold coins (EUR 60,000) — approximately EUR 3,000,000 in total loot","amount_usd":1510000,"description":"At around 3 a.m. on Monday, August 11, 2025, five masked men armed with pistols, equipped with a powerful signal jammer and guided by phone by a sixth accomplice, broke into the villa of crypto entrepreneur Álvaro Romillo, alias 'CryptoSpain', in a private gated community in San Sebastián de los Reyes, shortly after his return from Ibiza. Romillo and his partner were gagged, bound hand and foot with tape and cable ties, and held for about four hours, with pistols pointed at their heads after a round was chambered, under death threats; the attackers demanded EUR 40 million in cryptocurrency and obtained, from the victim's phone, a forced transfer of EUR 1,300,000, in addition to about EUR 200,000 to 210,000 in cash, jewelry, more than 30 watches (approx. EUR 500,000) and 20 gold coins (EUR 60,000), for a total of about EUR 3 million. On May 28, 2026, the Policía Nacional announced the dismantling of the network: six Venezuelans aged 25 to 35 linked to Tren de Aragua were arrested after six searches in Madrid, Murcia and Camarma de Esteruelas, three of them remanded in pretrial detention, for this home invasion and two other similar incidents in tourist rental apartments, in one of which a resisting victim was injured in the face by a gunshot.","victims":"Álvaro Romillo ('CryptoSpain'), Spanish crypto entrepreneur, and his partner","outcome":"About EUR 1.3 million in cryptocurrency extorted and approx. EUR 1.7 million in property and cash stolen (approx. EUR 3 million total); victims unharmed but held captive for four hours; six Tren de Aragua members arrested in May 2026, three remanded in pretrial detention","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Crypto entrepreneur and his partner were held captive at their home and forced to transfer cryptocurrency from the victim's personal phone, along with the joint theft of personal jewelry, cash and watches.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/eu/detalle/articulo/La-Policia-Nacional-desarticula-un-entramado-criminal-de-El-tren-de-Aragua-dedicado-a-la-comision-de-robos-con-violencia/","source1_name":"Ministerio del Interior / Policía Nacional (official statement, 28 May 2026)","source2":"https://www.democrata.es/tribunales/intrusos-residencia-alvaro-romillo-buscaban-apropiarse-40-millones-criptomonedas-amenazaron-asesinato/","source2_name":"Demócrata (courts, 13 August 2025)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA331","date":"2025-08-13","precision":"day","city":"Rio de Janeiro (Lapa)","country":"Brazil","type":"Other","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"GBP 2,100 in total, of which GBP 300 converted into cryptocurrencies and GBP 1,800 in four transactions; an additional attempt of GBP 16,000 blocked","amount_usd":2830,"description":"On August 13, 2025, Amanda Couto Deloca, Mayara Ketelyn Americo da Silva and Raiane Campos de Oliveira approached two British tourists, Mihailo Petrovic and Diego Bravo, at an event at the Fundicao Progresso in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, and offered them caipirinhas laced with a substance causing drowsiness and disorientation (a technique known as \"boa noite Cinderela\"). Once the victims were unable to react, the trio accessed their accounts and withdrew GBP 2,100, including GBP 300 converted into cryptocurrencies and GBP 1,800 in four transactions, while an attempted transfer of GBP 16,000 failed due to facial recognition; footage shows the three women getting into a taxi shortly afterward, with the victims visibly intoxicated. The Rio public prosecutor's office (MPRJ) indicted them in August 2025 for theft with improper violence, theft aggravated by electronic fraud, and criminal association, and requested their pretrial detention.","victims":"Mihailo Petrovic and Diego Bravo, British tourists","outcome":"GBP 2,100 stolen, including GBP 300 in crypto; a GBP 16,000 transfer blocked; 3 indictments","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Tourists were drugged and then robbed of their own personal accounts/cryptocurrencies.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/nacional/sudeste/rj/mprj-denuncia-trio-por-dopar-e-roubar-turistas-ingleses-no-rio/","source1_name":"CNN Brasil","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA332","date":"2025-08-16","precision":"day","city":"Saint Petersburg","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["cash from the crypto exchange office"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"RUB 11,000,000","amount_usd":137500,"description":"On August 16, 2025, a 25-year-old man from the Tosno district (Leningrad Oblast) had gotten himself hired as a security guard at a cryptocurrency exchange office located on the 4th floor of a business center at 15 Chapaev Street in Saint Petersburg, with the sole purpose of robbing it. Taking advantage of a moment when only a 29-year-old manager was in the office, he held out his hand to him and then sprayed pepper spray in his face before fleeing with the bag containing 11 million rubles. He bought a Mercedes Gelaendewagen with the proceeds and was arrested in the Moscow region (Pavlovsky Posad); prosecuted for armed robbery (art. 162 para. 4 of the Russian Criminal Code), he already has a criminal record.","victims":"A 29-year-old manager of a cryptocurrency exchange office (victim company: the exchange office)","outcome":"RUB 11 million stolen; perpetrator (the office's security guard) arrested and placed in detention","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Robbery of the cash bag belonging to the cryptocurrency exchange office, funds belonging to the company and not to the assaulted manager.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://mvdmedia.ru/news/operativnye-novosti/okhrannik-kriptoobmennika-v-peterburge-zaderzhan-politsiey-za-razboy-s-ushcherbom-11-millionov-ruble/","source1_name":"MVD Media (Russian police, official statement)","source2":"https://bits.media/v-sankt-peterburge-okhrannik-kriptoobmennogo-servisa-ukral-11-mln-rubley/","source2_name":"Bits.media","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA333","date":"2025-08-22","precision":"day","city":"Colombo (Kollupitiya)","country":"Sri Lanka","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"USD 60,000 in USDT","amount_usd":60000,"description":"On Friday, August 22, 2025, around 9 p.m., a group of Chinese nationals abducted a Chinese businessman by car in Kollupitiya (Colombo) and held him captive for about a day in a building, long enough to extort from him the equivalent of about USD 60,000 in USDT. The kidnappers abandoned him by the roadside on Saturday; hospitalized at a private clinic in Narahenpita, he filed a complaint and the Kollupitiya police opened an investigation.","victims":"A Chinese businessman running the Hua Hui shop, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Kollupitiya (Colombo)","outcome":"60,000 USDT handed over; investigation by the Kollupitiya police","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Businessman abducted and forced to hand over USD 60,000 in USDT belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.dailymirror.lk/top-story/Chinese-businessman-kidnapped-in-Colombo-robbed-of-USD-60-000-in-USDT/155-317521","source1_name":"Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA334","date":"2025-08-25","precision":"month","city":"Utrecht","country":"Netherlands","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"more than EUR 40,000 in cryptocurrencies (plus cash, USB keys, car keys, laptop, phone, wallet)","amount_usd":46500,"description":"On August 25, 2025, four men wearing jackets marked \"Justitie\" (justice) showed up at the door of a resident of the Zeeheldenbuurt neighborhood in Utrecht and held him captive for several hours in his own home: a towel hood over his head, a t-shirt stuffed in his mouth, ankles and wrists bound, then pushed, still bound, under the shower, with a firearm constantly pointed at him, in order to obtain his login credentials and passwords and empty his crypto account. The haul exceeded EUR 40,000 in cryptocurrencies, plus cash, USB keys, car keys, a laptop, a phone and a wallet; the victim, injured, had to be hospitalized. Several suspects were arrested; a 23-year-old from Amsterdam appeared at a pro forma hearing at the Utrecht court on February 16, 2026, acknowledging a logistical role (\"I was supposed to take care of the cars\"), while another suspect was released for lack of evidence.","victims":"A man, resident of the Zeeheldenbuurt neighborhood (FC Dondersstraat), Utrecht-East","outcome":"EUR 40,000 in crypto stolen; judicial proceedings ongoing (article published in connection with a hearing)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Resident held captive at his home to obtain his credentials and empty his personal crypto account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260217212623/https://www.ad.nl/utrecht/overvallers-roofden-40-000-euro-aan-cryptovaluta-utrechts-slachtoffer-gekneveld-en-onder-de-douche-gezet~a0dcc844/","source1_name":"AD.nl / Utrechts Nieuwsblad","source2":"https://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/3933697/bewoner-urenlang-vastgehouden-in-huis-door-overvallers-met-wapen","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L153","date":"2025-08-26","precision":"day","city":"Paris (10th arrondissement) / Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":10900,"description":"Alexandre, 35, a former cryptocurrency trader, left his home on Tuesday 26 August 2025 around 11 am before his phone was traced to the 10th arrondissement of Paris. His kidnappers sent a relative who remained in Algeria a photo of him kneeling with his hands bound, and demanded EUR 10,000 in ransom for his release; he was reportedly strangled until he lost consciousness. He walked back to his home in Saint-Germain-en-Laye around 4 am the next morning, his face bruised, with no arrest reported at this stage.","victims":"Alexandre, 35, a former cryptocurrency trader","outcome":"The victim made his own way home on foot after being strangled and beaten in the face; no arrest reported, investigation ongoing, no lead ruled out according to the press.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (a former independent trader, no company mentioned) abducted and held captive, with a EUR 10,000 ransom demanded from a relative for his release: the assets of a private individual.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/parissaint-germain-en-laye-un-ex-trader-en-cryptomonnaie-aurait-ete-enleve-et-sequestre-27-08-2025-IXD737GI2RFFVGZIKUJFZXXCU4.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://cryptonews.com/fr/news/enlevement-trader-crypto-rancon-kidnapping/","source2_name":"CryptoNews.com (FR)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA335","date":"2025-08-27","precision":"day","city":"Phuket (assault) / Lipa Noi, Koh Samui, Surat Thani (arrest)","country":"Thailand","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"35,000 USDT (about THB 1,300,000)","amount_usd":35000,"description":"A Russian man named Alexander went to a house in Phuket for a supposed investment advisory meeting, following a phone appointment set up by Dmitrii Gloushko (26, Russian, who had entered Thailand on August 15, 2025). He did not find Gloushko there but instead four Russians who beat him and injured him, then forced him to transfer 35,000 USDT via the TRONSCAN application (about 1.3 million baht) before releasing him. The perpetrators left the country; Gloushko, targeted by arrest warrant no. 748/2568 issued by the Phuket court on August 27, 2025 for robbery with violence, tried to flee to Koh Samui and was arrested on August 28, 2025 at 12:50 p.m., hiding in the back of a car, at the Lipa Noi ferry terminal.","victims":"Alexander, a Russian national (surname not disclosed)","outcome":"35,000 USDT stolen; victim injured and then released; perpetrators fled abroad, one suspect arrested on August 28, 2025 at Koh Samui","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victim lured to a fake meeting and forced to transfer 35,000 USDT belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.naewna.com/local/910414","source1_name":"Naewna","source2":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3096244/russian-wanted-over-phuket-crypto-heist-arrested-hiding-in-car-on-koh-samui","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L154","date":"2025-08-28","precision":"day","city":"Valence, Drôme","country":"France","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A young Swiss national in his twenties was abducted on 28 August 2025 and held captive for more than two days in a residence near the Valence (Drôme) train station, possibly following a case of mistaken identity. His armed captors demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency for his release and reportedly abused/tortured him during his detention. He was freed unharmed on 31 August during a GIGN raid involving around 150 gendarmes, and seven suspects, including a 17-year-old minor, were placed under formal investigation and jailed for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and extortion by an organized group with a weapon.","victims":"A young Swiss man in his twenties (identity undisclosed)","outcome":"The victim, a 22-year-old Swiss man living in the canton of Vaud, was freed by the GIGN on August 31, 2025 near Valence station, after being \"seriously mistreated and injured\" according to the Swiss police; seven suspects (including a 17-year-old minor) were placed under formal investigation and remanded in pretrial detention for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and extortion by an organized group with a weapon. After 18 arrests on Monday, March 2, 2026 in Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, twelve more suspects were placed under formal investigation in Lyon the following week, three of them remanded in pretrial detention and nine released under judicial supervision, bringing the total to 19 people placed under formal investigation in this case handled by the Lyon specialized interregional court (JIRS).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A young private individual was held captive, presumed to hold cryptocurrency cash personally; a crypto ransom was demanded for his release, with no economic entity targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.rts.ch/info/monde/2025/article/un-jeune-suisse-enleve-en-france-libere-par-un-commando-du-gign-28988735.html","source1_name":"RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse)","source2":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/suisse-sequestre-en-france-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-sept-ravisseurs-ecroues-05-09-2025-P77FH2WLPREODM4KZTQLGWPQGU.php","source2_name":"Le Parisien","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA336","date":"2025-09-05","precision":"day","city":"Quang Hung commune, Hung Yen province","country":"Vietnam","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"VND 3,000,000,000 in cash (3 billion dong)","amount_usd":114000,"description":"On the morning of September 5, 2025, in Quang Hung commune (Hung Yen province), Mr. Nguyen Van D., 33, who had come from Da Nang with 3 billion dong in cash (about USD 114,000) to buy USDT, was lured into a fake cash-for-crypto exchange meeting: four men staged the transaction, snatched the bag of cash and fled, then scattered across several provinces. In less than 48 hours, the Hung Yen criminal police (PC02) simultaneously arrested Ngo Xuan Thao, Nguyen Xuan Tung, Nguyen Manh Hoan and Bui Dinh Danh in Hung Yen, Hanoi and Hai Phong; they confessed and were placed under formal investigation and pretrial detention on September 11, 2025.","victims":"Nguyen Van D., 33 (born 1992), P2P USDT buyer/trader residing in Da Nang","outcome":"VND 3 billion stolen; 4 suspects arrested within 48 hours and placed under formal investigation on 09/11/2025; seizure of VND 1.81 billion in cash, 2 cars and 5 phones, and freezing of VND 1.19 billion across five bank accounts, meaning almost the entire haul was recovered or blocked","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent P2P trader robbed of cash during an in-person cash-for-USDT transaction on his own account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://thanhnien.vn/dan-canh-mua-ban-roi-cuop-3-ti-dong-tien-ao-usdt-o-hung-yen-185250912181228517.htm","source1_name":"Bao Thanh Nien","source2":"https://dantri.com.vn/phap-luat/48-gio-truy-bat-nhom-cuop-3-ty-dong-tien-dien-tu-usdt-20250912161349581.htm","source2_name":"Bao Dan tri","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L155","date":"2025-09-05","precision":"day","city":"Cambridge, Ontario","country":"Canada","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 5 September 2025 at around 9:48 p.m., five individuals forced a teenager into a dark van near Saginaw Parkway and Townline Road in Cambridge, Ontario, physically assaulted him and threatened him with a firearm, then forced him to transfer funds to a cryptocurrency wallet before releasing him. The victim was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries; the five suspects, described as young Black men wearing masks, fled the scene and had not been arrested as of the latest reports.","victims":"An unidentified teenager (minor)","outcome":"Victim seriously injured but out of danger, hospitalized; no suspects arrested to date, investigation ongoing by the Waterloo Regional Police.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A teenager was forced at gunpoint to transfer his own funds to a crypto wallet; no company or employer was involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://wrps.ca/news/police-investigate-robbery-involving-abduction-cambridge","source1_name":"Waterloo Regional Police Service","source2":"https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/police-investigate-after-youth-is-abducted-and-robbed-at-gunpoint/article_90db158e-fa06-522a-82d1-46e7b9eb5af3.html","source2_name":"The Record (Waterloo Region)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA337","date":"2025-09-06","precision":"day","city":"Chiayi","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 300,000 (price agreed for 10,000 USDT)","amount_usd":9600,"description":"A group organized on Telegram (using the aliases \"李純青\" and \"徐乃麟\") lured a buyer by offering 10,000 USDT for TWD 300,000, arranging a meeting on September 5, 2025 at 11:30 p.m. at the 7-Eleven Jiatai in Chiayi. On September 6 at around 1:18 a.m., as soon as the victim handed over TWD 300,000 in cash to Jiang Zhengrong, his accomplice Lin Zhixiang shot him in the face with a handgun (described by the press as an air pistol), causing a fracture of the left facial bone, a wound and cellulitis; the driver Fang Weizhi drove them away to Taichung. The Chiayi court sentenced Fang to 7 years and 4 months for aggravated robbery committed by a group of three or more with a weapon.","victims":"USDT buyer anonymized as \"A01\" in the ruling, identified in the press as a man named Zeng (曾), accompanied by a friend named Huang (黃)","outcome":"TWD 300,000 stolen, victim seriously injured in the face; convictions for aggravated group robbery with a weapon. Jiang Zheng-rong was sentenced to 8 years on 28 January 2026 (Chiayi court); his appeal was dismissed on 22 July 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"P2P transaction of USDT for cash between individuals; the robbed buyer was acting on his own behalf.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=CYDM%2C115%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C127%2C20260609%2C1","source1_name":"Chiayi District Court, case 115年度訴字第127號 (9 June 2026)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5241093","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA485","date":"2025-09-06","precision":"day","city":"Banqiao, New Taipei (Zhongshan Road, section 2)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"TWD 2,000,000 in cash targeted (kept by the victim)","amount_usd":65000,"description":"Lai Yi-wei (賴奕瑋), approached in July 2025 on the Litmatch app by a fake profile that talked him into investing in USDT, was referred to a so-called exchanger, \"幣鈞匯兌\". At around 12:30 p.m. on 6 September 2025 he got into the back of the car of the collector Yeh Hung-yu, sent by the ring, on Zhongshan Road in Banqiao, and handed him TWD 2 million in cash. After receiving a single test USDT he wanted to call off the deal and took back the bag; Yeh grabbed his arm and brandished a can of pepper spray. Lai got out with the bag, but Yeh, on the ring's orders (\"don't let the customer leave with the money\"), chased him, pepper-sprayed his back, face and head and tried to wrench the bag away; Lai fell, passers-by stepped in and Yeh drove off.","victims":"Lai Yi-wei (賴奕瑋), a private USDT buyer and victim of an investment scam","outcome":"Failed attempt; the victim kept the money. Yeh was arrested the same day; the New Taipei District Court (114年度訴字第1209號, 14 May 2026) sentenced him to 1 year 2 months for group fraud and 1 year 6 months for attempted robbery.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came with his cash to buy USDT from a fake exchanger and was attacked when he tried to take his money back.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=PCDM%2c114%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c1209%2c20260514%2c1","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Nouveau Taipei, 114年度訴字第1209號 (14.05.2026)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA338","date":"2025-09-07","precision":"day","city":"Herzliya","country":"Israel","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC","USDT","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["BTC","USDT","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"4.94862 BTC (~USD 547,260) + 42,248.5 USDT, totaling more than USD 590,000, plus a Rolex (~ILS 189,800), ~EUR 5,000 and a few thousand shekels","amount_usd":595000,"description":"On the morning of September 7, 2025, three men (two of them masked) waited for the victim in the lobby of their apartment building in Herzliya, pushed them inside, tied them up with a cable in the safe room, and beat them, demanding 500 bitcoins (about USD 55 million at the time) after learning that the victim held BTC. A kitchen knife held to the throat, followed by two stab wounds to the legs, forced the victim to open their Exodus wallet: 4.94862 BTC and 42,248.5 USDT (more than USD 590,000) were transferred, along with the theft of a Rolex, a laptop, a Trezor and about EUR 5,000. Murad Mahajna, 46, of Tel Aviv, was indicted in October 2025; his two accomplices had not been arrested.","victims":"A resident of Herzliya (man, unnamed); suspect: Murad Mahajna, 46, of Tel Aviv","outcome":"≈ USD 600,000 stolen, victim stabbed; indictment filed in October 2025 (a Tel Aviv resident charged)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual was held captive at home for his personal BTC/USDT and hardware wallet.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/syf4n9xpxg","source1_name":"Lopp List (physical-bitcoin-attacks) — entry of 7 September 2025","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA339","date":"2025-09-15","precision":"day","city":"Noida, Uttar Pradesh (abduction), then Ludhiana, Punjab (captivity)","country":"India","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT","UST"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"999 UST + 3,650 USDT + gift cards worth INR 1 lakh; ransoms of several crore INR demanded","amount_usd":4780,"description":"On September 15, 2025, a gang led by head constable Balwinder Singh, with other police officers and accomplices posing as senior officers, abducted Tarun Agarwal, Herat Sah and Thurai Raj in Noida, then held them captive at several locations in Ludhiana (Punjab). Under threat, the victims were forced to transfer 999 UST and 3,650 USDT from their accounts and to provide gift cards worth 1 lakh rupees; their phones and valuables were seized and ransoms of several crore were demanded from them. The case (FIR no. 18 of 09/17/2025, Cyber Crime police station, Khanna, Ludhiana district) led to several arrests, including Karandeep Singh (09/17/2025) and Khushdev Singh @ Munny (10/10/2025), who were released on bail on March 11, 2026, with the court noting the existence of a larger criminal syndicate.","victims":"Tarun Agarwal, Herat Sah and Thurai Raj","outcome":"Crypto and property extorted; several arrests including a head constable, investigation into a larger syndicate","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Victims were abducted and then forced to transfer funds from their personal crypto accounts.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/146703775/","source1_name":"Indian Kanoon — Rajinder Kashyap vs State of Punjab (Punjab and Haryana High Court, 28 January 2026)","source2":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/179079338/","source2_name":"Indian Kanoon — Khushdev Singh @ Munny / Karandeep Singh vs State of Punjab (11 March 2026)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA490","date":"2025-09-15","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (inside the victim's car)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDC","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Other"],"amount":"TWD 2,000,000 in cash targeted (nothing taken)","amount_usd":65000,"description":"A Telegram organiser nicknamed \"小米樂\", who had learned that Yang Chin-ming wanted to buy USDC over the counter, equipped Chiang Ping-hsun with pepper spray, tape, scissors and a knife, with instructions to spray the buyer, tie him up with the tape and destroy the dashcam. An accomplice calling himself \"幣託BITO(小額)\" set the meeting for 7:30 p.m. on 15 September 2025 in Taichung. Once in Yang's car, Chiang received TWD 2 million, checked two bundles on a counting machine, then pepper-sprayed him and tried to leave with the money; Yang held him back and pinned him down on the spot. The unlicensed driver who had brought Chiang called the police.","victims":"Yang Chin-ming (楊錦明), a private USDC buyer","outcome":"Failed attempt; Yang suffered pepper-spray burns to the face, neck, chest and arms. Chiang, arrested on the spot, was given a suspended sentence of 1 year 10 months by the Taichung District Court on 10 February 2026 (114年度訴字第1466號) for attempted armed snatch theft and assault; the organiser was not identified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private buyer who came with his own cash for an over-the-counter USDC purchase, targeted by the fake seller.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2c114%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c1466%2c20260210%2c1","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Taichung, 114年度訴字第1466號 (10.02.2026)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA341","date":"2025-09-19","precision":"day","city":"Arnhem","country":"Netherlands","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Undisclosed cryptocurrency amount; one automatic CZ 858 firearm stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the morning of September 19, 2025, a young man disguised as a parcel courier (wearing a DHL uniform, according to De Gelderlander) rang the doorbell of a house on Bakenbergseweg in Arnhem; as soon as the door opened, he rushed inside followed by three other men. The occupants — the resident and his partner — were tied up with zip ties in the bedroom while the attackers searched the house and demanded, under threat, the access codes to their crypto wallets; the resident, who managed to free himself, was severely beaten and was hospitalized. The perpetrators also demanded the keys to the safe and took a legally owned automatic CZ 858 rifle (used for sport shooting), then fled in a Ford Transit before switching vehicles to a VW Golf and heading to Amsterdam-Zuidoost.","victims":"A resident of Bakenbergseweg, known locally as a crypto trader and nicknamed the \"cryptomiljonair\", and his partner","outcome":"Resident severely injured; automatic firearm and cryptocurrency stolen; a 15-year-old boy from Zwolle arrested the same day, six suspects in total (ages 18-23 plus a minor) arrested afterward; two men from Zwolle and Almere apprehended in January 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting the personal crypto wallets of an individual locally nicknamed the \"cryptomiljonair\" and his partner.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.politie.nl/gezocht/getuigenoproep/2025/september/02-arnhem-getuigen-gezocht-na-woningoverval","source1_name":"Politie.nl (official appeal for witnesses)","source2":"https://newsbit.nl/15-jarige-aangehouden-na-woningoverval-in-arnhem-gericht-op-cryptovaluta/","source2_name":"Newsbit","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA342","date":"2025-09-19","precision":"day","city":"Grant, Minnesota","country":"United States","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than USD 8,000,000","amount_usd":8000000,"description":"Two brothers from Texas, Raymond and Isiah Garcia, surprised a man taking out his trash at 7:45 a.m., threatened him with an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun, tied his hands with zip ties, then tied up his wife and son, holding all three at gunpoint for more than eight hours. Isiah Garcia forced the victim to log into his crypto accounts, then took him to the family's cabin in northern Minnesota to retrieve other storage devices; more than USD 8 million was transferred before the son alerted 911.","victims":"A family of three (father, mother, adult son)","outcome":"The two brothers pleaded guilty (June 2026) to Hobbs Act robbery, with more than USD 8 million in restitution; facing up to 20 years","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Family held captive at home and forced to transfer funds from their own crypto accounts.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/brothers-plead-guilty-8-million-armed-cryptocurrency-kidnapping-case","source1_name":"U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota (DOJ)","source2":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/brothers-charged-8-million-armed-crypto-kidnapping-heist-0","source2_name":"U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota (initial complaint)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA343","date":"2025-09-23","precision":"day","city":"Irvine","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 3,800,000 targeted, nothing stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On September 23, 2025, around 3:30 a.m., armed men forced their way into a house on the 5000 block of Royale Avenue in Irvine; the father, who came downstairs to check on the noise, was held at gunpoint along with his brother-in-law, hands bound behind their backs and mouths taped shut, while the attackers searched for USD 3.8 million in crypto assets they believed the family held. No cryptocurrency was stolen. Seven suspects were arrested, identified in part through an abandoned Dodge Charger and Walmart surveillance video showing the purchase of the tape, with the last one (Darnell Trevon Anderson Walker, 23) arrested on December 1, 2025 in Las Vegas by US Marshals.","victims":"A family in Irvine (the father and his brother-in-law tied up, wife and children present in the house)","outcome":"Nothing stolen; 7 suspects arrested, the last one in December 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting personal crypto assets believed to be held by the attacked family.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ocregister.com/2025/12/09/7-suspects-arrested-in-irvine-home-invasion-robbery-targeting-cryptocurrency/","source1_name":"Davis Vanguard (court watch, preliminary hearing)","source2":"https://patch.com/california/orange-county/police-arrest-7th-final-suspect-oc-armed-cryptocurrency-robbery-where","source2_name":"Orange County Register / Patch","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA344","date":"2025-09-26","precision":"day","city":"Port Harcourt, Rivers State","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than NGN 5,000,000, i.e. 3,120 USDT liquidated from Trust Wallet","amount_usd":3120,"description":"On September 26, 2025 in Port Harcourt, a team of five men in unmarked black tactical gear, presenting themselves as police officers from Bayelsa State, stopped a resident's Bolt ride, pulled him out of the vehicle and beat him, handcuffed him and struck him with their weapons — including a blow to the neck with a gun butt — before driving him out of the city in an unmarked minibus. Forced to unlock his phone, he had to liquidate more than USD 3,000 in cryptocurrency from his Trust Wallet, the funds converted into naira and then withdrawn through several point-of-sale operators, with his Bolt driver and the operators as witnesses. The victim posted the transaction receipts on X; the Rivers State police spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.","victims":"A resident of Port Harcourt, anonymous (X account @SerrDavee)","outcome":"More than USD 3,000 in crypto liquidated under duress; no official response from Rivers State police at the time of publication","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual abducted in a Bolt taxi and forced to liquidate his own Trust Wallet.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://gazettengr.com/man-accuses-rivers-policemen-of-n5-million-extortion/","source1_name":"Peoples Gazette","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L156","date":"2025-09-26","precision":"day","city":"Rambouillet, Yvelines","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Friday 26 September 2025 at around 9 a.m., four individuals — three men and a woman — climbed over the fence of the property of a 42-year-old cryptocurrency professional in Rambouillet (Yvelines), apparently intending to abduct him. Armed with a flick knife and a fake handgun, they were caught off guard by the rapid intervention of police alerted by the victim: two suspects were arrested on the property, a third in a car parked nearby, and the fourth fled on foot. No financial or physical harm was reported and the four suspects were placed in police custody.","victims":"A 42-year-old man, a cryptocurrency professional (identity undisclosed)","outcome":"Attempted kidnapping foiled, victim unharmed, four suspects arrested and placed in police custody; investigation assigned to the Versailles organized crime squad (BRB).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"This was a break-in at the home/property of a 42-year-old crypto professional with intent to abduct him: his personal assets were targeted, with no company or business premises mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/yvelines-un-nouveau-professionnel-des-cryptomonnaies-cible-par-une-equipe-de-truands-26-09-2025-OTSKDQDH75G5HCBYH4LK5MRXOM.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/ile-de-france/rambouillet-78120/un-entrepreneur-en-cryptomonnaie-a-nouveau-cible-par-des-malfaiteurs-dans-les-yvelines-8478a0f8-9d11-11f0-8cae-3ad3572acfcf","source2_name":"Ouest-France","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA345","date":"2025-09-27","precision":"day","city":"Tobo / Tierp, Uppland","country":"Sweden","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About SEK 2,500,000 in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":265000,"description":"Five masked individuals, armed with a replica firearm, an axe and knives, invaded two houses on the same family property in Tobo around 10 p.m. on a Saturday evening. For about 1.5 to 2 hours, the family was beaten, tied up with zip ties and silver duct tape, and subjected to mock executions to make them hand over bitcoins; the family actually held a different cryptocurrency worth about SEK 2.5 million. A family member fired in self-defense and wounded an attacker in the shoulder; the alarm was raised via an open microphone in a video game chat.","victims":"A family (several members, two houses on the same property)","outcome":"About SEK 2.5 million in crypto stolen; robbery interrupted by the arrival of the father and brother; one attacker shot and wounded, then arrested; four men sentenced in April 2026 to six years in prison for aggravated theft, a fifth suspect abroad","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion of a family targeting their personal cryptocurrency held at the residence.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/uppsala/familjen-bands-ranades-pa-kryptovaluta-for-25-miljoner","source1_name":"SVT Nyheter Uppsala","source2":"https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/uppsala/fangelsestraff-for-brutala-kryptoranet-i-tobo","source2_name":"SVT Nyheter Uppsala (convictions)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA346","date":"2025-09-30","precision":"day","city":"Tehran (western Tehran; currency exchange office in Saadatabad)","country":"Iran","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","fiat currency for crypto"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"6 billion tomans in dollars and euros (payment for a settlement in Tether)","amount_usd":53000,"description":"On 8 Mehr 1404 (September 30, 2025) at noon, the 35-year-old owner of a currency exchange office in Saadatabad was shot twice while parking his car in western Tehran; numerous dollars and euros were found scattered near the body. The shooter, 30, already a client of the victim, had ordered the equivalent of 6 billion tomans in dollars and euros to be paid for in Tether, and had planned with his accomplice Majid to kill him at the moment of the handover, in an area scouted in advance as free of cameras. Both men were arrested in Karaj less than a month after the incident, and an indictment for premeditated murder and complicity was issued in late July 2026.","victims":"A 35-year-old currency exchanger, owner of a currency exchange office in Saadatabad (Tehran)","outcome":"Victim killed, part of the currency taken (the rest fell to the ground); two suspects arrested in Karaj less than a month after the incident; reconstruction followed by an indictment issued in July 2026 for premeditated murder and complicity, with the next of kin demanding qisas","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The victim owned a currency exchange office, and the transaction (fiat currency for Tether) was part of his business till.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/987001/","source1_name":"Hamshahri Online (investigation by the 10th division of the Tehran judicial police)","source2":"https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/1056137/","source2_name":"Hamshahri Online — 'Indictment issued in the money changer's murder case' (28 July 2026)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA347","date":"2025-10","precision":"day","city":"Yerevan (Yerevan-Sevan road)","country":"Armenia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"AMD 14,000,000 (USD 35,000 to 37,000 according to sources)","amount_usd":35000,"description":"Two men posing as police officers entered the apartment of foreign nationals in Yerevan, claiming to have found drugs there, then took them away under the pretext of driving them to the police station, actually heading onto the Yerevan-Sevan road. There, threatening to release compromising material, they forced one of them to transfer the equivalent of 14 million drams (about USD 35,000) in cryptocurrency.","victims":"Several foreign nationals (nationality undisclosed), one of whom made the transfer","outcome":"About USD 35,000 in crypto extorted; two suspects arrested, charged with extortion, kidnapping and property crimes; case referred to the public prosecutor's office","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Foreign nationals abducted and forced to transfer cryptocurrency from their own holdings.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://am.sputniknews.ru/20251024/v-armenii-zaderzhany-dvoe-muzhchin-pokhitivshikh-inostrantsev-95032970.html","source1_name":"Sputnik Armenia (Investigative Committee of Armenia)","source2":"https://newsarmenia.am/news/incidents/v-armenii-lyudi-pod-vidom-politseyskikh-pokhitili-inostrantsev-i-vymanili-kriptovalyutu-na-37-tys/","source2_name":"NewsArmenia","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L162","date":"2025-10","precision":"month","city":"Kahna, Lahore, Punjab","country":"Pakistan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC (presumed, trading activity)","cash (ransom)","computer equipment (computer, phones, DVR seized)"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Cash","Devices"],"amount":"PKR 4,000,000 paid in cash; initial demand of PKR 50,000,000, reduced to PKR 20 million then 10 million before final agreement","amount_usd":14200,"description":"An inspector and an officer from the Lahore police's anti-crime department (CCD), together with two unidentified accomplices, abducted a bitcoin trader named Waleed Hussain from his home in the Gajumata neighborhood of Kahna, seizing his computer, phones, and video recorder to erase evidence. After several days of negotiation in which the demand dropped from 50 to 4 million rupees, the family paid the ransom in cash near the Orange Line station in Lahore and Waleed was released; the investigation subsequently revealed the involvement of the two police officers, who were arrested and handed over to CCD Model Town.","victims":"Waleed Hussain, a bitcoin trader from the Gajumata neighborhood, Kahna, Lahore","outcome":"Victim released unharmed after partial payment of the ransom (4 million rupees); CCD inspector Javed Iqbal and constable Tauseef/Tausif were arrested for orchestrating the kidnapping and handed over to CCD Model Town leadership for questioning, with the case presented by Punjab police as an internal integrity test of the department.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ransom demanded from the family for the release of a trader abducted from his own home, targeting his personal assets; an independent trader, no corporate structure involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.dawn.com/news/1952211","source1_name":"Dawn","source2":"https://tribune.com.pk/story/2575027/ccd-cop-held-for-orchestrating-businessmans-kidnapping","source2_name":"The Express Tribune","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L158","date":"2025-10-01","precision":"day","city":"Val-de-Marne, Île-de-France","country":"France","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On October 1, 2025, a mother accompanied by her two children was approached in Val-de-Marne by two masked individuals, who handed her a mobile phone fitted with a prepaid SIM card intended for her husband, a cryptocurrency investor, threatening to harm the family if he did not answer the calls. That same evening, the phone rang four times, but the husband, alerted by his wife, did not give in and went directly to the police station to file a complaint; police surveillance of the home was set up.","victims":"The wife and her two children (family of an independent cryptocurrency investor)","outcome":"No ransom paid, no physical assault reported; a complaint was filed and the home was placed under police surveillance; no arrest or judicial follow-up reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Threats against the wife and children of an individual investor aimed at his personal cryptocurrency holdings (relative of a holder), outside any professional context.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.europe1.fr/faits-divers/info-europe-1-chantage-a-la-cryptomonnaie-une-mere-et-ses-deux-enfants-menaces-par-des-malfaiteurs-cagoules-774753","source1_name":"Europe 1","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/chantage-cryptos-mere-enfants-menaces-individus-cagoules/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L159","date":"2025-10-02","precision":"day","city":"Hatta, Dubai enclave","country":"United Arab Emirates","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (wallet empty)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Roman Novak, a Russian crypto fraudster already convicted in Russia and perpetrator of a scam estimated at $500 million via a fake crypto app, and his wife Anna were lured to a villa in Hatta by individuals posing as investors. Held captive and tortured with knives to give up the password to Roman's cryptocurrency wallet, they were killed and dismembered by their captors when the latter discovered the wallet was empty, with the remains then scattered, including in the trash bins of a shopping mall.","victims":"Roman Novak and his wife Anna Novak (Russian nationals)","outcome":"The couple was killed and dismembered; the bodies were not fully recovered; eight people were arrested, including former investors defrauded by Novak and a former employee of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs; the investigation was still ongoing in 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers tortured Roman Novak for the password to HIS OWN personal wallet, believed to hold his fortune; no corporate treasury was targeted.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://nypost.com/2025/11/11/world-news/russian-crypto-scammer-and-wife-dismembered-after-fleeing-investors/","source1_name":"New York Post","source2":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/russian-crypto-fraudster-and-wife-dubai/","source2_name":"Cryptopolitan","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA350","date":"2025-10-09","precision":"day","city":"Indore (Dwarkapuri), Madhya Pradesh","country":"India","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"5,773 USDT (about INR 5.12 lakh)","amount_usd":5773,"description":"On October 9, 2025 between 6 and 7 p.m., three men posing as Crime Branch officers broke into Sneh Parmar's home in Dwarkapuri (Gandhi Chowk), accused him of fraud, beat him and his father, and drove them to the Lasudia area. Under threat of imprisonment, he was forced to transfer 5,773 USDT (about INR 5.12 lakh) from his trading account via his phone, with the attackers demanding still more money to \"hush up the case\". Deepak Tiwari, Neeraj Tiwari and Aman Lakhia were arrested following technical analysis and account freezes (28 criminal cases between the two Tiwari brothers); a fourth accomplice is on the run.","victims":"Sneh Parmar, a crypto trader from Dwarkapuri, and his father","outcome":"5,773 USDT extorted, accounts frozen; 3 arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Sneh Parmar, an individual trader, was forced to transfer 5,773 USDT from his own trading account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/three-pose-as-crime-branch-officers-extort-cryptocurrency-arrested/articleshow/124511090.cms","source1_name":"Times of India (Indore)","source2":"https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/crime-branch-team-busts-movie-inspired-gang-posing-as-them-in-indore-9454156","source2_name":"NDTV","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA351","date":"2025-10-10","precision":"day","city":"Kharkiv","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USDT"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","USDT"],"amount":"USD 83,000 in cryptocurrency + EUR 15,000 in cash","amount_usd":100000,"description":"Three men in military uniforms and balaclavas, presenting themselves as TCC agents, intercepted a 32-year-old Kharkiv resident working in cryptocurrency near a currency exchange office, pushed him into a Mercedes-Benz Vito, bound him with zip ties, beat him and threatened him with weapons while driving him around for two hours with a helmet over his ears.","victims":"A 32-year-old man working in cryptocurrency","outcome":"EUR 14,600 in cash stolen and 83,620 USDT transferred in four transfers between 9 p.m. and 11:50 p.m.; the victim, with a broken nose, was held in a basement in Izium until 2 a.m. and released in Bezliudivka. The gang was dismantled on 12 October 2025: its leader, assault battalion officer Oleksiy Steshak (using service weapons), and accomplices Gavrilov, Gordeev and Faifor remained in custody in September 2026. The same gang had abducted a trader in Kyiv on 15 May 2025 (WA445).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The man working in cryptocurrency was personally kidnapped and held for ransom (USD 83,000 in cryptocurrency + EUR 15,000 in cash), with no mention of funds belonging to an organization.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://kp.ua/ua/incidents/a719523-v-kharkovi-zatrimali-bandu-jaka-poljuvala-z-kriptovaljutnikom-zlochintsi-vikrali-cholovika-bilja-obminnika","source1_name":"Komsomolskaya Pravda Ukraine","source2":"https://apostrophe.ua/ua/news/politics/judiciary/2025-10-17/u-harkovi-vykraly-kryptopidpryyemtsya-vydavshy-sebe-za-ttsk-napadnyky-vymagaly-83-tysyachi/354360","source2_name":"Apostrophe","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA352","date":"2025-10-14","precision":"day","city":"Taichung, Dali District","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 1,100,000 in cash (amount at stake; ultimately NOT taken — attempt)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Directed via Telegram by accounts using the pseudonyms \"十大通緝犯\" (the ten most-wanted criminals) and \"普利司通\"/\"智幣Smartcoin\", four men lured the buyer \"A02\" in front of the Qijiangjun Temple in Dali (Taichung) on October 14, 2025 at 3:55 PM for an exchange of TWD 1,100,000 for USDT, after fitting fake license plates to their vehicle 30 minutes earlier. Once the victim was seated in the back seat with the bag of cash and the money counted, \"A04\" sprayed him with pepper spray while the driver Li Jiajin drove toward the point where two accomplices were waiting to restrain him; but A02 managed to grab back the TWD 1.1 million and jump from the moving vehicle, causing the robbery to fail. The four were sentenced by the Taichung court on August 12, 2026 to prison terms of 3 years 10 months to 4 years 10 months for attempted armed gang robbery.","victims":"USDT buyer anonymized as \"A02\" in the ruling","outcome":"Nothing taken: the victim recovered the money and jumped out of the vehicle. Four perpetrators were sentenced by the Taichung District Court on 12 August 2026 to 3 years 10 months to 4 years 10 months in prison.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted robbery during an in-person P2P exchange between individuals for TWD 1.1 million in cash for USDT.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C115%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C116%2C20260812%2C1","source1_name":"Taichung District Court, case 115年度訴字第116號 (12 August 2026)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/Taichung/breakingnews/5440959","source2_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA460","date":"2025-10-15","precision":"day","city":"Taichung (car park, Taiping police precinct)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 2,440,000 in cash (targeted, nothing taken)","amount_usd":78000,"description":"A group directed on Telegram by \"十大通緝要犯劉俊榮\" (Wang Junyu) lured a buyer online with a fake cryptocurrency sale; he came to a car park in Taichung at around 9 p.m. on 15 October 2025 with TWD 2.44 million in cash. An accomplice who got into the back of the victim's car counted the money, then two others opened the doors and pepper-sprayed the faces of the victim and the person with him; when the victim refused to let go of the bag, the first accomplice stabbed him in the leg, and the attackers fled without the money. The same cell (Xu Xiangbo, organiser \"塔拉雷奧特拉拉\") had attempted a similar robbery in Dali the day before (WA352).","victims":"A cryptocurrency buyer (A05) and the person accompanying him (A06)","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing taken; the victim was stabbed in the leg and both occupants had pepper spray burns to the face. On 14 May 2026 (judgment 115年度訴字第126號, open to appeal), the Taichung District Court sentenced five members for attempted aggravated robbery by a group with a weapon and participation in a criminal organisation: Wang Junyu 5 years, Wu Chenwei 4 years 8 months, Yang Yuxiang 4 years 4 months, Xu Weisheng 4 years, Zeng Bohao 3 years 10 months; Xu Xiangbo is being tried separately.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private buyer who came with his own cash for an over-the-counter crypto deal, attacked by the fake sellers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TCDM%2C115%2C%E8%A8%B4%2C126%2C20260514%2C2","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Taichung, 115年度訴字第126號 (14.05.2026)","source2":"https://udn.com/news/story/7321/9509310","source2_name":"UDN (聯合新聞網)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA353","date":"2025-10-18","precision":"day","city":"Taipei, Nangang District","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 1,920,000","amount_usd":62000,"description":"On October 18, 2025 in the afternoon, Ms. Ding, 48, parked on Nangang Road (Section 1) in Taipei with TWD 1,920,000 in cash to buy USDT from a \"broker\" met online through a friend. A man named Tang, 31, got into the back seat, never transferred the tokens, then forcibly grabbed the cash and fled on foot, with the victim chasing him and shouting \"thief\". Police intercepted him about 20 minutes later on Kangning Road (Section 3) in Neihu, in his rental car: the money was recovered, Tang turned out to be a \"mule\" (車手) for a fraud network, and he was referred for prosecution for fraud and robbery with violence (搶奪) and then placed in pretrial detention.","victims":"Ms. Ding (丁), 48, an employee of a technology company, a USDT investor (two previous successful transactions)","outcome":"Suspect arrested within 20 minutes, money recovered","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ms. Ding, an individual investor, was robbed of her own cash during a P2P USDT transaction.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5217822","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L160","date":"2025-10-18","precision":"day","city":"Sanur then Jimbaran, Bali","country":"Indonesia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"4,617 USDT (about IDR 73 million)","amount_usd":4617,"description":"On the night of October 18, 2025, Russian influencer Sergei Domogatskii (40), nicknamed \"Mr Terimakasih,\" was intercepted on a motorbike near Sanur port by a black Alphard van, out of which two masked men emerged and forced him aboard. Taken to a house in Jimbaran, he was beaten and electrocuted there to make him transfer funds, which allowed the attackers to withdraw 4,617 USDT from his wallet; three additional accomplices then demanded a ransom of one million dollars, which he could not pay, before he was released, injured on his right arm, near the Apurva Kempinski hotel.","victims":"Sergei Domogatskii, 40, Russian influencer","outcome":"Victim released with injuries, one-million-dollar ransom not paid; a complaint was filed with the Bali police (Polda Bali, report no. LP/B/732/X/2025/SPKT/Polda Bali) on October 19, 2025; investigation ongoing, no suspect publicly named.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Extortion of cryptocurrency from the influencer's personal wallet, an individual acting on his own account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/10/24/popular-russian-influencer-says-he-was-kidnapped-robbed-by-compatriots-in-bali.html","source1_name":"The Jakarta Post","source2":"https://thebalitimes.com/headlines/russian-man-mr-terimakasih-kidnapped-and-tortured-in-bali-what-happened/","source2_name":"The Bali Times","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA354","date":"2025-10-29","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Zhongshan District, Minquan East Road Section 3)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TWD 3,000,000 in real banknotes (of which TWD 781,600 recovered); initial fraud of TWD 280,000","amount_usd":97000,"description":"Mr. Chen, already defrauded of TWD 280,000 in July 2025 by a \"broker\" named Lin whose cryptocurrency had disappeared from his cold wallet, set up a sting operation with the Zhongshan police station in late October: a new meeting on Minquan East Road (Section 3), near a convenience store, for a staged purchase of TWD 3 million, with the victim refusing the counterfeit bills offered by police. On October 29, 2025 around 4 PM, the mule Pu grabbed the bag; when the police lying in wait intervened, two minor accomplices attacked them with a baseball bat and a bladed weapon, injuring two officers, while another accomplice picked up the bag and Lin sped off. Lin and Wang were arrested the next day in Hukou (Hsinchu) — an air pistol was seized in Lin's car — then 9 other members of the 風飛砂 gang (including the mastermind Fan and the leader Guo) were arrested in early December 2025, bringing the total to 13 people and allowing the recovery of TWD 781,600.","victims":"Mr. Chen (陳), 49-50, a cryptocurrency buyer; 2 police officers injured","outcome":"TWD 3 million stolen and still not recovered; 2 police officers injured; Lin and Wang arrested in Hukou (Hsinchu), then 9 other members of the 風飛砂 gang arrested in December 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Mr. Chen, an individual cryptocurrency buyer, was robbed of his own cash during a P2P ambush.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5230497","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5267700","source2_name":"Liberty Times — 2nd wave of arrests (4 December 2025)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L161","date":"2025-10-31","precision":"day","city":"Revelles, Somme, Hauts-de-France","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount extorted (transfer never carried out); EUR 200,000 in cryptocurrency demanded","amount_usd":216000,"description":"Three hooded individuals broke into a family's home in Revelles (Somme) on Halloween night, tying up the parents and the grandmother with cable ties and beating them in front of the two young children (4 years and 7 months old), on the instructions of a mastermind connected by video call, in order to extort EUR 200,000 in cryptocurrency from the father. The family managed to push the attackers back down the stairs and they fled without the transfer taking place.","victims":"A family of five: Stéphane (father), Estelle (partner), their children Milan (4) and Corentin (7 months), and Marie (grandmother)","outcome":"Extortion attempt failed (no transfer carried out), family assaulted but alive; two of the attackers, Souleymane (20) and Jason (24), both from Melun, were sentenced on February 23, 2026, to 9 and 5 years in prison respectively (with a ban from French territory for the first), and to about EUR 25,000 in damages; a third hooded accomplice does not appear to have been tried on the same terms.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers demanded that the father, at his home, transfer the cryptocurrency he held personally (smartphone handed over under duress); no company is mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.ici.fr/hauts-de-france/somme-80/revelles/a-revelles-dans-la-somme-ils-sequestrent-une-famille-le-soir-d-halloween-pour-lui-extorquer-des-cryptomonnaies-2682059","source1_name":"ici Hauts-de-France (formerly France Bleu)","source2":"https://www.ici.fr/hauts-de-france/somme-80/revelles/somme-neuf-et-cinq-ans-de-prison-pour-avoir-sequestre-une-famille-avec-enfants-et-tente-de-voler-de-la-cryptomonnaie-6162274","source2_name":"ici Hauts-de-France (verdict)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA355","date":"2025-11","precision":"day","city":"Holon, Gush Dan region","country":"Israel","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC"],"amount":"Tens of thousands of shekels (exact amount not specified)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Two suspects (a 20-year-old man from Bnei Brak and a 16-year-old minor from Gush Dan) used a Facebook page dedicated to virtual currency trading to arrange fake exchange meetings, then robbed the victims; during one meeting they attacked the victim and sprayed her with pepper spray before attempting to rob her (she managed to flee), while in other cases they snatched the money and fled. They were arrested by Holon police after about a month of undercover investigation; laptops, a bitcoin wallet and phones were seized at their home. Total damage estimated at tens of thousands of shekels.","victims":"Several buyers/sellers of digital currencies (number not specified)","outcome":"Tens of thousands of shekels stolen; 2 suspects arrested; laptops, a bitcoin wallet and phones seized at their home","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individuals trading with each other via a Facebook page were robbed during fake personal exchange meetings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.inn.co.il/news/683929","source1_name":"Arutz Sheva / INN — Israeli police statement","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA356","date":"2025-11","precision":"day","city":"Moscow (Ostrovitianova Street)","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["NFT","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Other cryptocurrency","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"~RUB 60,000 in NFTs (the victim falsely claimed to hold RUB 9,000,000 in cryptocurrency)","amount_usd":740,"description":"A 16-year-old crypto blogger was lured to a meeting by an individual presenting himself as the organizer of a video shoot, then got into a car where three strangers were waiting, with the organizer claiming he would leave by taxi. Taken to a parking lot on Ostrovitianova Street in Moscow, he was threatened with a pistol and forced to hand over NFTs worth about 60,000 rubles, with the attackers further demanding a transfer from his crypto account; the teenager deceived them by claiming to hold more than 9 million rubles in assets and was released to carry out the transfer, which he used as an opportunity to alert the police. Three suspects were identified and arrested (a minor in central Moscow, two men aged 18 and 22 in Kaluga Oblast); prosecution for armed robbery (art. 162) and extortion (art. 163).","victims":"A 16-year-old crypto blogger","outcome":"~RUB 60,000 in NFTs stolen, cryptocurrency transfer demanded; 3 suspects arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A minor crypto blogger was robbed of his own NFTs and ordered to transfer the cryptocurrency from his personal account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://bits.media/v-moskve-zaderzhany-podozrevaemye-v-vymogatelstve-kriptovalyuty-u-blogera/","source1_name":"Bits.media","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L169","date":"2025-11","precision":"month","city":"Challes-les-Eaux, Savoie","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (an anonymous post on BreachForums mentions three hauls of USD 9.3 million, USD 3.8 million and USD 4 million without explicitly attributing the USD 3.8 million to the Challes-les-Eaux case)","amount_usd":3800000,"description":"Three men aged 25 to 30 abducted and held captive a cryptocurrency holder in Challes-les-Eaux to extort access to his digital assets. An anonymous message posted on an underground forum (BreachForums) claims a haul of about USD 3.8 million, a figure not officially confirmed by the authorities. Two of the three suspects are also implicated in a similar case that occurred in December 2025 in Dompierre-sur-Mer, Charente-Maritime.","victims":"A cryptocurrency holder not publicly identified","outcome":"Three men were placed under formal investigation for organized-gang arrest, abduction and unlawful confinement, extortion and organized money laundering; they were placed in pretrial detention following an operation by the Chambery gendarmerie's investigation unit (Section de recherches).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual holding crypto assets was abducted and held captive to extort access to his own digital assets (victims targeted from a database of crypto users); no business entity was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ici.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/savoie-73/challes-les-eaux/cryptomonnaie-trois-hommes-interpelles-par-la-section-de-recherche-de-chambery-a-la-suite-d-un-enlevement-a-challes-9380800","source1_name":"ICI (France Bleu/France 3, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)","source2":"https://cybernews.com/security/hackers-say-waltio-leak-linked-to-french-crypto-kidnappings/","source2_name":"Cybernews","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA357","date":"2025-11-01","precision":"month","city":"Santiago de los Caballeros (Gurabo sector, Residencial Torre Real IV)","country":"Dominican Republic","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately USD 700,000 in cryptocurrency (including USDT), transferred to Binance and ByBit","amount_usd":700000,"description":"MAJOR CORRECTION OF DATE AND LOCATION: the record had dated the attack to March 2026, but March 2026 is only the date of the arrest warrant; the events, described in detail in the complaint, occurred on November 1, 2025. The victim, a foreign national who had posted a Telegram ad offering USDT for sale, was lured the next day to an apartment in the Gurabo sector (Santiago) by a contact calling himself \"IVÁN\"; there, the attackers threw him onto a bed, tied his feet with a belt, tried to suffocate him with a towel and held a gun to his head until they obtained his phone's passcode. They emptied his crypto account (about USD 700,000) to Binance and ByBit addresses, then abandoned him, beaten, on a vacant lot in Bonao (Monseñor Nouel province), also stealing the keys to his vehicle; Joan Carlos Miranda Furcal, described as the leader of the network and previously convicted, is at large under warrant 2025-AJ0075934 issued by a court in Santiago.","victims":"A man of foreign nationality, a P2P USDT seller (identity kept secret for security reasons)","outcome":"Arrest warrant active as of March 4, 2026; suspect at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The P2P USDT seller was held captive and had his personal crypto account emptied of about USD 700,000.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://deultimominuto.net/nacionales/dicrim-persigue-a-hombre/","source1_name":"Remolacha (Dominican Republic)","source2":"https://remolacha.net/2026/03/joan-carlos-miranda-furcal-2/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L163","date":"2025-11-01","precision":"day","city":"Bangkok","country":"Thailand","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT","cash (Thai baht)"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"THB 50,000 in cash + 9,375 USDT","amount_usd":10915,"description":"Three men (two Thai nationals and one South Korean) approached a 35-year-old Chinese national by car as he was waiting for a taxi on Mahaseth Road in Bangkok, struck him and forced him into the vehicle, then beat him in an underground parking garage before forcing him to transfer 9,375 USDT and stealing 50,000 baht in cash from him. The victim was released near the Maleenont Tower on Rama IV Road, and the four suspects were arrested between November 10 and 23, 2025.","victims":"A 35-year-old Chinese national","outcome":"Theft and forced transfer carried out (THB 50,000 + 9,375 USDT); four suspects arrested (Nattapong, 35, at Suvarnabhumi Airport on November 10; Chanon, 24, on November 12; Tanaphat, 29, on November 18; and South Korean national Lee, 46, on November 23), charged with vehicle-assisted robbery, unlawful confinement, and assault; Lee disputes the facts, citing a pre-existing debt owed to him by the victim.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual abducted on the street and forced to transfer his own USDT to an account linked to one of the attackers, in addition to the cash from his bag.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2025/11/23/south-korean-3-thais-held-in-bangkok-kidnapping-case/","source1_name":"Khaosod English","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA359","date":"2025-11-04","precision":"day","city":"Oxford, Oxfordshire, England","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"GBP 1,100,000 in cryptocurrency + a Richard Mille watch worth about GBP 450,000 (total haul ~GBP 1.55 million)","amount_usd":2030000,"description":"On November 4, 2025, in the afternoon, several men with covered faces forced their way into a car traveling from Oxford to London with two men and three women on board, seized the phones and a Richard Mille watch valued at GBP 450,000, then forced one of the occupants to transfer about GBP 1.1 million in cryptocurrency from his account. The attackers abandoned the vehicle and the victims after about thirty minutes in the Five Mile Drive area of Oxford. Thames Valley Police conducted a complex investigation (door-to-door inquiries, CCTV, license plate reading, digital, forensic and crypto analysis) leading to searches in London and Birmingham and arrests in Kent, then to the charging of a man arrested at Heathrow Airport in December 2025.","victims":"Five occupants of a vehicle (three women and two men), not publicly identified; one of them forced to transfer the cryptocurrency","outcome":"Haul of about GBP 1.55 million (GBP 1.1 million in cryptocurrency and a GBP 450,000 watch); in November 2025, four men were arrested for robbery and kidnapping (aged 21 and 37 from London, 23 from Kent, 19 from Birmingham) then released on police bail; on December 16, 2025, Abdul Malik Cali, 24, of no fixed address, was arrested at Heathrow Airport, charged with five counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, brought before Oxford Magistrates' Court and remanded in custody pending a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on January 16, 2026; five other people arrested in connection with the investigation remain on bail.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"One of the vehicle's occupants was forced to transfer about GBP 1.1 million in cryptocurrency from his personal account, in addition to a personal watch being stolen.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm27j7z38gpo","source1_name":"BBC News","source2":"https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/19/four-arrested-after-luxury-watch-cryptocurrency-stolen-oxford","source2_name":"The Guardian","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA360","date":"2025-11-05","precision":"day","city":"Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 17,000,000 demanded, more than RUB 1,000,000 actually paid","amount_usd":12300,"description":"A gang of three Moscow residents posing as law enforcement officers identified cryptocurrency sellers online, placed them under surveillance to learn their habits and movements, then arranged meetings with them by posing as customers. On site, the attackers displayed fake service badges, told the victim they were being arrested for financing the Ukrainian armed forces, produced their surveillance data as \"evidence,\" threatened them and handcuffed them at the slightest resistance, before offering them a way to buy their way out: from one of the traders they demanded 17 million rubles, of which more than one million was paid as a first installment. The three men were arrested and placed under formal investigation for large-scale fraud and arms trafficking; multiple fake badges, an unregistered firearm, a knuckle-duster, handcuffs, radios and GPS trackers were seized.","victims":"Moscow cryptocurrency traders/sellers, several victims including one identified (a man from whom RUB 17 million was demanded)","outcome":"More than one million rubles paid; three Moscow residents arrested (organized fraud, arms trafficking); fake badges, undeclared firearms, handcuffs, knuckle-dusters, radios and GPS trackers seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individual cryptocurrency traders/sellers were personally extorted through a fake police pretext, with one paying more than one million rubles.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.mail.ru/incident/68591652/","source1_name":"Mail.ru Новости","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L164","date":"2025-11-05","precision":"day","city":"Ciudad del Este, Alto Paraná","country":"Paraguay","type":"Raid on a mining farm","assets":["mining hardware (eleven to twelve machines/ASICs)"],"asset_classes":["Mining hardware"],"amount":"Unknown (theft unsuccessful, no machine taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Four individuals arriving in Toyota Premio vehicles attempted to break into a 4x4 meter warehouse, lacking any security, housing about ten cryptocurrency mining machines under construction near kilometer 9-10 (Monday/Acaray area) of Ciudad del Este. Alerted by his cameras linked to his phone, the site manager, Mario Ramón Chávez Rivas (35), called for help from his armed brother-in-law, Brihan Savino Peralta Vega (24), and a shootout broke out; Chávez Rivas died of his wounds at the hospital, as did one of the attackers, Rodrigo David Ayala Cano (32, already known to the justice system), while Peralta Vega was wounded and the three other attackers fled.","victims":"Mario Ramón Chávez Rivas, 35, manager of the mining site (deceased); his brother-in-law Brihan Savino Peralta Vega, 24, wounded by gunfire","outcome":"Attempted theft of the mining equipment thwarted by the brother-in-law's armed response; two dead (the site manager and one of the four attackers), one wounded, three attackers on the run and unidentified at the time of the articles; eleven mining machines found on site, investigation ongoing to identify the rest of the group.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The attackers targeted the equipment of a mining site (11 to 12 ASIC machines installed in a dedicated warehouse): equipment of a mining farm, i.e. operational/business assets rather than personal cryptoassets.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.abc.com.py/este/2025/11/05/violento-intento-de-robo-a-maquinas-de-criptomineria-deja-dos-muertos-y-un-herido-en-ciudad-del-este/","source1_name":"ABC Color","source2":"https://www.ultimahora.com/intento-de-asalto-a-una-mineria-de-criptomonedas-deja-saldo-de-dos-muertos-el-dueno-y-un-delincuente","source2_name":"Última Hora","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA361","date":"2025-11-14","precision":"day","city":"Yingge, New Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"900,000 TWD taken, 500,000 TWD recovered on the spot (net loss ~400,000 TWD; ~200,000 TWD recovered by police)","amount_usd":12700,"description":"Ms. Lai, identified in a LINE cryptocurrency exchange group, was lured on November 14, 2025 into a parking lot on Jianguo Road in Yingge by three men linked to the 北聯幫 gang (Zhang, 20, remote surveillance organizer; Liu, 26, driver; Li, 18, executor), who claimed to be selling her nearly USD 30,000 worth of USDT. After a test transfer of one USDT to gain her trust, Li grabbed the 900,000 TWD in cash she had brought out for verification, fled the vehicle, and pepper-sprayed her during the chase; in the struggle she recovered 500,000 TWD. The three men were arrested between November 14 and 18 (Wanhua, Banqiao, Daliao), with police recovering about 200,000 TWD and seizing the BMW used in the attack along with ketamine.","victims":"Ms. Lai (賴), USDT buyer","outcome":"Net loss of approximately 400,000 TWD; the 3 gang members arrested between November 14 and 18, BMW seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual targeted during an in-person P2P USDT sale transaction, acting on her own behalf.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5251077","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA362","date":"2025-11-22","precision":"day","city":"San Francisco (Mission Dolores)","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","ETH"],"asset_classes":["BTC","ETH"],"amount":"USD 13,000,000 (USD 10M in BTC + USD 3M in ETH)","amount_usd":13000000,"description":"Around 5 p.m., a man posing as a delivery person with a white box forced his way into a home in the Mission Dolores neighborhood, bound the victim with tape, struck him with a firearm, and threatened to cut off his fingers for about an hour, while an accomplice directed the operation by phone using a disguised voice. The attackers left with USD 10M in bitcoin and USD 3M in ethereum. Three Tennessee residents (Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, Jayden Rucker) were later arrested and charged federally.","victims":"Unidentified man (home linked to the circle of investor Lachy Groom)","outcome":"USD 13M in cryptocurrency stolen; 3 suspects arrested and later charged federally in May 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting an individual's personal BTC/ETH holdings at his residence.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://ktla.com/news/california/violent-crypto-robberies-los-angeles-bay-area/","source1_name":"KTLA","source2":"https://sfist.com/2026/05/12/three-men-from-tennessee-indicted-in-strong-arm-crypto-robbery-spree-across-bay-area-and-la/","source2_name":"SFist","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L165","date":"2025-11-22","precision":"day","city":"Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A cryptocurrency holder from the Chalon-sur-Saône area was targeted on November 22, 2025, by a fourth kidnapping attempt organized by a group of six men, including two minors, who sought to seize the contents of his digital wallet in exchange for a ransom. The first two attempts had failed and the third had already been stopped by police; this fourth attempt was foiled by a further police operation that led to the immediate arrest of the entire group. The six men were subsequently placed under formal investigation for criminal conspiracy to commit a crime.","victims":"A man holding cryptocurrency (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Fourth attempt foiled by police on November 22, 2025; six men (including two minors) arrested and then placed under formal investigation for criminal conspiracy; no ransom paid, victim unharmed.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Cryptoast confirms that the six men wanted to seize the funds from their target's personal crypto wallet and demand a \"digital ransom\" for his release; no company, platform, or professional role appears: this was an individual's personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lejsl.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/11/24/une-nouvelle-tentative-d-enlevement-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaie","source1_name":"Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire (Le JSL)","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/enlevement-crypto-chalon-sur-saone-6-hommes-interpelles-4-tentatives/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L166","date":"2025-11-22","precision":"day","city":"Saint Petersburg","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"According to the reference description, a 21-year-old man burst into a cryptocurrency exchange office in Saint Petersburg armed with airsoft grenades and smoke grenades, demanding that employees transfer cryptocurrency to his own digital wallet. He was reportedly arrested on the spot by police. These details could not be verified by a secondary source.","victims":"Employees of a cryptocurrency exchange office (establishment not identified)","outcome":"The attacker is described by the source as arrested on the spot; any amount stolen is not specified; the primary source (RBC.ru) was inaccessible (Qrator anti-bot protection blocking all loading, including via proxy and archives); no alternative Russian, English, or French source was found despite searching.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The RBC article (found via archive) specifies that the man entered the premises of a criptoobmennik (crypto exchange office) at an apart-hotel on Khersonskaya Street and demanded that EMPLOYEES transfer the establishment's crypto funds to his own wallet: it was the treasury of a commercial entity that was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.rbc.ru/spb_sz/23/11/2025/69232f6c9a7947d86f1e90a2","source1_name":"RBC (Saint Petersburg/North-West section)","source2":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260110024017/https://www.rbc.ru/spb_sz/23/11/2025/69232f6c9a7947d86f1e90a2","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA364","date":"2025-11-26","precision":"day","city":"Vienna (Donaustadt, Marlen-Haushofer-Weg)","country":"Austria","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"The body of a 21-year-old Ukrainian student, Danylo K., son of a deputy mayor of Kharkiv, was found around 1 a.m. on November 26, 2025 in a burning Mercedes in Vienna-Donaustadt. According to the Vienna Landeskriminalamt, the motive was his cryptocurrency holdings: he is believed to have been held captive and tortured before being burned. Two compatriots, a 19-year-old fellow student and a 45-year-old man, were arrested in Ukraine a few days later.","victims":"Danylo K., 21-year-old Ukrainian student, son of a deputy mayor of Kharkiv","outcome":"Victim tortured, then killed and burned in a vehicle; two suspects arrested in Ukraine","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Student held captive, tortured and killed for his personal cryptocurrency holdings.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000298860/krypto-vermoegen-soll-motiv-fuer-mord-an-21-jaehrigem-ukrainer-sein","source1_name":"Der Standard – « Krypto-Vermögen soll Motiv für Mord an 21-jährigem Ukrainer in Wien sein »","source2":"https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/wien/feuer-mord-in-wien-zwei-festnahmen/658860793","source2_name":"oe24.at","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA365","date":"2025-11-29","precision":"day","city":"Xinzhuang, New Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"170,000 USDT + 90,000 TWD","amount_usd":172900,"description":"Taiwanese YouTuber \"乘號\", who had moved from gaming to crypto investing, had been approached six months earlier by a man named Chen, 34, who posed as a struggling investor asking for advice. On November 29, 2025 around 7 p.m., after a \"thank-you\" dinner at the Hongwei mall in Xinzhuang, Chen led him to the 中貴站 parking lot on Zhongyang Road, where two accomplices lying in wait (Wu, 32, and Li, 31) forced him into a rental car; driven along Yanping North Road in Taipei, beaten and threatened that he would \"never go home,\" he transferred 90,000 TWD and 170,000 USDT (more than 5 million TWD), before being dropped off near Taoyuan Airport. Wu and Li were arrested in Sanchong and Xinzhuang within 24 hours and held incommunicado; Chen, identified, was still at large.","victims":"Taiwanese crypto YouTuber/influencer known as \"乘號\"","outcome":"170,000 USDT stolen; 2 suspects arrested and detained, 1 at large; accounts frozen. New Taipei District Court judgment of 8 April 2026 (case 115 Su 92): exact amount USDT 95,408 + 75,032 and TWD 90,000; sentences of 7 years 2 months and 3 years 6 months, the third perpetrator at large abroad.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Crypto influencer abducted and forced to transfer his own USDT/TWD under threat.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5266678","source1_name":"Liberty Times (LTN)","source2":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20251203/3078024.htm","source2_name":"ETtoday","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L168","date":"2025-11-29","precision":"day","city":"Trincity, Arouca","country":"Trinidad and Tobago","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"TT$85,800 in cash (Trinidad and Tobago dollars, about US$12,650) + mobile phones","amount_usd":12650,"description":"A 52-year-old man residing in Arouca was waiting in his car on November 29, 2025, around 8:30 p.m., in the parking lot of a pharmacy in Trincity, to meet a contact with whom he had been doing cryptocurrency business for nearly two years. Just after he handed over the money intended for the crypto purchase, two hooded men armed with pistols appeared, banged on the windows and announced the robbery, stealing $85,800 in cash as well as both parties' mobile phones before fleeing in a waiting vehicle.","victims":"A 52-year-old man, resident of Arouca","outcome":"$85,800 in cash and mobile phones stolen; attackers fled in an accomplice vehicle; a complaint was filed at the Arouca police station that same evening; investigation ongoing, no arrest reported at this stage.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Newsday describes a 52-year-old man from Arouca who came alone, in his own car, to hand over cash to buy crypto from an individual contact (a 33-year-old man from Belmont) with whom he had been dealing for two years: an in-person over-the-counter transaction by a private individual acting on his own behalf, with no company involved (the pharmacy is merely the location of the parking lot).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://newsday.co.tt/2025/12/01/arouca-man-robbed-while-buying-crypto-currency-in-carpark/","source1_name":"Trinidad and Tobago Newsday","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA367","date":"2025-12","precision":"day","city":"Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture","country":"Japan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately JPY 15,000,000 in crypto assets","amount_usd":97000,"description":"A woman described as an influencer in the investment sector was forcibly taken away by car, held captive and beaten, with her attackers stealing about 15 million yen in crypto assets from her. Four men were arrested by the Nishi police station (Nagoya) and the Aichi prefectural police, with the case made public on December 4, 2025. The exact date of the events is not specified in the available information (December 4, 2025 is the date the arrests were announced).","victims":"Woman, described as an investment-focused influencer (identity not published)","outcome":"~JPY 15M in cryptocurrency stolen; 4 suspects arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Influencer held captive and stripped of her own personal crypto assets.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://togetter.com/li/2635960","source1_name":"Togetter (press roundup citing the Chunichi Shimbun, article 1173664)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA447","date":"2025-12","precision":"month","city":"Arvillers, Somme","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"A wallet of about EUR 300 (Journal du Coin) or EUR 400 (Courrier picard), not obtained","amount_usd":null,"description":"Between late December 2025 and mid-January 2026, a resident of Arvillers, in the Somme, was the target of four attempted break-ins by masked, armed men convinced that she held a fortune in cryptocurrency, based on files of holders resold on underground markets. Her digital wallet held only about 300 to 400 euros, which the attackers did not get. Four men crossed the border several times to try to seize it.","victims":"A resident of Arvillers (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Four failed attempts, nothing taken; four suspects arrested in Belgium; investigation by the Amiens gendarmerie investigative section (section de recherches).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual targeted at home for a personal crypto wallet that resold files overstated.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.courrier-picard.fr/id730354/article/2026-07-04/somme-ils-la-croyaient-riche-en-cryptomonnaie-un-commando-la-terrorise-pour-400","source1_name":"Courrier picard","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/crypto-agressions-portefeuille-300-euros/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L170","date":"2025-12-01","precision":"day","city":"Eaubonne, Val-d'Oise","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (ransom demanded in euros)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"Unknown (a ransom of EUR 300,000 was demanded, payment never confirmed)","amount_usd":315000,"description":"A 53-year-old man, father of a cybersecurity entrepreneur serving cryptocurrency holders based in Dubai, was abducted in broad daylight on a street in Eaubonne by four hooded men in a utility vehicle. Assaulted by his kidnappers, who sent his son two videos of him while demanding a ransom of EUR 300,000, he was found naked and injured in a forest in a neighboring municipality a few hours later. The investigation, assigned to the OCLCO and the Val-d'Oise judicial police, led to the arrest of eleven people on February 3, 2026.","victims":"A 53-year-old man, father of a crypto entrepreneur based in Dubai","outcome":"The victim was released after a few hours of confinement and violence and was found seriously injured (\"polytraumatized\") and half-naked by a roadside in Louvres; payment of the ransom was not confirmed. Eleven people were arrested on February 3, 2026 by the OCLCO and the Val-d'Oise judicial police; seven of them were placed under formal investigation on Friday, February 6, 2026 in this investigation led by the Paris public prosecutor's office, and the other four were released from police custody. According to the victim's son, criminals had already come to his father's home in November 2025 to demand one million euros.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A ransom of EUR 300,000 was demanded from the son, a crypto entrepreneur based in Dubai, for his personal assets; the father, a private individual, was abducted as leverage against a private holder, with no company treasury targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2026/02/03/enlevement-du-pere-d-un-entrepreneur-de-la-crypto-onze-personnes-ont-ete-arretees","source1_name":"Le Dauphiné Libéré","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/nouveau-kidnapping-crypto-pere-entrepreneur-dubai-enleve-pleine-rue/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L171","date":"2025-12-08","precision":"day","city":"Miami, Florida","country":"United States","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","jewelry"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"USD 562,155 in cryptocurrency + USD 413,500 in jewelry (total approximately USD 975,655)","amount_usd":975655,"description":"Rapper and influencer Dontae Lamar Johnson, known as \"Buckfiddy,\" robbed an out-of-state visitor in Miami (Morningside neighborhood) whom he had met two months earlier at a nightclub, threatening him with a handgun to force him to transfer cryptocurrency and hand over jewelry. The total loss is estimated at about USD 975,655 (USD 562,155 in cryptocurrency and USD 413,500 in jewelry). Johnson was arrested on December 24, 2025 with a Ruger LCP .380 pistol in his vehicle.","victims":"A non-resident visitor to Florida (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"The suspect was arrested on December 24, 2025 in the Edgewater neighborhood; charged with armed robbery; probable cause was found by the Miami-Dade justice system and pretrial detention was ordered pending a hearing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A visiting private individual was robbed at gunpoint of his own crypto and jewelry during a private encounter, with no connection to a professional entity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.local10.com/news/local/2025/12/24/gunman-arrested-for-nearly-1m-crypto-jewelry-robbery-in-miamis-morningside-neighborhood-cops-say/","source1_name":"Local10 (WPLG, Miami)","source2":"https://vemediaonline.co.uk/rapper-buckfiddy-arrested-for-1m-crypto-jewellery-robbery/","source2_name":"VE Media Online","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA368","date":"2025-12-12","precision":"day","city":"Miami Beach (Normandy Isles, Florida)","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"From October 26 to December 12, 2025, Rashawn Noel, Mark-Simon Louma and Jude Timothe surveilled the home of a cryptocurrency holder in Normandy Isles (Miami Beach): three drone flyovers, repeated drive-bys through the gated community, planting a magnetic GPS tracker under the victim's vehicle on December 8, and importing jammers from China intended to disable Wi-Fi surveillance cameras. The FBI, which had already moved the victim to safety, arrested them on December 12 after a surveillance operation: a firearm and two ski masks were found in Noel's vehicle, and Louma fled by ramming a Broward County sheriff's vehicle before his arrest. The FBI concluded this was a planned kidnapping, extortion or physical theft targeting the crypto assets, preceding an attempt to obtain the seed phrases via fake \"Google Support\" calls.","victims":"Man presenting himself as very wealthy in cryptocurrency, residing in Normandy Isles (not identified in the complaint)","outcome":"Three men arrested and charged with stalking and possession of a firearm in connection with a violent crime; no theft occurred","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Surveillance and a planned kidnapping targeting an individual cryptocurrency holder at his home for his personal seed phrases.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.703408/gov.uscourts.flsd.703408.1.0.pdf","source1_name":"FBI criminal complaint, United States v. Noel, S.D. Fla., 1:25-mj-04411 (CourtListener/RECAP)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L173","date":"2025-12-12","precision":"day","city":"Toulon, Var","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount extorted (a ransom of EUR 50,000 was demanded but never paid)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Two masked men, armed with a knife and a revolver, held a 17-year-old high school student captive in the stairwell of his building as he left school, to blackmail his older brother, a cryptocurrency trader based in Dubai, from whom they demanded via Snapchat EUR 50,000 \"in crypto, a round number, no negotiation,\" under an ultimatum and death threats. The teenager, having given false information, was released; the family's apartment was then broken into in their absence and an intimidation video (a door doused with gasoline) was sent, prompting the family to leave France for several weeks. Ten days after the events, the BRI arrested three minors, who were placed under judicial supervision pending trial.","victims":"A 17-year-old teenager (first name Arthur, as reported by the press), younger brother of a crypto trader based in Dubai","outcome":"The ransom was not paid, the hostage was released unharmed after lying about his identity; the family home was subsequently broken into and threatened; three minors were arrested and placed under formal investigation, left free under judicial supervision pending trial.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers abducted the minor brother of an independent crypto trader based in Dubai to extort EUR 50,000 in cryptocurrency from the latter's personal holdings; a relative of a holder was held captive to reach an individual's personal assets, no company mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/cryptomonnaie-un-lyceen-toulonnais-sequestre-sa-famille-menacee-10665698","source1_name":"Nice-Matin","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/sequestrent-adolescent-reclamer-50000-euros-frere-trader-crypto-dubai/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L174","date":"2025-12-13","precision":"day","city":"Mong Kok, Kowloon (President Commercial Centre)","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["cash","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount stolen (attempted robbery failed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"At around 8 p.m., three to five assailants attacked the owner (Mr. Yu, 46) and an employee (Ms. Lee, 37) of a cryptocurrency exchange shop, attempting to force the owner to open the business; a struggle broke out in the building's stairwell. The owner was injured to the hand/finger and hospitalized at Kwong Wah Hospital, but the attackers fled toward Ferry Street without being able to take any cash or crypto assets.","victims":"Mr. Yu, 46, owner of a cryptocurrency exchange shop, and a 37-year-old employee (Ms. Lee)","outcome":"No financial loss, the owner was injured and hospitalized; the suspects fled without being identified, police are reviewing CCTV footage and no arrest had been reported as of the latest articles.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The assailants attempted to force the owner to open his cryptocurrency exchange shop in order to seize the till and the business's assets; the business premises were targeted, not Mr. Yu's private holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/attempted-armed-robbery-at-mong-kok-crypto-exchange-owner-injured-but-no-losses/","source1_name":"Dimsum Daily","source2":"https://phemex.com/news/article/hong-kong-crypto-exchange-owner-injured-in-attempted-robbery-44697","source2_name":"Phemex News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L232","date":"2025-12-13","precision":"day","city":"Solihull (Smith's Wood, West Midlands), England","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","Rolex watches"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"Several hundred thousand pounds sterling in cryptocurrency (exact amount not published), plus several Rolex watches","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Saturday, December 13, 2025, at about 5:20 pm, three masked and gloved men got out of a car parked nearby and forced their way in behind a couple returning to their home in Smith's Wood (Solihull). For about 45 minutes, they hit the husband with hammers on the head, face, hands and ribs, while one of them held his wife, seven months pregnant, down on the sofa with a pillow over her face and threatened her with a knife. A fourth accomplice, on a video call, had the phone's apps shown to him and, after spotting a well-funded wallet, threatened to stab the woman in the stomach and kill the baby unless the transfer was made; the husband transferred his cryptocurrency to that man's wallet.","victims":"An unidentified couple (the husband, an amateur crypto investor who had traded full time since 2023, called 'James' by the BBC; his wife, in her early thirties, seven months pregnant with their third child)","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transferred and watches stolen; the husband was seriously injured to the head, hands and ribs; the baby was born at full term. West Midlands Police investigation; in October 2026, Crimestoppers offered a reward of up to GBP 10,000 and released CCTV footage; no arrests announced (suspects thought to be in their twenties, fled in a black BMW X3).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (amateur investor) attacked at home and forced to transfer his personal cryptocurrency savings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6eq84eygz0qo","source1_name":"BBC News","source2":"https://www.irishnews.com/news/uk/reward-offered-after-crypto-heist-gang-threatens-to-kill-victims-pregnant-wife-NBXUDRSZHNKKVILH32NHIZIYJA/","source2_name":"The Irish News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA370","date":"2025-12-17","precision":"day","city":"San Jose","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Nothing stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"A San Jose resident was greeted in his driveway by an armed individual who ordered him into his garage and to close the door, then struck him on the back of the head with the weapon; the victim pretended to be seriously injured. Eleven days earlier he had received two pizza deliveries he had not ordered, and two days before the attack had been offered a free driveway cleaning — reconnaissance attributed to the same network.","victims":"Unidentified man","outcome":"Attack interrupted, nothing stolen; suspects linked to the network of the three Tennessee men arrested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting a private individual at his home, linked to the same network targeting individual cryptocurrency holders.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://ktla.com/news/california/violent-crypto-robberies-los-angeles-bay-area/","source1_name":"KTLA","source2":"https://sfist.com/2026/05/12/three-men-from-tennessee-indicted-in-strong-arm-crypto-robbery-spree-across-bay-area-and-la/","source2_name":"SFist","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA371","date":"2025-12-18","precision":"day","city":"Ogudu, Lagos","country":"Nigeria","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"2,000 USDT (about NGN 3,330,000) extorted out of 5,000 USDT demanded","amount_usd":2000,"description":"Before 6 a.m. on December 18, 2025, police officers from the Area H command in Ogudu stopped a couple leaving Lagos, \"profiled\" and threatened the husband, seized his phones, and took both spouses to the Ogudu police station, where the wife — who was pregnant — was left sitting outside while the husband was forced to write a compromising statement without a lawyer. The officers first demanded 5,000 USDT, then, after bargaining, extorted 2,000 USDT (about NGN 3,330,000) sent to a wallet address they provided, before erasing all trace of the transaction; a copy of the evidence survived because the transfer had been made from a friend's wallet. After the matter was referred to the Police Complaints Response Unit and the FIJ investigation was published, the officers repaid NGN 2.2 million and then, less than 24 hours later, the remaining NGN 1.1 million, that is, the full amount.","victims":"A married couple leaving Lagos, the wife pregnant (identities protected; friend witness under the pseudonym \"Abiodun Alabi\")","outcome":"2,000 USDT extorted; after media coverage, the officers repaid NGN 2.2 million in installments; a complaint was filed with the Police Complaints Response Unit","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private couple extorted of personal USDT (the transfer was made from a friend's wallet) by corrupt police officers.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://fij.ng/article/lagos-policemen-return-n2-2m-from-couples-n3-3m-because-many-of-us-have-shared-the-rest","source1_name":"Echo Titbits (citing the FIJ investigation)","source2":"https://fij.ng/article/after-fijs-story-lagos-policemen-collectively-cough-up-n1-1m-they-stole-from-couple","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L175","date":"2025-12-18","precision":"day","city":"Dompierre-sur-Mer (La Rochelle metropolitan area, Charente-Maritime)","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["cryptocurrency (hardware wallet)"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet"],"amount":"EUR 8,000,000","amount_usd":9375000,"description":"On the night of December 18, at around 5 a.m., three individuals broke into the home of a cryptocurrency investor and his partner, bound and beat them, then forced the man to unlock his hardware wallet to carry out a transfer of 8 million euros in cryptocurrency to the kidnappers' accounts. Part of the funds was frozen immediately after the attack; four months later, a 34-year-old suspect was arrested outside the department and placed under formal investigation for unlawful confinement, extortion and money laundering committed as an organized group, with the national prosecutor's office for organized crime (PNACO) linking the case to several other similar \"crypto-kidnapping\" cases.","victims":"A cryptocurrency investor and his partner (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"8 million euros in cryptocurrency extorted via forced transfers, after the victim was made to unlock his Ledger device; the victims were bound and beaten but survived, the man being hospitalized for a few days; part of the funds was frozen. A first suspect, aged 34, was arrested four months after the events and placed under formal investigation on Thursday, April 16, 2026 by a judge of the Paris organized crime unit for unlawful confinement, extortion and money laundering by an organized group; the other two alleged members of the trio were placed in police custody on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 by the Poitiers gendarmerie investigation unit.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An individual investor was held captive at his home along with his partner and forced to unlock his own security key to transfer HIS personal cryptocurrency; no corporate structure or treasury is mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/un-investisseur-en-cryptomonnaie-et-sa-compagne-sequestres-a-leur-domicile-de-la-rochelle-des-virements-effectues-par-les-ravisseurs-18-12-2025-KN6YFKOQ2NCCPEGXLZP2ZTYX4A.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/faits-divers/cryptomonnaies-quatre-mois-apres-la-sequestration-d-un-couple-en-charente-maritime-un-homme-interpelle-et-mis-en-examen_7954223.html","source2_name":"franceinfo","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L176","date":"2025-12-18","precision":"day","city":"Sheung Wan (Wing Lok Street / Queen's Road Central)","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Other","assets":["cash (Japanese yen)"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"JPY 1,000,000,000 (about HKD 50,000,000)","amount_usd":6420000,"description":"At around 9 a.m., three to four robbers who emerged from a car, one of them armed with a 20 cm butcher's knife, seized in about thirty seconds four suitcases containing the equivalent of one billion yen in cash being transported by two employees of a Japanese cryptocurrency and luxury goods company, before fleeing by switching vehicles. Police subsequently arrested 15 people (11 men and 4 women, aged 24 to 69, several linked to triads), 7 of whom were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery; the money remained missing as of the latest articles.","victims":"Two employees of a Japanese cryptocurrency and luxury goods company","outcome":"One billion yen stolen in cash, no serious violence reported against the victims; 15 people arrested, 7 of them charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, the money had not been recovered as of the latest articles.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The four suitcases of cash belonged to a Japanese cryptocurrency and luxury goods company and were being transported by two of its employees to a currency exchange office; the assets targeted were the company's.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3337263/hong-kong-police-arrest-15-over-meticulously-planned-1-billion-yen-robbery","source1_name":"South China Morning Post","source2":"https://hongkongfp.com/2025/12/22/15-people-arrested-over-1-billion-yen-robbery-stolen-money-yet-to-be-found/","source2_name":"Hong Kong Free Press","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA372","date":"2025-12-22","precision":"day","city":"Sunnyvale","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Nothing stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"Five days after the San Jose attack, an individual posing as a DoorDash delivery driver bringing coffee brandished a weapon and forced his way into the home of a Sunnyvale resident. The attacker fled in a black Kia after the victim fought back. Investigators believe the crew was ordering food on DoorDash from neighbors to lend the ruse credibility.","victims":"Unidentified man","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing stolen; Nino Chindavanh arrested in Sunnyvale on December 22, 2025","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted home invasion targeting a private individual at his home, with no corporate element.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://ktla.com/news/california/violent-crypto-robberies-los-angeles-bay-area/","source1_name":"KTLA","source2":"https://sfist.com/2026/05/12/three-men-from-tennessee-indicted-in-strong-arm-crypto-robbery-spree-across-bay-area-and-la/","source2_name":"SFist","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA373","date":"2025-12-29","precision":"day","city":"Antalya (Sirinyali neighborhood, Muratpasa district), Mediterranean region","country":"Türkiye","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"about USD 4,000,000 in crypto assets (~TRY 192 million according to Turkish press, value at the time of the events)","amount_usd":4000000,"description":"On December 29, 2025, around 4:58-5:00 a.m., a crew in police uniform, carrying fake professional IDs (including an International Police Association card) and a purported search and seizure warrant, had themselves let into Cem Turan's villa in the Sirinyali neighborhood (Muratpasa, Antalya) and handcuffed his two employees with plastic ties. Under threat of death and torture also targeting his family, after first demanding USD 200 million, the victim transferred the entirety of his holdings from his cold wallet — about USD 4 million (~TRY 192 million) in crypto assets — to accounts controlled by the attackers, who also took the surveillance video recorder. Thirteen suspects were arrested that same day, including serving police officer Ismail E., retired police officer Omer K., two Russians, a Kazakh, and two Belgians intercepted at Antalya airport; nine were remanded in custody (ten according to press reports of January 2, 2026) and the trial was still ongoing in August 2026 before the 4th Antalya Assize Court.","victims":"Cem Turan (C.T.), owner of the villa, his wife Sinem Turan, and his two employees","outcome":"~USD 4 million in crypto assets transferred from a cold wallet; 13 suspects arrested the same day, 9 held in pretrial detention (10 according to initial reports) and the others under judicial supervision; seizure of USD 61,105, two pistols, plastic handcuffs, a cold wallet, and the video recorder; trial ongoing in August 2026 before the 4th Antalya Assize Court for aggravated nighttime group robbery, unlawful confinement, forgery of public documents, and impersonation of a public official","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The villa owner's personal cold wallet was emptied under threat, with no corporate structure targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/antalyada-sahte-polislere-4-milyon-dolarlik-kripto-para-kaptiran-magdur-olum-ve-iskenceyle-tehdit-edilince-gonderdim-43286723","source1_name":"Hurriyet","source2":"https://www.milliyet.com.tr/gundem/kapiyi-polis-diye-caldilar-antalyadaki-villada-4-milyon-dolarlik-kripto-varlik-vurgunu-7517577","source2_name":"Milliyet","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L177","date":"2025-12-29","precision":"day","city":"Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan (Bangkok metropolitan area)","country":"Thailand","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["cryptocurrency (type not specified)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately 400,000 baht actually paid in cryptocurrency in two transactions (Monday evening of the abduction / early Tuesday morning); ransom demanded of 2,000,000 baht (see outcome)","amount_usd":12400,"description":"Lyu Chenglong, a 25-year-old Chinese national, was abducted at night from the 14 Residence hotel (Samut Prakan) by individuals posing as Central Investigation Bureau police officers, who accused him of being a scammer. The kidnappers demanded that a relative in China pay a cryptocurrency ransom of about 2 million baht; his elder brother paid about 400,000 in two transfers while having a third party file a complaint with the real police, which enabled a raid on a hotel in Bangkok where the victim was found safe and two suspects were arrested.","victims":"Lyu Chenglong, 25, Chinese national","outcome":"Victim found safe during a hotel raid in Huai Khwang (Bangkok); two Thai suspects, Watcharapol Pimpila (24) and Japing sae Liu (23), arrested and charged with kidnapping and impersonating police officers; an air pistol, a taser and handcuffs were seized.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency ransom demanded for the release of a private individual (Chinese national) and paid by his brother: strictly personal/family assets, no connection to any economic entity.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3166759/police-imposters-arrested-for-abducting-chinese-man-for-ransom","source1_name":"Bangkok Post","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA374","date":"2025-12-31","precision":"day","city":"Los Angeles (Brentwood)","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 6,500,000","amount_usd":6500000,"description":"On New Year's Eve, in Brentwood, a man posing as a delivery driver asked for a glass of water and then followed the victim into his house at gunpoint. Bound with tape and zip ties by two attackers (a third following along by phone), the victim gave up his password under threat of having his fingers cut off; about USD 6.5 million was transferred from his crypto accounts. A second person present was able to alert the police.","victims":"An unidentified man and woman","outcome":"USD 6.5 million in crypto transferred; two suspects arrested in Los Angeles on December 31, 2025, federal indictment in May 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual's personal crypto accounts emptied after a home invasion under threat.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://ktla.com/news/california/violent-crypto-robberies-los-angeles-bay-area/","source1_name":"KTLA","source2":"https://sfist.com/2026/05/12/three-men-from-tennessee-indicted-in-strong-arm-crypto-robbery-spree-across-bay-area-and-la/","source2_name":"SFist","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA375","date":"2026","precision":"month","city":"Not specified (outskirts of a residential complex, South Korea)","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"about KRW 34,000,000 (\"3400여만 원\") in cash","amount_usd":24000,"description":"Four teenagers aged 17 and 18 who had bonded at a juvenile detention center lured a motorist in broad daylight by offering to sell him cryptocurrency at a bargain price, on the premise that \"money from people who buy coins in person is dirty money, so they won't file a complaint.\" Near a residential complex, one got into the passenger seat, two others got into the vehicle, fought with the driver, and left with more than KRW 34 million in cash, one of them leaving his jacket behind in the struggle. The car had been rented using a third party's driver's license fraudulently presented; the four were arrested within a few days of each other and placed in pretrial detention for aggravated group robbery.","victims":"An adult motorist who had come to buy cryptocurrency over the counter (age and identity not specified)","outcome":"The four teenagers were arrested within a few days of each other and placed in pretrial detention, charged with aggravated robbery","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Robbery of a private individual who had come to buy cryptocurrency over the counter for his own account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/449/0000341045","source1_name":"Channel A (via Naver)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA376","date":"2026-01","precision":"day","city":"Andijan","country":"Uzbekistan","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"about USD 100,000 in crypto extorted (USD 150,000 demanded), in exchange for USD 160,000 in counterfeit currency","amount_usd":100000,"description":"After lengthy surveillance, members of an organized criminal group from Andijan lured a young cryptocurrency exchanger to a fake client meeting at a supermarket, forced him into a Damas van while posing as law enforcement officers, and, threatening him with weapons and bladed objects and with criminal prosecution, demanded USD 150,000 before obtaining a transfer of about USD 100,000 in cryptocurrency, handing him USD 160,000 in counterfeit bills in exchange. The joint MVD and SGB operation led to several arrests, with the two organizers nicknamed \"Khoji\" and \"Mufti\" having fled abroad and remaining wanted.","victims":"A cryptocurrency exchanger born in 2004, a resident of Andijan district; a woman assaulted and robbed by a member of the group in a related incident","outcome":"≈USD 100,000 in crypto extorted; several members arrested by the MVD and security services, two leaders nicknamed \"Khoji\" and \"Mufti\" fled abroad and wanted","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A young individual exchanger lured to a fake meeting and stripped of his personal cryptocurrency, with no mention of a company or client funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://podrobno.uz/cat/proisshestviya/v-andizhane-presekli-deyatelnost-opg-zanimavsheysya-vymogatelstvom-kriptovalyuty-video/","source1_name":"Podrobno.uz","source2":"https://nova24.uz/incidents/v-andizhane-lzhesotrudniki-uvd-vymogali-kriptovalyutu-i-poddelyvali-dengi/","source2_name":"Nova24.uz","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA377","date":"2026-01","precision":"month","city":"Kaohsiung (victim resident in Pingtung)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","physical gold"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Valuables"],"amount":"3.28 taels of gold (~NTD 560,000), in exchange for 20,000 USDT promised","amount_usd":17800,"description":"In January 2026, a group linked to the 太陽聯盟 (Sun Alliance) triad contacted a Pingtung resident on Telegram and offered him 20,000 USDT (~NTD 560,000) in exchange for 3.28 taels of gold, arranging a meeting at a convenience store in Kaohsiung. Chen (20 years old) carried out an on-the-spot gold-melting test to allay the victim's suspicion, then, once the gold was handed over, snatched it with his bare hands and fled without delivering the USDT. Four men (Chen, 20; Wei, 27, the direct instigator; Hsu, 32, a 太陽聯盟 member; Lee, 27) were arrested in Sanchong (New Taipei) and referred in August 2026 to the Ciaotou public prosecutor's office for snatch theft and money laundering.","victims":"A Pingtung resident wishing to exchange 3.28 taels of gold for USDT","outcome":"Gold stolen; 4 people arrested by the Southern Criminal Investigation Brigade and referred to the Ciaotou public prosecutor's office","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private exchange between individuals (gold for USDT) in which one of the two is stripped of his personal property.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5569121","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20260910002727-260402","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA450","date":"2026-01","precision":"month","city":"Khabarovsk, Pavlovicha Street","country":"Russia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"About RUB 150,000 in belongings (computer tower, keyboard, bracelet, two watches); value of the targeted crypto wallets unknown","amount_usd":1900,"description":"In late January 2026 in Khabarovsk, two young men aged 18 and 20, one carrying a food-delivery backpack, rang the doorbell of an 18-year-old student on Pavlovicha Street, claiming that a friend had ordered food for him. As soon as he opened the door, they burst into the flat, threatened him with an air pistol, hit him several times, searched the rooms and took his computer tower, a keyboard, a silver bracelet and two watches (about 150,000 rubles). One of the attackers said the computer was the target: he believed the victim's crypto wallets held a large sum.","victims":"An 18-year-old technical college student in Khabarovsk (not named)","outcome":"The stolen items (about RUB 150,000) were recovered by police along with the air pistol; the attackers were quickly identified; proceedings against the younger one were suspended, and the older one's case was sent to court (July 2026). The reports do not say whether any cryptocurrency was taken.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private student attacked at home to gain access to his personal crypto wallets through his computer.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://gubernia.com/habarovchanina-izbili-i-zabrali-sistemnyj-blok-v-nadezhde-dobratsja-do-kriptokoshelka/","source1_name":"Gubernia (gubernia.com)","source2":"https://www.dvnovosti.ru/incidents/2026/07/31/195866/","source2_name":"dvnovosti.ru","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L178","date":"2026-01-04","precision":"month","city":"Dijon, Côte-d'Or","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three young men in their twenties, Mathys, Maxime and Ervan, with no prior criminal record and living with their parents, abducted and held captive, in early January 2026, another young man, Maxence, who boasted of large gains from cryptocurrency investments and lived lavishly in nightclubs; two of the attackers claim to have themselves been scammed by him. Prosecuted for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and extortion with violence (up to ten years in prison possible), the three suspects had their pretrial detention upheld at a hearing of the Dijon court on January 16, 2026.","victims":"Maxence, a young man in his twenties presenting himself as a cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"Pretrial detention of the three individuals placed under formal investigation upheld by the court on January 16, 2026; no extortion amount specified in the press at this stage.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers, private individuals who considered themselves scammed, targeted the money of another private individual (Maxence) investing in cryptocurrency for his own account; no company involved.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.bienpublic.com/faits-divers-justice/2026/01/18/enlevement-sur-fond-d-arnaque-a-la-cryptomonnaie-les-trois-prevenus-restent-detenus","source1_name":"Le Bien Public","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L179","date":"2026-01-05","precision":"day","city":"Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USB key (crypto data)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"Unknown (financial loss not assessed at the time of the article)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Monday, January 5, 2026, around 7:30 p.m., three hooded individuals broke into the home of a couple on Chemin des Champs de Pruniers in Manosque, and tied up and held captive the young woman who was there alone. They threatened her with a handgun and slapped her to make her hand over her partner's cryptocurrency, before leaving with a USB key containing his crypto data. The victim, unharmed, freed herself a few minutes after they left and alerted the police.","victims":"A young woman, partner of a cryptocurrency holder","outcome":"Victim unharmed, freed herself alone after managing to untie herself; financial loss not assessed; investigation entrusted to the local judicial police department and the zonal directorate of the national police, victim interviewed the following day.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers explicitly sought to recover the personal cryptocurrency of the victim's partner, taking a USB key containing this data from the couple's home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/victime-dun-vol-de-cryptomonnaie-une-jeune-femme-sequestree-par-plusieurs-individus-cagoules-a-manosque-06-01-2026-WS2ED2I3UFHB7JRDMUE2XXRVYI.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L180","date":"2026-01-08","precision":"day","city":"La Chapelle-Saint-Aubin, Sarthe, near Le Mans","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Thursday, January 8, 2026, five attackers broke into the home of a couple in La Chapelle-Saint-Aubin, near Le Mans, and held the entire family captive — the parents and their three children — for 40 minutes, seeking to obtain an access code to the cryptocurrency held by the couple. No injuries were reported. A week later, the gendarmes conducted a neighborhood inquiry, and the case was handed to the new national anti-organized-crime public prosecutor's office (Pnaco), with investigations carried out by the gendarmeries of Angers and Paris.","victims":"A couple and their three children","outcome":"No injuries reported; neighborhood inquiry conducted a week after the incident; case taken over by the national anti-organized-crime public prosecutor's office (Pnaco); no arrest reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The five attackers sought to extract from the couple, at their home, an access code to their personal cryptocurrency; no professional context or company funds mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://actu.fr/pays-de-la-loire/le-mans_72181/toute-une-famille-sequestree-dans-cette-commune-de-la-sarthe-sur-fond-de-vol-de-cryptomonnaie_63711209.html","source1_name":"actu.fr","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/faits-divers/agression/ils-sont-traumatises-un-couple-et-ses-trois-enfants-sequestres-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaie-befb6918-f2f7-11f0-bfca-235f15251990","source2_name":"Ouest-France / Le Maine Libre","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA448","date":"2026-01-08","precision":"day","city":"Puteaux, Hauts-de-Seine","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Tipped off that a crew from the Yvelines was preparing a home invasion against a cryptocurrency investor in Puteaux, the Versailles BRI (police search and intervention unit) put the area under surveillance. On 7 January 2026, a Renault Megane parked near the target's building and figures went inside before leaving, then the car came back during the night; on 8 January, officers caught four members of the gang in the stairwell as they were about to strike, with fake weapons, stun guns, walkie-talkies and break-in tools.","victims":"A cryptocurrency investor in Puteaux (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Attack foiled by the Versailles BRI before any contact with the target; the same Chanteloup-les-Vignes gang, suspected of the Verneuil-sur-Seine home invasion (L182), saw six men aged 18 to 37 placed under formal investigation in Paris on 27 March 2026 for unlawful confinement, armed extortion and criminal conspiracy, four of them remanded in custody.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency investor targeted at home; no company or client funds mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/la-bande-de-chanteloup-avait-ligote-et-tabasse-un-investisseur-en-crypto-et-sa-famille-six-suspects-interpelles-30-03-2026-73IGGP32JBA2LPYNAMYQA74TX4.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/crypto-investisseurs-attaques-reseau-demantele/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L181","date":"2026-01-09","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Léger-sous-Cholet, Maine-et-Loire","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Friday, January 9, 2026, around 8:30 a.m., several hooded individuals forced their way into the home of a 43-year-old software architect engineer in Saint-Léger-sous-Cholet, in front of his wife, tied him up and abducted him in view of neighbors alerted by shouting. He was held and beaten for several hours before being released in the late morning in Basse-Goulaine (Loire-Atlantique), about 50 km away, then taken to the Nantes University Hospital; his life was not in danger. The victim, whose home had already been the target of two attempted burglaries in late December 2025 (which had prompted him to install cameras), was abducted, according to the investigation, 'in connection with cryptocurrency', with the kidnappers seeking to obtain his access codes.","victims":"A 43-year-old man, software architect engineer, father","outcome":"Victim released after several hours of violent captivity, hospitalized then out of danger; investigation entrusted to the Angers Research Section (Section de recherche d'Angers) and the JIRS of Rennes, perpetrators actively sought, no arrest reported at this stage; it is unknown whether the kidnappers obtained the access codes.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (software engineer) abducted at his own home in front of his wife to obtain his personal cryptocurrency access codes; no employer or company targeted. Matches the case 'private individual abducted for their own crypto'.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/jai-entendu-des-cris-dans-la-rue-enleve-au-petit-matin-pour-ses-cryptomonnaies-pres-de-cholet-f97a7740-ed71-11f0-ae78-1a0629cc1f87","source1_name":"Ouest-France / Courrier de l'Ouest","source2":"https://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/maine-et-loire/un-pere-de-famille-enleve-a-son-domicile-dans-le-maine-et-loire-pour-ses-cryptomonnaies-1768227635","source2_name":"La Nouvelle République","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L182","date":"2026-01-09","precision":"day","city":"Verneuil-sur-Seine, Yvelines","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About EUR 11,000 worth of cryptocurrency transferred","amount_usd":12800,"description":"On Friday, January 9, 2026, in the early evening, three armed individuals (with a pistol according to Le Parisien) broke into the house of a man heading a group specialized in cryptocurrency investments, in Verneuil-sur-Seine. They struck both parents then tied up the couple and their two children with cable ties, seeking to obtain access codes to cryptoasset accounts. The family managed to free themselves from their bonds after the perpetrators left and took refuge with neighbors who alerted the police; the three attackers fled toward the train station.","victims":"Head of a cryptocurrency investment group, his wife and their two children","outcome":"Family physically unharmed but shocked; about EUR 11,000 worth of cryptocurrency was transferred. Six men aged 18 to 37 from the Chanteloup-les-Vignes gang, also behind a foiled attempt in Puteaux (WA448), were placed under formal investigation on 27 March 2026 in Paris, four of them remanded in custody.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The father, 'head of a group specialized in cryptocurrency-related investments' (Ouest-France citing Le Parisien), was attacked at his house along with his family to obtain access codes to cryptoasset accounts: an executive targeted at home for his personal holdings; no source mentions the company's treasury or client funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/un-investisseur-en-cryptomonnaies-et-sa-famille-ligotes-et-tabasses-chez-eux-dans-les-yvelines-11-01-2026-ZMJMDGSKBRBAJC5DODWC2AHHJU.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/cryptomonnaies-une-famille-agressee-et-ligotee-chez-elle-par-trois-malfaiteurs-dans-les-yvelines-8cd11ee0-efa2-11f0-b9c9-867b213e179a","source2_name":"Ouest-France","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA378","date":"2026-01-11","precision":"day","city":"Zoersel, Antwerp province","country":"Belgium","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"very limited haul","amount_usd":null,"description":"Around 9 p.m., two individuals forced their way into a house on Korte Maalstraat, bound a 60-year-old woman (a doctor) hand and foot, hit her in the face, and threatened her with a firearm. They were looking for cryptocurrency and a hardware wallet that the victim did not have.","victims":"A 60-year-old woman, a doctor","outcome":"Little or nothing stolen; victim injured in the face. The perpetrators fled; an investigation was opened by the Antwerp public prosecutor's office (attempted extortion, robbery with violence, unlawful deprivation of liberty), perpetrators still wanted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting a private individual to extort her personal cryptocurrency and hardware wallet.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://nnieuws.be/artikel/inbraak-met-geweld-zoersel-vrouw-van-60-vastgebonden-eigen-huis","source1_name":"NNieuws (citing the statement from the local Voorkempen police)","source2":"https://www.indegazette.be/home-invasion-in-zoersel-onderwerp-van-gerechtelijk-onderzoek/","source2_name":"In De Gazette","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L183","date":"2026-01-13","precision":"day","city":"Sweden (city not specified)","country":"Sweden","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (sought, not held)","Pokémon cards","watch","car key"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Vehicle","Valuables"],"amount":"No cryptocurrency obtained; items taken estimated by the victim at USD 7,000 (Pokémon cards)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 13, 2026, around 9 a.m., several armed men broke into the family home of Swedish League of Legends streamer Anton 'RATIRL', convinced that he held cryptocurrency. They struck his father then threatened the streamer with a weapon, beat him repeatedly (including several blows to the head with the weapon) and bound him with tape for about four hours, fracturing his fingers, while unsuccessfully trying to access his bank account, his PayPal, and any cryptoassets. Having found no cryptocurrency (the victim did not own any), the attackers left with Pokémon cards (estimated at 7,000 dollars by the victim), a watch and a Lamborghini car key, sparing his PC at his request.","victims":"Anton 'RATIRL', Swedish League of Legends streamer, and his father","outcome":"Victim hospitalized for about 10 hours (head trauma, hand injuries), no funds or cryptocurrency obtained by the attackers since he had none; the victim moved, installed cameras and an alarm, and stopped streaming for about five months; two suspects arrested, final judicial status not reported in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private streamer attacked at the family home for personal cryptoassets the attackers believed he held (he did not own any); no economic entity targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://spilled.gg/ratirl-home-invasion-subathon-months/","source1_name":"Spilled.gg","source2":"https://bo3.gg/lol/news/armed-intruders-attack-ratirl-and-demand-crypto","source2_name":"bo3.gg","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA459","date":"2026-01-13","precision":"day","city":"Xindian (新店), New Taipei (outside Qizhang MRT station)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 3,000,000 in cash (targeted, nothing taken)","amount_usd":96000,"description":"A gang lured a cryptocurrency buyer, Mr Zhuang, via LINE (aliases \"晴\" and \"財主任\") and set a meeting for 2 p.m. on 13 January 2026 in Xindian (New Taipei) to buy cryptocurrency for TWD 3 million in cash; the organiser had supplied an electric stun baton to subdue the victim. After getting into the front of a rental car outside Qizhang MRT station, the victim handed over his backpack for \"counting\"; the accomplice in the back seat then grabbed him by the throat and hit him with the stun baton while the driver punched him in the face. In the struggle the car crashed into an arcade pillar; the two attackers fled without the money.","victims":"Mr Zhuang (莊), a cryptocurrency buyer who came with TWD 3 million in cash","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing taken; the victim was injured (facial bruising, broken nose). Three men (Lu Liwei, Zeng and Liu Yanfeng) were arrested by Xindian police, two of them remanded in custody on 14 January 2026; on 11 August 2026 the Taipei District Court sentenced four defendants (Zeng Yucheng, Lu Liwei, Liu Yanfeng, Cai Nianqi) for attempted aggravated robbery by a group with a weapon to between 1 year 10 months and 2 years, suspended for 5 years after compensating the victim; the supplier of the weapon, Pan Xiaowei, is being prosecuted separately. Further Taipei District Court judgment of 12 October 2026: Pan Hsiao-wei sentenced to 2 years 4 months for attempted aggravated robbery.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy cryptocurrency face to face with his own cash, attacked by the fake sellers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=TPDM%2C115%2C%E5%8E%9F%E8%A8%B4%2C45%2C20260811%2C1","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Taipei, 115年度原訴字第45號 (11.08.2026)","source2":"https://udn.com/news/story/124490/9265872","source2_name":"UDN (聯合新聞網)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA379","date":"2026-01-14","precision":"day","city":"Sallanches (held captive in Montélimar)","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 8,000,000 demanded","amount_usd":8700000,"description":"On the night of January 14 to 15, 2026, a couple in their seventies was abducted from their home in Sallanches (Haute-Savoie) and then held captive and tortured in an apartment in Montélimar (Drôme), with the kidnappers sending videos of the abuse to their son, a cryptocurrency investor, and demanding 8 million euros. The victims were found injured on January 16 near a nightclub in an industrial area south of Montélimar.","victims":"A retired couple in their seventies, parents of a cryptocurrency holder","outcome":"No ransom paid; the victims, a 79-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman, were released injured (marks from their bindings and knife wounds); seven people were arrested on March 16, 2026 by the Chambéry gendarmerie investigation unit under a warrant from the PNACO (National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office) for organized money laundering, organized extortion and criminal conspiracy. After police custody, three men and a woman were placed under formal investigation in Paris, including the woman in her forties who lived in the Montélimar home where the couple was held, who was remanded in pretrial detention, and a man in his twenties from the Lyon area, who was jailed and reportedly admitted his involvement in organizing the kidnapping and in the violence.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The parents were held captive to reach the personal crypto assets of their investor son.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://lessor.org/operationnel/la-gendarmerie-face-a-une-recrudescence-des-sequestrations-liees-aux-cryptomonnaies/","source1_name":"L'Essor de la Gendarmerie Nationale","source2":"https://www.ici.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/drome-26/montelimar/montelimar-les-septuagenaires-kidnappes-en-haute-savoie-retrouves-a-proximite-d-une-discotheque-6303770","source2_name":"ici.fr (France Bleu Drôme-Ardèche)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L184","date":"2026-01-15","precision":"day","city":"Pasay City, Metro Manila","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (USD)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"USD 400,000 in cryptocurrency + USD 14,000 in cash transferred under duress","amount_usd":400000,"description":"On Thursday, January 15, 2026, around noon, four Chinese nationals armed with knives broke into the apartment rented by Jialin Ye, alias 'Lin' or 'Jilian', a 25-year-old Chinese-Mexican IT professional, in Pasay City (Roxas Boulevard), accusing him of owing them one million dollars, a debt he disputes. Bound at the hands with tape in the main bedroom, beaten on the legs with a belt and threatened with a knife, he was forced to transfer about 400,000 dollars in cryptocurrency and then 14,000 dollars in cash; the kidnappers, who demanded up to 1.4 million dollars, also threatened to harvest his organs or sell him to traffickers in Cambodia, and injected him with an unidentified substance later found in a trash can. Alerted by a friend of the victim early on Friday, January 16, Pasay police forced entry into the residence after confirming via CCTV that the victim had never left the building, arrested two of the four suspects and freed the hostage.","victims":"Jialin Ye, alias 'Lin'/'Jilian', 25-year-old Chinese-Mexican IT professional","outcome":"Victim released unharmed but beaten (visible marks) after about 19 hours of captivity; two Chinese suspects arrested and prosecuted for kidnapping and serious illegal detention (Art. 267 of the Revised Penal Code), two others actively sought; the 400,000 USD transferred had not been recovered according to the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (IT professional) held captive in the apartment he rents and forced to transfer his own cryptocurrency and cash holdings, over a disputed personal debt; no employer or company funds targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/16/police-rescue-chinese-national-from-kidnappers-2000","source1_name":"ABS-CBN News","source2":"https://psbalita.com/2-chinese-national-arestado-ng-pasay-city-pnp-mexican-chinese-nasagip/","source2_name":"PSBalita (police source, Pasay City PNP)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA469","date":"2026-01-17","precision":"day","city":"Rosières-près-Troyes (Aube)","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 January 2026, in a housing estate in Rosières-près-Troyes, a retired couple was surprised in their house by four individuals who tied them up and held them for several hours at home in order to extort cryptocurrency from them.","victims":"A retired couple (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"The couple was tied up and held for several hours; the haul, any injuries and the judicial follow-up are unknown (subscriber-only article, only the introduction was read).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A retired couple targeted at home for cryptocurrency; no professional activity mentioned.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lest-eclair.fr/id781144/article/2026-01-23/un-couple-de-retraites-sequestre-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-rosieres-pres-troyes","source1_name":"L'Est eclair","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA380","date":"2026-01-19","precision":"day","city":"Istanbul (abducted in Fatih/Kapalıçarşı, body found in Baklalı, Arnavutköy)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (crypto accounts drained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 19, 2026, Yong Wang, a 38-year-old Chinese businessman, was lured by a compatriot (Shuyang Lion, who had arrived from China that same day) to a restaurant in the Kapalıçarşı in Fatih; on leaving, four men got out of a car and forcibly abducted him in view of the cameras while the woman sent messages. His cryptocurrency accounts were heavily drained and his body was found buried upright in a field in Baklalı (Arnavutköy), his hands, feet, and mouth taped, with the preliminary forensic report concluding that he had been knocked unconscious and then buried alive. The four organizers, who had arrived from Shanghai on January 16, fled to Beijing on January 21; ten suspects, including the accomplice, were arrested in China under an Interpol warrant.","victims":"Yong Wang, 38, Chinese businessman","outcome":"Victim abducted, tortured, and killed, then buried; crypto assets drained; 10 suspects arrested in China","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Abduction of a businessman whose personal crypto accounts were drained.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.sozcu.com.tr/cinli-is-insanini-istanbul-da-diri-diri-topraga-gommusler-p296454","source1_name":"Sözcü","source2":"https://en.haberler.com/pure-chinese-torture-what-they-did-to-the-19596022/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L185","date":"2026-01-19","precision":"day","city":"Paris (16th arrondissement)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 19, 2026, at dawn, four individuals armed with knives and equipped with gloves, hoods and tape forced the carriage entrance of a Haussmann-era building on Boulevard Flandrin (16th arrondissement) with the intent to abduct and hold captive a couple of entrepreneurs well known in the cryptocurrency world. The building's concierge, alerted by the noise, notified the police, who arrested the four suspects in under ten minutes, before any confrontation with the victims.","victims":"A couple of entrepreneurs well known in the cryptocurrency sector (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Attempt foiled before any confrontation with the victims, who have since relocated to the United States for safety. Three of the four suspects (the fourth, a minor, having been tried separately by the juvenile court), from Garges-lès-Gonesse and Stains, were sentenced in April 2026 by the Paris criminal court to terms of 10 to 24 months in prison for attempted aggravated theft and criminal conspiracy.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The commando forced entry into the couple's residential building to abduct them and force them to hand over their own crypto holdings; Le Figaro mentions only 'investors active in the crypto world', no company or corporate treasury targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.lefigaro.fr/faits-divers/paris-trois-delinquants-condamnes-pour-une-tentative-d-enlevement-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaie-20260402","source1_name":"Le Figaro","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/police-stoppe-commando-couple-crypto/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA484","date":"2026-01-22","precision":"day","city":"Belgrade (Severni bulevar)","country":"Serbia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 22,600 in cash","amount_usd":26000,"description":"On 22 January 2026, two 19-year-old Russian nationals arranged a cryptocurrency sale with a Belgrade woman and set a meeting on Severni bulevar. After she arrived and handed over the money for the purchase, they sprayed her with pepper spray and took EUR 22,600 from her.","victims":"Belgrade woman who came to buy cryptocurrency (not named)","outcome":"The two Russian suspects, M. C. and V. P. (both 19), arrested for joint robbery, held for 48 hours and brought before prosecutors (Interior Ministry statement of 29 January 2026).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual robbed during an in-person over-the-counter crypto purchase; no company named.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://n1info.rs/vesti/uhapseni-ruski-drzavljani-19-napali-beogradjanku-i-ukrali-joj-novac-namenjen-za-kriptovalute/","source1_name":"N1 Srbija","source2":"https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/ruski-tinejdzeri-pljackali-po-beogradu-zrtvu-namamili-prodajom-kriptovaluta-pa-joj-oteli-gotovinu/","source2_name":"Nova.rs","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA381","date":"2026-01-23","precision":"day","city":"Milan (Via Nerino 8)","country":"Italy","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 250,000 in cryptocurrency (demanded; wallet emptied)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 23, 2026, Alexander (Oleksandr) Adarich, a 54-year-old former Ukrainian banker, was lured to Milan by his son Igor, 34, under the pretext of a business meeting, then directed via a Telegram account under the name 'Kirill' to a bed and breakfast on the fourth floor of Via Nerino 8, where several men described as 'Russians, professionals' were waiting. He was held captive there to force him to transfer 250,000 euros in cryptocurrency: his digital wallet was emptied shortly before police arrived, and the autopsy established that he had been strangled and was already dead when he was thrown from the window. His son was arrested in Spain on February 27, 2026 on a European arrest warrant issued by the Milan Prosecutor's Office (Procura) for aggravated unlawful confinement resulting in death; the accomplices remain at large and are being sought.","victims":"Alexander (Oleksandr) Adarich, 54, a former Ukrainian banker","outcome":"Victim killed; his son Igor Adarich (34) arrested in Spain and later extradited, Russian accomplices sought","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The former banker was held captive to empty his own personal digital wallet.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/02/27/banchiere-ucciso-a-milano-arrestato-in-spagna-il-figlio-per-sequestrato-di-persona-aggravato-dalla-morte/8307155/","source1_name":"Il Fatto Quotidiano","source2":"https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2026/02/27/news/omicidio_banchiere_ucraino_oleksandr_adarich_arrestato_figlio_criptovalute_soldi-425187885/","source2_name":"la Repubblica Milano","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA382","date":"2026-01-24","precision":"day","city":"Bry-sur-Marne, Val-de-Marne","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 24, 2026 in Bry-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne), four masked individuals armed with crowbars attempted to force entry into the home of a man described as linked to cryptocurrency wallet management, with his family present; the perpetrators fled without managing to get into the residence. Le Parisien revealed on August 4, 2026 that the Bry-sur-Marne victim, actually a computer engineer specialized in mobile technologies, had suffered three attempted abductions in six months (the latest on July 21, 2026) because his name appeared in an outdated database of cryptocurrency holders resold cheaply on the darknet.","victims":"A computer engineer from Bry-sur-Marne (specialized in mobile technologies, targeted based on an outdated file) and his family","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing stolen, attackers fled","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted home invasion targeting a private individual listed as a cryptocurrency holder, for his personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://cryptoast.fr/liste-enlevements-agressions-lies-cryptomonnaies-france/","source1_name":"Cryptoast — List of kidnappings and assaults linked to cryptocurrencies in France","source2":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/home-jackings-de-detenteurs-de-cryptomonnaie-pourquoi-presque-tout-le-monde-peut-etre-attaque-par-erreur-04-08-2026-TXS4GOH35RET7FSYFNIHOL4AUM.php","source2_name":"Fibo Crypto — chronology of crypto kidnappings in France","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA383","date":"2026-01-24","precision":"day","city":"Lagos (Lekki)","country":"Nigeria","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"NGN 5,000,000 in bitcoin (+ Mercedes-Benz ML350 and iPhone 17)","amount_usd":3300,"description":"On January 24, 2026 around midnight, John Paul, a trader from Benin City visiting Lagos, was intercepted at the entrance to the Lekki Luxury Flats residence by armed men wearing police insignia, who pulled him out of his Mercedes-Benz ML350 along with his friends and drove them around to Ajah and then Ladipo until morning. At Ladipo, they took his iPhone 17 and forced him to transfer the equivalent of 5 million naira in bitcoin to their wallet at 7:56 a.m., before releasing him around 9 a.m. and disappearing with his car, then demanding an additional 2 million naira for its return and threatening him via WhatsApp after the CCTV footage was circulated. No arrests have been made; an anti-kidnapping unit officer also extorted 500,000 naira from him to open the investigation.","victims":"John Paul, a trader based in Benin City, and his friends","outcome":"NGN 5,000,000 in bitcoin transferred, car and phone stolen, additional ransom demanded, no arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A trader was abducted and forced to transfer his personal bitcoin from his phone.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://fij.ng/article/video-lagos-policemen-kidnap-businessman-steal-car-n5m-demand-n2m-more/","source1_name":"Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L186","date":"2026-01-25","precision":"day","city":"Voiron, Isère","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":3240000,"description":"On January 25, 2026, at dawn, three armed men broke into the home of \"Jean\" (name changed), a 74-year-old retiree in Voiron, Isère, struck him, then abducted him bound in the trunk of a car to a location in the Drôme. For sixteen hours they tortured him (lacerations to the face and fingers, an attempt to cut off a finger with a knife and a hammer, mock suffocation with a plastic bag) to force his son, a crypto software developer living abroad, to pay a ransom of three million euros in cryptocurrency; the son refused to pay and the victim was eventually released in a forest without any ransom being paid.","victims":"A 74-year-old retiree (\"Jean\", name changed), father of a developer of cryptocurrency-related software","outcome":"The victim was released after 16 hours in captivity, injured to one hand and the face, and hospitalized; no ransom was paid. Four suspects aged 19 to 23 were placed under formal investigation and remanded in pretrial detention for kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and torture or acts of barbarity committed as an organized group; the investigation, taken over by the JIRS in Lyon, points to several teams recruited separately (abduction, confinement, negotiation, release).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The retiree was abducted and tortured to force his son, a self-employed developer of crypto software living abroad, to hand over the access codes to HIS personal holdings; no business structure was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/replay-radio/le-choix-franceinfo/temoignage-le-but-c-est-que-ton-fils-sorte-les-millions-16-heures-de-sevices-le-recit-glacant-d-un-retraite-victime-d-un-enlevement-lie-aux-cryptomonnaies_7907888.html","source1_name":"franceinfo","source2":"https://www.bfmtv.com/police-justice/il-m-a-taillade-la-joue-gauche-quatre-a-cinq-fois-un-retraite-de-74-ans-kidnappe-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-raconte-son-calvaire_AN-202604150364.html","source2_name":"BFMTV","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA479","date":"2026-01-27","precision":"day","city":"Bender (Bendery), Transnistria","country":"Moldova","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT","cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"11,942 USDT transferred, plus USD 800 and 4,000 Transnistrian roubles in cash and USD 13,500 handed over by the victim's mother (about USD 25,000 in total)","amount_usd":26300,"description":"On the evening of 27 January 2026 in Bender (Transnistria), a group of five men who had been tipped off that a young local man had a large sum of money chased his car with two BMWs and boxed it in on Ermakov Street; his girlfriend, who was with him, was moved into the attackers' car as a hostage. Taken to a building of the water utility, he was ordered to hand over USD 25,000; when he refused, he was beaten while being threatened with reprisals against himself and his girlfriend. Brought back to his flat, he had to transfer 11,942 USDT from his crypto wallet to a wallet supplied by the attackers and hand over USD 800 and 4,000 Transnistrian roubles; still being beaten, he then got USD 13,500 from his mother, which was handed to the attackers in her courtyard. Under threat he was also forced to record a video 'confessing' to running an online drug shop, to deter him from going to the police.","victims":"Young man from Bender working in online sales, and his girlfriend, taken hostage (not named)","outcome":"Ransom obtained (USDT and cash). Three residents of Tiraspol arrested and remanded in custody; two accomplices left Transnistria, are wanted and were charged in absentia; the defendants' assets were frozen. Investigation closed on 16 June 2026 and the case sent to court for aggravated extortion with violence (art. 159(3)(b) of the Transnistrian criminal code, up to 15 years).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual (online seller) attacked in his car and then at home, forced to transfer his own USDT; no company named.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://novostipmr.com/ru/news/26-06-16/tryokh-soobshchnikov-zhdyot-sud-za-vymogatelstvo-25-tysyach","source1_name":"Novosti Pridnestrovya","source2":"https://www.md.kp.media/online/news/6821608/","source2_name":"Komsomolskaya Pravda v Moldove","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L187","date":"2026-01-28","precision":"day","city":"Montreal (Sud-Ouest borough)","country":"Canada","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 28, 2026, around 7:30 p.m., an individual posing as a delivery driver showed up at the home of a Montreal-based cryptocurrency entrepreneur, who was present with his partner and their four children; he and three accomplices forced their way in. Confronted by the suspects, one of them opened fire, accidentally wounding an accomplice in the abdomen, while the father sustained only a minor arm injury; the same family then suffered three further attempted break-ins in early March and had to leave their home on March 11 for safety reasons.","victims":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur and his family (partner and four children), Montreal","outcome":"The perpetrators fled without obtaining any transfer of funds, leaving evidence behind. Two suspects from the Toronto area (a 17-year-old minor and Christopher Ethan Prince, 20) were arrested in May 2026; a third suspect, 16, was arrested in Saskatchewan in July 2026; a fourth suspect remains at large. The SPVM recorded at least 12 similar incidents in Montreal in 2026, compared with four in 2024.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The entrepreneur was attacked at his home, in the presence of his family, in order to obtain an on-the-spot transfer of his personal holdings (up to several hundred thousand dollars according to the Journal de Montréal); no platform or corporate treasury was targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2026/05/07/violations-de-domicile-une-famille-montrealaise-prise-pour-cible-pour-de-la-cryptomonnaie","source1_name":"Le Journal de Montréal","source2":"https://cryptoactu.com/investisseur-crypto-montrealais-victime-home/","source2_name":"CryptoActu","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA384","date":"2026-01-29","precision":"day","city":"Seoul (Gwangjin-gu, near Guui Station)","country":"South Korea","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"Unknown (attempt: no money taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 29, 2026 around 9:55 p.m., near Guui Station in Seoul (Gwangjin-gu), five individuals, including a 21-year-old soldier on leave at the time, posed as cryptocurrency sellers and lured in a 42-year-old buyer who had come to pay in cash. The group's minor member, aged 17, beat him in an attempt to grab his money, but the group fled without any loot. Prosecuted after his discharge, the soldier was sentenced on August 22, 2026 to 2 years in prison and a fine of 5 million won for aggravated group theft attempt, illegal gambling, and providing phones registered under false names.","victims":"A 42-year-old man ('B'), who had come to buy cryptocurrency with cash","outcome":"Attempted aggravated theft; the soldier, prosecuted after his discharge, was sentenced on August 22, 2026 to 2 years in prison and a fine of KRW 5,000,000 by the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court (also for illegal gambling and selling phones registered under false names)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Attempted theft targeting a private individual who had come to buy cryptocurrency with cash for his own account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/003/0014141736","source1_name":"Newsis (via Naver)","source2":"","source2_name":"Kyeonggi Ilbo (« 군 생활관서 1억4천만원 불법도박…휴가 나오더니 코인 강도까지 벌인 20대 », 22 August 2026, found via Google News RSS)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA487","date":"2026-01-29","precision":"day","city":"Miaoli (scooter park at Miaoli railway station)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["Unspecified crypto","TWD fiat"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"TWD 4,160,000 targeted; TWD 160,000 taken, TWD 4,000,000 recovered by the victim","amount_usd":132000,"description":"A Telegram group called \"台中火車站\" set up a fake crypto sale: a fake dealer (\"阿Q\") arranged to meet a buyer, first at Taichung station and then at Miaoli station, for a TWD 4.22 million deal, later cut to TWD 4.16 million after a change in the rate. At around 7:40 p.m. on 29 January 2026, three minors sent by taxi met him at the scooter park of Miaoli station; while he was handing them the bundles to count, one of them, on the instructions of a coordinator (\"沉沉陳辰辰\"), sprayed pepper spray into his eyes and ran off with TWD 4 million, the other two taking TWD 160,000. The first one missed the getaway car; the victim caught him, pinned him down and took back the TWD 4 million.","victims":"A private crypto buyer (A01)","outcome":"The adult coordinator (A02) was sentenced on 26 June 2026 by the Miaoli District Court (115年度訴字第451號) to 7 years 2 months for aggravated robbery by a group carrying a weapon; the three minors were referred to the juvenile court.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private buyer who came with his own cash for an over-the-counter crypto purchase and was robbed by the fake sellers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://judgment.judicial.gov.tw/FJUD/data.aspx?ty=JD&id=MLDM%2c115%2c%e8%a8%b4%2c451%2c20260626%2c2","source1_name":"Tribunal de district de Miaoli, 115年度訴字第451號 (26.06.2026)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA474","date":"2026-01-30","precision":"day","city":"Zagreb (Centar district)","country":"Croatia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","phones","jewellery"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices","Valuables"],"amount":"loss of about EUR 400,000 (cryptocurrency transferred, phones, jewellery and crypto wallets)","amount_usd":465000,"description":"On the evening of 30 January 2026, a 50-year-old man and four unidentified accomplices walked through the unlocked door of a flat in central Zagreb occupied by four young men (two aged 26, one aged 27 and a 25-year-old Kazakh national). They immediately attacked them, threatening them with a knife and a firearm, and demanded that they transfer their cryptocurrency to wallets whose details they supplied. After one of the 26-year-olds complied, the 27-year-old refused: one of the attackers cut his arm with a knife and threatened to kill him, after which he too transferred his cryptocurrency. The attackers also took phones, jewellery and hardware crypto wallets found in the flat, then fled.","victims":"Four young men: two aged 26, one aged 27 and a 25-year-old Kazakh national (not named)","outcome":"Cryptocurrency transfers completed; the 27-year-old slightly injured and treated at the Traumatology Clinic. A 50-year-old suspect handed to the custody officer and reported to the Zagreb County State Attorney's Office for robbery (Zagreb police statement, March 2026); four accomplices unidentified, investigation ongoing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Occupants of a flat forced to transfer their own cryptocurrency from their wallets; no company named.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://zagrebacka-policija.gov.hr/kriptovalute-bile-cilj-razbojnistva/106586","source1_name":"Policijska uprava zagrebacka","source2":"https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/razbojnici-u-zagrebu-upali-u-stan-pa-natjerali-stanare-da-im-prebace-kriptovalute-20260305","source2_name":"tportal","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA385","date":"2026-01-31","precision":"day","city":"Scottsdale","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 66,000,000 targeted, nothing stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On January 31, 2026, two Californian teenagers, Jackson Sullivan and Skylar LaPaille, showed up disguised as package delivery workers at the home of a family in Scottsdale (Cactus Road / Loop 101 area), forced their way in, bound two adults with duct tape and assaulted them to gain access to crypto assets they believed were worth 66 million dollars. The family's adult son was able to call the police from another room; the two teenagers, carrying a 3D-printed handgun without ammunition, were arrested shortly after fleeing in a blue Subaru thanks to a neighbor's Ring camera. According to court documents, they claim to have acted under extortion by online masterminds nicknamed 'Red' and '8', who had given them 1,000 USD to buy disguises and restraint equipment.","victims":"A family in Scottsdale (two adults bound and assaulted, an adult son present)","outcome":"No cryptocurrency stolen; homeowner injured (concussion, broken rib); two minors arrested and charged in Arizona","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting a family to access crypto assets they personally held (USD 66 million believed to belong to the family).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/targeted-scottsdale-home-invasion-linked-alleged-66m-cryptocurrency-plot","source1_name":"FOX 10 Phoenix","source2":"https://www.azfamily.com/2026/03/27/teenage-scottsdale-home-burglars-tried-steal-66-million-crypto-police-say/","source2_name":"AZFamily","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA386","date":"2026-02","precision":"month","city":"Ponferrada, León","country":"Spain","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet / computer and phone used to access wallets"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"In Ponferrada, on Isaac Peral street in the city center, five hooded individuals had the building's gate opened for them, then forced their way into the apartment of a 52-year-old man and intimidated the occupants. Rather than conventional valuables, they took a laptop and a mobile phone, which investigators consider to be the means of access to cryptocurrency wallets. The Policía Nacional, backed by specialized units, is treating this as the first documented 'wrench attack' in the province of León; no arrests have been reported.","victims":"A 52-year-old man residing in Ponferrada","outcome":"Laptop and phone taken; no arrests reported, investigation ongoing by the Policía Nacional.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Home invasion targeting a private individual to steal the computer and phone used to access his own crypto wallets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.heraldodeleon.es/articulo/leon/policia-nacional-investiga-primeros-asaltos-viviendas-leon-robar-wallets-criptomonedas/20260219105511074450.html","source1_name":"Heraldo de León","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA389","date":"2026-02-03","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Datong District, corner of Nanjing W. Rd / Chongqing N. Rd, near Jiancheng Circle)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","TWD cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"TWD 7,000,000","amount_usd":226000,"description":"On February 3, 2026 around 1 p.m., Ms. Hsu, 57, a victim of a romance scam followed by a fake investment platform, brought TWD 7 million in cash to an alley in Taipei's Datong District for a face-to-face exchange for cryptocurrency with a 31-year-old collector. While verifying the transaction on the fake app, a man appeared, grabbed the bag of cash and fled toward Yanping North Road, where a Mercedes picked him up. Police arrested six accomplices within 48 hours and recovered the entire TWD 7 million; the theory of an internal 'black eats black' dispute within the scam network is favored.","victims":"Ms. Hsu (許), 57","outcome":"TWD 7 million snatched then recovered; 6 arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A romance/investment scam victim handing over cash in person for a peer-to-peer crypto exchange, with the scam and theft targeting her personal funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20260204/3113077.htm","source1_name":"ETtoday新聞雲","source2":"https://udn.com/news/story/124490/9310844","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L188","date":"2026-02-04","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, Isère","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of Wednesday, February 4 to Thursday, February 5, 2026, a commando broke down the door of the home of a 35-year-old Grenoble magistrate in Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, Isère, and abducted the young woman along with her 67-year-old mother, whom she was hosting. The kidnappers, who demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency from the magistrate's partner, a partner in a start-up with cryptocurrency activities, held the two women captive for about 30 hours before they were found injured and bound in a garage in Bourg-lès-Valence, Drôme.","victims":"A 35-year-old Grenoble magistrate and her 67-year-old mother","outcome":"No ransom was paid; the two women, injured, managed to free themselves and alert a neighbor, who opened the door of the garage in Bourg-lès-Valence where they were locked up, and they were then hospitalized. The investigation, first assigned to the OCLCO under the Lyon public prosecutor's office, was taken over on February 11, 2026 by the National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (PNACO), which found no link with the magistrate's profession. Six suspects (five young men and a young woman, including a minor), arrested on the weekend after the events, two of them in Savoie as they tried to board a bus to Spain, were placed under formal investigation in Paris on February 11, 2026, notably for hostage-taking, kidnapping and unlawful confinement and criminal conspiracy by an organized group; five were remanded in pretrial detention and the young woman was released under judicial supervision.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The kidnappers sent the magistrate's partner a message and a photo of her, demanding that HE pay a ransom in cryptocurrency (franceinfo): it was his personal holdings that were being sought through the confinement of his partner and her mother. He is also a partner in a crypto start-up, but no source reports any demand concerning that company's treasury or client funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/economie/bitcoin/cryptomonnaies-une-iseroise-et-sa-mere-enlevees-et-sequestrees-sur-fond-de-demande-de-rancon_7788431.html","source1_name":"franceinfo","source2":"https://www.20minutes.fr/faits_divers/4200123-20260206-drome-magistrate-dont-conjoint-travaille-cryptomonnaie-enlevee-molestee-mere","source2_name":"20 Minutes","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA390","date":"2026-02-05","precision":"day","city":"Kajang (Country Heights), Selangor","country":"Malaysia","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"50,000 USDT (about MYR 200,000; MYR 400,000 initially demanded)","amount_usd":50000,"description":"On February 5, 2026 around 11:10 p.m., twelve men wearing police reflective vests and displaying service cards burst into a two-story bungalow in the gated Country Heights development in Kajang (Selangor), where eight Chinese nationals were staying; they searched phones and computers, photographed passports and accused the occupants of being linked to an online scam syndicate based in Cambodia, without finding any evidence. Under threat of detention and immigration measures, they demanded 400,000 ringgit, then, after negotiation, accepted 50,000 USDT (about MYR 200,000) transferred to a wallet address they provided, and demanded as they left that the occupants vacate the premises within two days. Following a complaint from a 31-year-old Chinese market analyst, twelve serving police officers aged 24 to 47 (a deputy superintendent, an inspector, a sergeant, six corporals, two lance corporals and a constable, with 2 to 27 years of service) were arrested on February 7 and 9, 2026, the case being classified under Section 395 of the Penal Code (gang robbery).","victims":"Eight Chinese nationals (tourists/businessmen) staying in the bungalow, including a 31-year-old market analyst who filed the complaint","outcome":"50,000 USDT (~MYR 200,000) extorted and transferred to a wallet designated by the attackers; 12 police officers arrested on February 7 and 9, 2026, investigation under Section 395 of the Penal Code (gang robbery) confirmed by Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar; no charges brought against the victims","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Extortion of Chinese tourists/businessmen staying in a bungalow, targeting their personal assets (USDT) under threat of false prosecution, with no business structure targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/12-anggota-pegawai-polis-disiasat-kes-rompakan-mata-wang-kripto","source1_name":"Astro Awani (citing Sinar Harian) – « 12 anggota, pegawai polis disiasat kes rompakan mata wang kripto »","source2":"https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B/60321261/","source2_name":"香港01 (HK01) – « 大馬12名警察深夜持械闖豪宅勒索8中國遊客　迫轉帳40萬加密貨幣 »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L189","date":"2026-02-06","precision":"day","city":"Juilly, Seine-et-Marne","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (Ledger wallet)","hardware wallet","computers","mobile phones"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet","Devices"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the early morning of February 6, 2026, at least five masked and gloved individuals forced their way into a house in Juilly, Seine-et-Marne: the mother was held to the ground by the neck, the 20-year-old daughter isolated in another room, while the father was threatened with a wrench and a screwdriver to obtain the access codes to his Ledger hardware wallet. The operation largely failed: the attackers left with computers and phones, without managing to obtain a cryptocurrency transfer. The investigation was assigned to the Villeparisis police station under the authority of the Meaux public prosecutor's office.","victims":"A couple and their 20-year-old daughter","outcome":"No cryptocurrency transfer was obtained; the attackers left with stolen computers and phones. No arrest is mentioned in the sources consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"RTL confirms that the target was the father, an individual holder of bitcoins, threatened with a wrench and a screwdriver to hand over the codes to HIS personal Ledger wallet: no corporate assets were at stake.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Blunt object","source1":"https://www.rtl.fr/actu/justice-faits-divers/info-rtl-cryptomonnaies-une-nouvelle-famille-sequestree-en-seine-et-marne-7900599500","source1_name":"RTL","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/famille-sequestree-3-arrestations-musclees-la-serie-noire-des-crypto-agressions-continue-en-france/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA391","date":"2026-02-07","precision":"day","city":"Indore (Palasia / Khajrana), Madhya Pradesh","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT","INR (fiat currency)"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"2 lakh INR in cash + 4,000 USDT (~4 lakh INR), i.e. approximately 6 lakh INR in total","amount_usd":6800,"description":"On February 7, 2026 in Indore, Abdul Fahad, a cryptocurrency trader living in Khajrana, was lured by Naved Lodhi under the pretext of a USDT purchase; the group spotted him depositing money at the Chandralok Square ATM, then forcibly took him to an isolated location behind the Singapore Business Park, within the jurisdiction of the Palasia police station. There he was stripped of 200,000 rupees in cash and forced to transfer 4,000 USDT (about 400,000 rupees) from his phone, for a total of approximately 6 lakh INR. The ambush had been set up with information from two police constables, Manoj (Mukesh) Malviya - a childhood friend of Naved's who had passed on the victim's identity and vehicle - and Avinash Chandravanshi: both officers were suspended and then remanded in custody along with Sahil, while Naved was placed in extended police custody for two days and about 100,000 rupees were recovered, with the local press criticizing the police for initially avoiding naming the officers in the FIR.","victims":"Abdul Fahad, a cryptocurrency trader living in Khajrana (Indore)","outcome":"Approximately 6 lakh INR (including 4,000 USDT) stolen; 4 suspects implicated, including 2 constables suspended, 3 remanded in custody and 1 held in extended police custody; ~1 lakh INR recovered; accusations of obstruction against the police","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Independent cryptocurrency trader abducted during a USDT purchase meeting and stripped of his personal cash and USDT.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/indore-news-crypto-trader-abducted-robbed-of-6-lakhs-cops-accused-of-robbery","source1_name":"Free Press Journal (Indore)","source2":"https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/indore-crypto-trader-robbery-cops-among-three-sent-to-jail-one-on-police-remand","source2_name":"Free Press Journal (Indore) — legal follow-up: two police officers and one civilian remanded in custody","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA392","date":"2026-02-10","precision":"day","city":"Sanchong, New Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TWD 6,100,000 snatched, TWD 1,000,000 recovered on the spot (loss ~TWD 5,100,000; TWD 600,000 seized by police)","amount_usd":162000,"description":"On February 10, 2026 around 5 p.m., a woman in her fifties from Sanchong, caught by a fake cryptocurrency investment advertisement on Facebook, was to hand over TWD 6.1 million in cash to two collectors from the network at the intersection of Jieshou and Wanquan streets. Having grown suspicious when the two men could not say when the cryptocurrency would be credited, she tried to stop the transaction: the collectors then snatched the bag containing the TWD 6.1 million and fled together on a scooter, with the victim managing to grab back TWD 1 million during the struggle. Arrested in Douliu (Yunlin County) five hours after the incident thanks to video surveillance and communications analysis, the two suspects were referred for aggravated theft, snatch theft and fraud, with TWD 600,000 and two phones seized.","victims":"A woman about 50 years old from Sanchong, victim of a fake cryptocurrency investment","outcome":"TWD 5.1 million stolen, only ~TWD 600,000 recovered; 2 suspects arrested in Yunlin within 5 hours","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual caught by a fake investment advertisement, handing over cash in person for an over-the-counter cryptocurrency transaction that was snatched from her.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.setn.com/news/1794279","source1_name":"SETN 三立新聞網","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA393","date":"2026-02-10","precision":"day","city":"Pattaya (Nong Prue, Bang Lamung, Chonburi)","country":"Thailand","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"3,000 USDT (about THB 100,000)","amount_usd":3000,"description":"Liu Jitao, a 32-year-old Chinese national who arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on February 7, 2026, was taken in by Chinese 'friends' who took him gambling in Bangkok, where he lost 300,000 baht. He was then held captive in room 719 of the Thalia Hotel on Pattaya Tai, with the door locked from outside, and was forced to ask his wife to transfer 3,000 USDT (about 100,000 baht) to pay off the debt, after which he managed to send his location. Chonburi immigration police and the Pattaya tourist police freed him on February 10, 2026 and arrested Liang Wei, 33; Zhang Lang, 32, is on the run with his passport revoked. Charge: extortion with unlawful confinement.","victims":"Liu Jitao, a 32-year-old Chinese national","outcome":"3,000 USDT extorted from the wife; victim freed safe and sound on February 10, 2026; 2 Chinese suspects arrested, 1 on the run","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"National held captive over a personal gambling debt, forcing his wife to transfer personal USDT.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.topnews.co.th/news/1484584","source1_name":"TopNews Thailand","source2":"https://news.ch7.com/detail/855495","source2_name":"Ch7 HD News","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA394","date":"2026-02-12","precision":"day","city":"Alanya (Antalya), Mahmutlar neighborhood","country":"Türkiye","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 18,000 in cryptocurrency transferred + EUR 5,000, USD 7,000, ~200 g of gold and a watch worth USD 10,000 stolen","amount_usd":45000,"description":"On February 12, 2026 in Alanya (Antalya), four hooded individuals armed with a pistol intercepted A.H., a 46-year-old Ukrainian national, in the hallway of her residence in Mahmutlar as she returned from shopping, forced her into her home and tied her hands. They forced her to unlock her cryptocurrency account via facial recognition on her phone and transferred 18,000 euros to another account, also taking 5,000 euros, 7,000 dollars, about 200 grams of gold and a watch estimated at 10,000 dollars. The gendarmerie's JASAT arrested the four suspects - R.A. (38, Ukrainian), A.S. (31), S.U. (27) and O.G. (34, Russians) - who had fled; the loot was found in their vehicle and returned, and all four were remanded to Alanya's L-type prison.","victims":"A.H., a 46-year-old Ukrainian national","outcome":"~EUR 18,000 in cryptocurrency transferred and property stolen; loot recovered; 4 suspects remanded in custody","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Same private victim forced via facial recognition to transfer the cryptoassets from her own account, at her home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.milliyet.com.tr/gundem/alanyada-silahli-kripto-gaspi-zorla-yuz-tanima-yaptirip-18-bin-avroyu-aktardilar-4-supheli-tutuklandi-7537158","source1_name":"Milliyet","source2":"https://www.karar.com/guncel-haberler/antalyada-ukraynali-kadina-dehseti-yasattilar-yuz-tanima-ile-kripto-2029244","source2_name":"Karar","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L190","date":"2026-02-12","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","mobile phones"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On February 12, 2026, at around 7 a.m., three masked men armed with handguns forced their way into a building in Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, questioning a resident under threat to locate the home of David Princay, CEO of Binance France. Failing to find their target, who was absent, they searched the apartment then fled taking two mobile phones.","victims":"David Princay, CEO of Binance France (targeted, absent during the attack); a resident of the building threatened for information","outcome":"Failed attempt: the team, looking for the CEO of Binance France, had the wrong address; they confined and assaulted a couple, searched three apartments in the building and fled with two phones. The three suspects were arrested that same evening at Lyon-Perrache station thanks to the geolocation of the stolen phones, and placed in police custody; the investigation was assigned to the Paris Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB). On February 15, 2026, they were placed under formal investigation by investigating judges of the Paris specialized interregional court (JIRS) for unlawful confinement by an organized group, theft and extortion by an organized group, and criminal conspiracy; two were remanded in pretrial detention, and the third asked for a deferred detention hearing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The commando was looking for David Princay's private home in order to reach him there; it was access to the executive's holdings at his home that was targeted, not Binance's treasury or client funds, as no source mentions any demand concerning the platform's funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.rtl.fr/actu/justice-faits-divers/info-rtl-cryptomonnaies-le-patron-de-binance-france-mastodonte-du-secteur-vise-par-une-tentative-de-home-jacking-7900601034","source1_name":"RTL","source2":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/val-de-marne-un-commando-arme-cible-des-acteurs-de-la-cryptomonnaie-trois-interpellations-13-02-2026-MC6MCDAE25ADHLME353DID7EEI.php","source2_name":"Le Parisien","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L191","date":"2026-02-12","precision":"day","city":"Vaucresson, Hauts-de-Seine","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","mobile phone"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Devices"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Two hours after their failed attempt in Saint-Mandé, the same commando went to the wrong address in Vaucresson, Hauts-de-Seine, at around 9:15 a.m., with one of the attackers shouting that it was not the right address and that they were actually looking for a crypto entrepreneur named Stéphane. A female resident was violently struck on the head with a gun butt before the attackers fled with her phone upon realizing their mistake.","victims":"A Vaucresson resident targeted by mistake","outcome":"The victim was injured in the head by blows with a gun butt; no cryptocurrency was obtained. The three suspects, members of the same team that targeted the CEO of Binance France, were arrested that same evening at Lyon-Perrache station and placed in police custody. On February 15, 2026, they were placed under formal investigation by investigating judges of the Paris specialized interregional court (JIRS) for unlawful confinement by an organized group, theft and extortion by an organized group, and criminal conspiracy; two were remanded in pretrial detention, and the third asked for a deferred detention hearing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Le Parisien reports that the attackers were looking for \"Stéphane,\" an individual working in cryptocurrency and residing at number 41: the target was the home, and therefore the personal holdings, of an individual, with the victim struck being hit by mistake of address.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.rtl.fr/actu/justice-faits-divers/info-rtl-cryptomonnaies-le-patron-de-binance-france-mastodonte-du-secteur-vise-par-une-tentative-de-home-jacking-7900601034","source1_name":"RTL","source2":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/val-de-marne-un-commando-arme-cible-des-acteurs-de-la-cryptomonnaie-trois-interpellations-13-02-2026-MC6MCDAE25ADHLME353DID7EEI.php","source2_name":"Le Parisien","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L192","date":"2026-02-20","precision":"day","city":"Seattle (Phinney Ridge neighborhood), Washington","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On February 20, 2026, around 2:16 p.m., a 31-year-old man (Ian Blair, of Auburn), disguised as a postal worker with a Tyvek suit under a fake USPS uniform, handed a couple in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood a fraudulent letter demanding a cryptocurrency transfer, before forcing his way into the home and physically assaulting the man and then his wife, who intervened. He was equipped with a taser, zip ties, a phone jammer, Faraday pouches and duct tape; neighbors heard screams and alerted the police.","victims":"A couple from Phinney Ridge (a 52-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman)","outcome":"The man suffered chest pain and was hospitalized; his wife suffered fractures and minor injuries. The suspect was arrested and charged with burglary, two counts of assault and identity theft, with bail set at $1 million; the investigation continues into possible accomplices.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The letter delivered to the home demanded a cryptocurrency transfer from the targeted household; the SPD reports no company or professional access involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2026/02/24/man-posing-as-mail-carrier-assaults-phinney-ridge-resident-and-demands-crypto/","source1_name":"Seattle Police Department Blotter","source2":"https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-police-arrest-suspect-posing-as-postal-worker-found-with-taser-and-zip-ties-phone-jammer-phinney-ridge-mail-carrier-cryptocurrency","source2_name":"KOMO News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA396","date":"2026-02-22","precision":"day","city":"New Delhi (Paschim Vihar)","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"1.83 lakh INR","amount_usd":2080,"description":"A 21-year-old B.Tech student spotted an ad on Instagram offering USDT at a discounted price and arranged a meeting near Paschim Vihar East metro station to invest 1.83 lakh rupees from a 2 lakh scholarship; he went there by car with two friends. On the spot, one of the attackers forced his way into the vehicle and pointed a pistol at him while six accomplices surrounded the car, and he was robbed. Seven members of the network, aged 22 to 31, were arrested - including the ringleader Amit Jain, ruined by 62 lakh in losses from rice exports, and three brothers - with 96,000 INR and a pistol recovered; the gang is linked to three similar robberies (Netaji Subhash Place, Budh Vihar, Shahabad Dairy).","victims":"A 21-year-old engineering student from the Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (Dwarka)","outcome":"1.83 lakh INR stolen, 96,000 INR and a pistol recovered; 7 arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private student held at gunpoint during an over-the-counter USDT purchase meeting funded by his personal scholarship.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/gang-offering-crypto-deals-robbing-targets-at-gunpoint-held-in-delhi-101772130132987.html","source1_name":"Hindustan Times","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/plan-to-buy-crypto-with-scholarship-funds-backfires-btech-student-robbed-at-gunpoint/articleshow/128817946.cms","source2_name":"Times of India (Delhi)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA397","date":"2026-02-25","precision":"day","city":"Paris region, municipality not specified (probably Essonne, based on the Lopp list entry covering the second attempt ten days later)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of February 25, 2026, three masked and armed men burst in front of the secured house (reinforced gate, video surveillance) of a low-profile cryptocurrency holder in the Paris region, 'Jonathan,' whose name had appeared in the data leak of the crypto tax platform Waltio. The couple alerted the police, the commando failed to get into the house, and the three perpetrators were caught in the act by a BAC (anti-crime squad) unit; their undeleted messages revealed a mastermind based in Morocco. Ten days later, a second four-man commando returned to try to blow up the gate with explosives before being arrested in the Lyon region, 500 km away (a separate episode, referenced in the Lopp list under March 10, 2026 / Essonne).","victims":"A man holding cryptocurrency ('Jonathan,' first name changed), his wife and children","outcome":"Failed attempt, no loot; the three perpetrators arrested in the act by the BAC and referred for immediate trial; the undeleted messages with the Moroccan mastermind helped advance the investigation","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Low-profile cryptocurrency holder targeted at his home for his personal holdings, with his wife and children present.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.slate.fr/societe/enlevements-lies-cryptomonnaies-moyen-sur-gagner-argent-kidnapping-sequestration-extorsion-torture-crime-organise-france-cryptorapts","source1_name":"Slate.fr (cryptorapts investigation)","source2":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/paris-ile-de-france/seine-et-marne/sequestration-d-une-famille-en-lien-avec-les-cryptomonnaies-trois-hommes-mis-en-examen-3315843.html","source2_name":"France 3 Paris Île-de-France — Family held captive over cryptocurrency links, three men placed under formal investigation (covers the 2nd attempt on 10 March 2026 in Essonne)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA398","date":"2026-03","precision":"month","city":"Not specified (National Police statement issued from Santo Domingo)","country":"Dominican Republic","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"more than USD 700,000 in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":700000,"description":"On March 4, 2026, the Central Investigation Directorate (Dicrim) of the Dominican National Police announced it was searching for a man wanted under an arrest warrant for 'unlawful confinement and aggravated theft': according to preliminary information, the victim, a foreign national, was illegally held and then forced to hand over access to his digital assets valued at more than 700,000 dollars. The police stated that the investigation is continuing to determine whether other people were involved and urged the suspect to turn himself in; neither the exact date nor the exact location of the events was disclosed.","victims":"A foreign national (identity not published)","outcome":"More than USD 700,000 in cryptoassets stolen; one suspect wanted under an arrest warrant, investigation ongoing","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Foreign national held captive and forced to hand over access to his personal digital assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://acento.com.do/actualidad/buscan-a-hombre-acusado-de-secuestrar-extranjero-y-despojarlo-de-mas-de-us700-mil-en-criptomonedas-9634447.html","source1_name":"Acento (Dominican Republic) — DICRIM/National Police statement","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA400","date":"2026-03-02","precision":"day","city":"Goyang (Deogeun-dong, Deogyang-gu, Gyeonggi)","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"KRW 30,000,000","amount_usd":21000,"description":"Four teenagers approached a man in his thirties via Telegram offering to sell him cryptocurrency 'at a discounted price' in a face-to-face meeting, although they did not actually hold any. On March 2, 2026 around 5:50 p.m., near a residential building in Deogeun-dong (Deogyang-gu, Goyang), they beat him and then fled with 30 million won in cash; one suspect was remanded in custody for aggravated theft, two others were arrested and questioned, and a fourth was still on the run.","victims":"A man in his thirties, a cryptocurrency buyer","outcome":"KRW 30,000,000 stolen, 1 remanded in custody, 2 arrested, 1 accomplice on the run","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual lured by a fake face-to-face cryptocurrency sale and robbed of his personal cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.mt.co.kr/society/2026/03/06/2026030615533335282","source1_name":"Money Today (머니투데이)","source2":"https://w3.kmib.co.kr/article/20260306500317","source2_name":"Kookmin Ilbo (국민일보)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L193","date":"2026-03-04","precision":"day","city":"Unknown","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Torture","assets":["USDC (aEthUSDC/Aave)","DAI","XMR (converted after the theft)"],"asset_classes":["ETH","Other","XMR"],"amount":"≈ USD 24,000,000 (on-chain transfer of USD 23.6 million in aEthUSDC, then DAI)","amount_usd":24000000,"description":"A video game developer and well-known figure in the crypto community under the pseudonym Sillytuna was violently attacked in the United Kingdom: his armed attackers threatened him (with kidnapping and rape) and allegedly struck him with an axe on his hands and feet to force him to transfer about 24 million dollars in aEthUSDC (Aave USDC) and DAI. The funds were then dispersed across several chains and converted into Monero, according to analysts from CertiK and PeckShield cited by specialized press.","victims":"Sillytuna (pseudonym), a video game developer and cryptocurrency holder known in the crypto community","outcome":"The stolen funds were laundered across several chains and then converted into Monero; the victim offered a 10% reward for their recovery. No arrests reported to date; British police are reported to have been notified.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The stolen funds were described by the victim himself as personal \"long-term holdings\" set aside for future causes/open source projects; an independent developer physically attacked for his own keys, with no organization or third-party funds involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://protos.com/game-developer-sillytuna-reports-losing-24m-of-crypto-in-uk-wrench-attack/","source1_name":"Protos","source2":"https://cryptoslate.com/irl-crypto-threats-physical-wrench-attacks-have-led-to-over-100-million-in-losses-since-january-alone/","source2_name":"CryptoSlate","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L194","date":"2026-03-06","precision":"day","city":"Hung Hom, Kowloon","country":"Hong Kong","type":"Extortion","assets":["USDT","silver bullion (40 kg)"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"USDT 685,351 (≈HKD 5.3 million / USD 680,000 according to police) + 40 kg of silver bullion (≈HKD 800,000), total ≈HKD 6.18 million","amount_usd":792000,"description":"A 24-year-old Chinese businessman (surname Kwok), who had come to discuss a silver bullion sales deal, was attacked and held captive in a hotel room in Hung Hom by three men and a woman during the night of March 6 to 7, 2026; struck on the hands, ears and mouth, he was forced to give up the password to his e-wallet, allowing the attackers to steal USDT 685,351 (about HKD 5.3 million). Two accomplices then went, apparently accompanied by the victim's girlfriend, to her company's premises to steal 40 kg of silver bullion (about HKD 800,000), before releasing the man, who was hospitalized for his injuries.","victims":"A 24-year-old Chinese businessman (surname Kwok), who had come to Hong Kong on business (silver bullion trading)","outcome":"Total loot estimated at more than HKD 6 million (~USD 790,000). Two suspects were arrested the same day at the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau border checkpoints: a 27-year-old man holding a two-way permit (identified as Xue Xinghao), charged with unlawful confinement and extortion, remanded in custody and scheduled to appear on April 20, 2026 before Kowloon City Court; a 33-year-old local resident, released on bail.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers first extorted the password to the victim's personal e-wallet to steal USDT 685,351 (HKD 5.3 million, or USD 680,000 according to police), then forced him to have 40 kg of silver bullion removed from his girlfriend's company's stock, on Man Lok Street; both personal and business assets were therefore targeted, but the personal assets make up the large majority of the loot.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.hk01.com/%E7%AA%81%E7%99%BC/60328606/%E5%85%A7%E5%9C%B0%E7%94%B7%E9%81%AD%E5%9C%8D%E6%AF%86%E5%8A%AB%E9%80%BE-600%E8%90%AC%E6%B3%B0%E9%81%94%E5%B9%A3%E5%8F%8A%E7%99%BD%E9%8A%80-%E4%B8%80%E7%94%B7%E8%A2%AB%E6%8E%A7%E7%A6%81%E9%8C%AE%E5%8B%92%E7%B4%A2%E4%BB%8A%E6%8F%90%E5%A0%82","source1_name":"HK01","source2":"https://www.stheadline.com/society/3551214/%E6%B6%89%E7%B4%85%E7%A3%A1%E9%85%92%E5%BA%97%E5%8B%92%E7%B4%A2%E6%B3%B0%E9%81%94%E5%B9%A3%E5%8F%8A%E7%99%BD%E9%8A%80%E7%B8%BD%E5%80%BC%E9%80%BE600%E8%90%AC-27%E6%AD%B2%E5%85%A7%E5%9C%B0%E7%94%B7%E8%A2%AB%E6%8E%A7%E7%A6%81%E9%8C%AE%E5%8B%92%E7%B4%A2-%E9%82%84%E6%8A%BC%E5%80%99%E8%A8%8A","source2_name":"星島頭條 (Singtao Headline)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA401","date":"2026-03-07","precision":"day","city":"Zhunan (竹南), Miaoli County","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TWD 15,000,000","amount_usd":476000,"description":"On March 7, 2026 around 1 PM, a 47-year-old woman defrauded by a fake investment offer went to Shishan Park in Zhunan (Miaoli County) with TWD 15 million in cash, withdrawn from her accounts and borrowed, for a face-to-face cryptocurrency purchase. The network's collector, Jiang (32), not having the promised tokens, snatched the backpack containing the money from her before being picked up by car by Yu (30). Jiang and Yu were arrested that same evening in Douliu (Yunlin) and in Tainan during a nationwide sweep, then five upstream accomplices were arrested: all seven were referred for aggravated robbery with violence and placed in incommunicado detention, but the TWD 15 million, already handed over to the network's leadership, was not recovered.","victims":"A 47-year-old woman, victim of a fake investment offer who came to buy cryptocurrency","outcome":"TWD 15,000,000 taken and not recovered, 7 people jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy cryptocurrency face-to-face with her own funds, robbed by the fake seller.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5375296","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5378720","source2_name":"Liberty Times – analysis of the phenomenon by Luzhu police","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA402","date":"2026-03-08","precision":"day","city":"Winnetka, Illinois","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet","laptops","Rolex watches"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet","Devices","Valuables"],"amount":"Three Rolex watches and two laptops taken; target: a company's crypto ledgers","amount_usd":null,"description":"A team of at least seven men (Tyrese Fenton-Watson, Dashun Brown, David Franklin, Anthony Ramsey, Isaiah Dukes, Khiell Dukes, Jalen Chambers) targeted the home of a cryptocurrency company executive. One man first appeared at the door posing as a delivery person with a paper bag, then the group forced entry, restrained the sole occupant (Victim B) at gunpoint, struck him in the groin, and took him upstairs to a safe. An accomplice who remained outside (\"Subject Seven\") directed the operation by phone, asking for the location of the computers and cryptocurrency \"ledgers.\" The victim bit an assailant's finger and fled when a child in the family arrived home.","victims":"The home's occupant (\"Victim B\"), the owner (\"Victim A,\" a cryptocurrency company executive), and two other household members, including a child","outcome":"Assailants fled with three Rolex watches, a laptop, a phone, and jewelry; failed to obtain the cryptocurrency; eight federal charges filed (kidnapping conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery), federal complaint dated April 29, 2026","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"The mastermind directed the operation by asking for the location of the computers and cryptocurrency \"ledgers\" of a cryptocurrency company, with the amount field explicitly stating the target was \"a company's crypto ledgers.\"","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ilnd.499784/gov.uscourts.ilnd.499784.1.0.pdf","source1_name":"Criminal Complaint, United States v. Tyrese Fenton-Watson, 1:26-cr-00193 (N.D. Ill.), 29 April 2026","source2":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/eighth-defendant-charged-part-federal-investigation-violent-home-invasion-winnetka-ill","source2_name":"U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois (DOJ)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L195","date":"2026-03-08","precision":"day","city":"Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (attempted; nothing was stolen)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 8, 2026 at around 9 a.m., three or four masked individuals, at least one of them carrying a firearm, approached a local resident who was about to enter her home on rue Lyautey, in downtown Nancy, posing as police officers, apparently hoping to seize cryptocurrency. Foiled, they fled without being able to enter the home or take any loot.","victims":"A local resident (woman) approached at the entrance to her home, on rue Lyautey in Nancy","outcome":"Failed attempt: alerted by one of the couple's daughters, who called the police, the attackers fled without managing to take the cryptocurrency wallet, worth about 20,000 euros. A 32-year-old suspect living in Vaujours (Seine-Saint-Denis), identified in part through his DNA, was arrested on June 9, 2026 with the support of the national BRI, then placed under formal investigation in Nancy on June 11 for attempted armed extortion, attempted kidnapping by an organized group and criminal conspiracy, and remanded in pretrial detention; he admitted driving the team's car in exchange for 1,000 euros. The owner of the car and a young man who admitted lending it were also arrested; two accomplices were still being sought and the alleged mastermind was reported to be on the run in Morocco. Investigators suspect the victim was targeted using data stolen in the January 2026 hack of the Waltio platform.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual approached at the entrance to her home on a residential street in Nancy, the group seeking to \"seize cryptocurrency\"; no business entity or professional activity mentioned by the source.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.estrepublicain.fr/economie/2026/03/16/agresses-par-de-faux-policiers-armes-et-cagoules-l-appat-de-cryptomonnaie","source1_name":"L'Est Républicain","source2":"https://www.republicain-lorrain.fr/economie/2026/03/16/agresses-par-de-faux-policiers-armes-et-cagoules-l-appat-de-cryptomonnaie","source2_name":"Le Républicain Lorrain","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L196","date":"2026-03-09","precision":"day","city":"Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, Yvelines","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"approximately EUR 900,000 in bitcoin","amount_usd":972000,"description":"On Monday, March 9, 2026, shortly after 8 a.m., three masked and gloved men posing as police officers forced their way into the home of a couple in their sixties in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt. The woman was thrown to the ground and injured on the shoulder, then threatened with a knife while the husband was forced, under the phone guidance of a fourth accomplice, to transfer the entirety of his Bitcoin wallet. Before fleeing in a white van, the attackers tied up the husband with a cable and took the couple's two phones.","victims":"A couple in their sixties living in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt","outcome":"About EUR 900,000 in bitcoin was stolen under threat; the wife was injured (shoulder), the husband tied up. An investigation was opened for unlawful confinement by an organized group and armed extortion, assigned to the Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB); no arrests reported at the time of the articles.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Le Parisien specifies that the commando's goal was to have the husband transfer \"the substantial Bitcoin wallet\" at his private home; no company or third-party funds are mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/yvelines-78/le-chesnay-rocquencourt-900-000-euros-en-bitcoin-derobes-lors-dun-violent-home-jacking-09-03-2026-L2ZCB6SJSRB5VJJQEYSMI2ASTM.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.lamontagne.fr/france-monde/faits-divers/cagoules-gantes-armes-trois-faux-policiers-derobent-900-000-euros-en-bitcoin-lors-dun-violent-home-jacking_14891449/","source2_name":"La Montagne","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA403","date":"2026-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Datong District, Minquan West Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["USDT","TWD cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"TWD 4,000,000 in cash (targeted, nothing taken)","amount_usd":129000,"description":"On March 10, 2026 around 3 PM, Mr. Guo, 31, who had responded to a cryptocurrency exchange ad seen on Facebook, showed up in an alley on Minquan West Road (Datong District, Taipei) with TWD 4 million in cash to buy USDT from a purported broker (幣商). The seller, Huang, 19, sprayed him with pepper spray to snatch the bag of money, but Guo held on to the bag, and the attacker, fearing he would be seen by passersby, gave up and fled by taxi. Nothing was taken; Huang was found at a friend's home in Taichung and arrested on March 12-13 for attempted aggravated robbery, then a pair of siblings named You (a sister running a betel nut stall and her brother, a day laborer) was arrested on March 23, with the suspected mastermind still at large.","victims":"Mr. Guo, 31, a USDT buyer","outcome":"Failed attempt, no loot; Huang, 19, arrested in Taichung on March 12-13 and prosecuted for attempted aggravated robbery, then a brother and sister named You arrested on March 23; mastermind still at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy USDT face-to-face with his own cash, attacked by the fake seller.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5368449","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://www.ettoday.net/news/20260325/3138251.htm","source2_name":"ETtoday 新聞雲 — additional arrests (25 March 2026)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA404","date":"2026-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Shilin District, Yusheng Road)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","TWD cash"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash"],"amount":"TWD 2,000,000","amount_usd":63500,"description":"On the evening of March 10, 2026, Ms. Lin, contacted via social media by a purported USDT broker, went to Yusheng Road, near the Yangming branch of Taipei City Hospital (Shilin District), with TWD 2 million in cash; a man posing as the broker's emissary snatched the bag of money from her just as she was trying to verify his identity, then jumped into a rental car. Three accomplices were intercepted in the vehicle in Yilan that same evening, three others were arrested on March 13-14 at a guesthouse in Xiaoliuqiu (Pingtung), and the true mastermind, Chen, 24 - a collector for a fraud network posing as brokers, who knew through the network how much money Ms. Lin would bring and decided to \"rob the robbers\" - was arrested on April 16 along with three accomplices in Taoyuan and Taichung. In total, 12 people were arrested, about TWD 710,000 of the loot was recovered, and an etomidate-packaging lab (with a market value of TWD 8 million) was dismantled.","victims":"Ms. Lin, a USDT buyer","outcome":"TWD 2,000,000 stolen; 12 suspects arrested in three waves (Yilan on March 10, Xiaoliuqiu on March 13-14, Taoyuan/Taichung on April 16), about TWD 710,000 and drugs seized, an etomidate-packaging lab dismantled; case referred to the Shilin public prosecutor's office for aggravated robbery and drug law violations","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy USDT face-to-face with her own money, robbed by the fake broker.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5369826","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5411815","source2_name":"Liberty Times — 3rd wave of arrests, mastermind identified (22 April 2026)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L197","date":"2026-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Vaires-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (targeted, not obtained)","cash (EUR 3,000)","jewelry","phones"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"No cryptocurrency extorted; EUR 3,000 in cash, jewelry and two phones stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of March 10, 2026, two masked individuals carrying small explosives first tried unsuccessfully to break into a home in northeastern Essonne. The same night, they held a family captive, gagged and bound, in Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), believing they would find the property's former owner (who had left in 2020), reputed to hold cryptocurrency; they left with EUR 3,000 in cash, jewelry and two phones, without obtaining any crypto assets. A 35-year-old man and two teenagers aged 15 and 17 were intercepted in Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère) and placed under formal investigation for extortion, attempted organized extortion, destruction by dangerous means and organized unlawful confinement.","victims":"A family (including children) targeted by mistake in Vaires-sur-Marne; a failed attempt targeting an unidentified man in Essonne the same night","outcome":"Wrong target: no cryptocurrency stolen, only cash and jewellery; three suspects arrested and placed under formal investigation, the adult and the 17-year-old remanded in pre-trial detention, the 15-year-old placed under judicial supervision. In September 2026 the gendarmerie identified three alleged organisers who directed the team from their prison cells via social media, with an accomplice outside: four arrests between 8 and 11 September in Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, placed under formal investigation for criminal conspiracy and armed organised extortion (judicial investigation in Evry).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers were looking for the property's former owner, an individual reputed to hold cryptocurrency in a personal capacity; they targeted the wrong address and robbed a family at that home (France 3: \"the victim was targeted because of his supposed possession of cryptocurrency\"; Cryptoast).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/paris-ile-de-france/seine-et-marne/sequestration-d-une-famille-en-lien-avec-les-cryptomonnaies-trois-hommes-mis-en-examen-3315843.html","source1_name":"France 3 Paris Île-de-France / France Info Régions","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/liste-enlevements-agressions-lies-cryptomonnaies-france/","source2_name":"Cryptoast — List of kidnappings and assaults linked to cryptocurrencies in France","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA473","date":"2026-03-10","precision":"day","city":"Bogdanlia (Elin Pelin municipality, Sofia region)","country":"Bulgaria","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"about EUR 1,700,000 in cryptocurrency targeted (attempt); the sum was seized by investigators","amount_usd":1850000,"description":"On the night of 10 to 11 March 2026, a 48-year-old IT engineer (K. Ya.) walked through an unlocked door at 23:01 into the house of his former colleague and partner K. V., 52, in the village of Bogdanlia near Elin Pelin, while the victim's wife and children were away. According to the Sofia regional prosecutor's office, he stabbed him in the chest, neck and head before 03:14, with particular cruelty and for gain: an attempt to take about EUR 1.7 million in cryptocurrency (bitcoin according to BNT). Frognews reports that the victim may have been tortured for more than four hours to obtain access to his assets. His wife found the body on 11 March. 24 Chasa describes a long-standing dispute between the two former colleagues over this cryptocurrency.","victims":"K. V., 52, IT engineer","outcome":"Victim stabbed to death. The 48-year-old suspect, a former colleague with no criminal record, was identified through camera footage and phone data, charged with murder with particular cruelty and for gain and held for 72 hours (20 March 2026), with pre-trial detention requested; EUR 1.7 million in cryptocurrency seized.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Prosecutors describe the murder as committed for gain, to appropriate the victim's personal funds (EUR 1.7 million in cryptocurrency); killed at home, no company named.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":false,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://bntnews.bg/news/ubiystvo-v-elin-pelin-za-17-mln-evro-v-bitkoini-1384610news.html","source1_name":"BNT","source2":"https://offnews.bg/112/1-7-mln-evro-v-kriptovaluta-zad-zhestoko-ubijstvo-v-s-bogdanlia-863336.html","source2_name":"OFFNews","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA405","date":"2026-03-13","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Wenshan District)","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"TWD 100,000","amount_usd":3200,"description":"On March 13, 2026, Zheng (20) and a minor, posing as USDT sellers they had met online, arranged to meet a private individual at a convenience store in Taipei's Wenshan District. After the victim withdrew TWD 100,000 from the store's ATM, they pepper-sprayed him in the face and eyes, snatched the cash, and fled separately toward the embankment along Hexing Road; the victim, unable to open his eyes, was helped by the store employee. Both men, unemployed with no criminal record and holding no cryptocurrency, were arrested in Sanchong six hours after the incident, with part of the loot recovered.","victims":"A private individual who came to buy USDT (identity undisclosed)","outcome":"TWD 100,000 stolen; the 2 suspects arrested in Sanchong within 6 hours, part of the loot recovered; pretrial detention requested","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy USDT face-to-face, pepper-sprayed and robbed of his own cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5370404","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5370817","source2_name":"Liberty Times — Taipei police analysis of 3 robberies in 4 days","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L229","date":"2026-03-14","precision":"day","city":"Taninges, Haute-Savoie","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 14 March 2026 at around midnight, two masked individuals, one of them armed with a knife, broke into a woman's home in Taninges to steal property and crypto-assets. They beat her and tied her up, then tried to abduct her in her own car; she managed to escape and took refuge at a neighbor's home, who alerted the gendarmerie.","victims":"A resident of Taninges (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Failed abduction and extortion attempt, as the victim escaped; she still suffered serious injuries six months later; five people arrested on 7 and 8 September 2026 in the Paris region, Isère and Brittany by the Chambéry research section (about sixty gendarmes); four placed under formal investigation, three of them remanded in custody.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual assaulted at home for her property and crypto-assets; no professional activity or company mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/cryptomonnaie/cryptomonnaies-quatre-personnes-soupconnees-davoir-sequestre-une-femme-en-haute-savoie-mises-en-examen-bb9d3e46-b010-11f1-b773-22a20d9d91fa","source1_name":"Ouest-France","source2":"https://www.lagazettefrance.fr/article/haute-savoie-quatre-mises-en-examen-pour-une-tentative-d-extorsion-de-cryptoactifs","source2_name":"La Gazette France (AFP)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA406","date":"2026-03-16","precision":"day","city":"Madrid","country":"Spain","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","luxury watch"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"Nothing stolen (a EUR 100,000 watch and crypto keys targeted)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Monday, March 16, 2026 around 11 PM, three Serbians pepper-sprayed and then beat a Canadian businessman specializing in cryptocurrency at the corner of Claudio Coello and Jorge Juan streets (Salamanca district, Madrid), before throwing him into a rented van with disguised license plates whose GPS was set for Petrer (Alicante), in order to extort his private keys and his EUR 100,000 watch. The victim managed to free himself from his restraints, took a taxi, and was hospitalized at La Princesa with serious injuries; firearms were found in the vehicle. Two suspects aged 33 and 45, with no prior record, were arrested; the third fled.","victims":"A Canadian businessman, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur","outcome":"Attempt thwarted by police; two men arrested; nothing stolen.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency entrepreneur attacked in the street to extort his personal private keys and his personal luxury watch.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://okdiario.com/sucesos/tres-serbios-intentan-secuestrar-millonario-canadiense-criptomonedas-calle-moda-madrid-16433101","source1_name":"OKDiario","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L198","date":"2026-03-16","precision":"day","city":"Nantes, Loire-Atlantique","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (personal keys/assets targeted, not obtained)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (attempt failed, nothing stolen)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of March 15 to 16, 2026, around 3 a.m., armed men broke into the home of a business executive in the bitcoin sector, aged in his fifties, near Nantes, and struck him on the head. Startled awake by the home's alarm system, the attackers fled without obtaining any cryptocurrency. The investigation into attempted kidnapping was assigned to the Nantes Gendarmerie's research section, under the authority of the interregional specialized jurisdiction (JIRS) of Rennes.","victims":"A business executive in the bitcoin sector, about 50 years old (identity not disclosed)","outcome":"Attempted kidnapping/robbery foiled by the alarm; victim slightly injured to the head; no arrests reported, investigation opened by the Nantes Gendarmerie under the supervision of the JIRS of Rennes.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The executive, a man in his fifties heading a company specializing in bitcoin, was attacked at night at his personal home in an attempted kidnapping; Ouest-France mentions no demand relating to his company's funds, but since the attack failed before any demand was made, the targeted assets are presumed personal.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/cryptomonnaie/enlevements-dans-le-milieu-de-la-cryptomonnaie-un-patron-cible-par-des-hommes-armes-la-nuit-derniere-pres-de-nantes-8cab17f0-2142-11f1-a6e8-58f5162ee52a","source1_name":"Ouest-France","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/tentative-enlevement-faux-policiers-agressions-crypto-poursuivent/","source2_name":"Cryptoast — Attempted kidnappings and fake police officers, crypto assaults continue","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA407","date":"2026-03-19","precision":"day","city":"Jaipur (Muhana / Jagatpura), Rajasthan","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"INR 1 crore ransom demanded (not paid)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 19, 2026 around 6 PM, Rahul and Dinesh, executives of a Jaipur IT company, received a call luring them near the ISKCON temple under the pretext of a USDT investment; upon their arrival around 7 PM, six to seven masked men abducted them by car in the area of the Muhana police station. The kidnappers used the victims' phones to demand a ransom of 1 crore rupees from their families, to be delivered in Goner, then, tracked all night by police via the rental vehicle's GPS and CCTV footage, abandoned them along with the car in the Galta forest around 5:30 AM the next day, after about eleven hours of captivity. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) stated that the kidnappers were known to the victims and that the case appeared linked to a financial dispute.","victims":"Rahul and Dinesh, two executives of an IT company residing in Jagatpura","outcome":"Victims released after 11 hours, no ransom paid; investigation by Jaipur police","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The two executives were abducted as individuals and the ransom in rupees was demanded from their families, the USDT investment pretext being merely a lure for the kidnapping.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/two-it-firm-owners-kidnapped-dumped-in-galta-forest-11-hrs-later/articleshow/129724153.cms","source1_name":"Times of India (Jaipur)","source2":"https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/local/rajasthan/news/jaipur-it-owners-kidnapped-rs-1-crore-ransom-demand-137494024.html","source2_name":"Dainik Bhaskar English","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA408","date":"2026-03-20","precision":"day","city":"Luzhu (蘆竹), Taoyuan","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"TWD 930,000","amount_usd":29500,"description":"On March 20, 2026 around 9 PM, a woman lured by a promise of a high-yield cryptocurrency investment showed up with TWD 930,000 in cash in front of a convenience store on Shangxing Road, in Taoyuan's Luzhu District, for a face-to-face exchange with a purported broker. A young collector for the network snatched the money from her, then fled on foot before mounting an unplated scooter parked nearby. Spotted via the police's CCTV network, he was arrested the following day and jailed on order of the Taoyuan public prosecutor's office for fraud and snatch theft, but the funds were not recovered.","victims":"A woman (identity not published), who came to buy cryptocurrency face-to-face","outcome":"TWD 930,000 stolen and not recovered, 1 suspect jailed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual who came to buy cryptocurrency face-to-face with her own savings, robbed by the network's collector.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5378720","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L199","date":"2026-03-23","precision":"day","city":"Péchabou, Haute-Garonne, near Toulouse","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"EUR 68,000 (1.12 BTC)","amount_usd":73400,"description":"On March 23, 2026 in Péchabou, near Toulouse, a 57-year-old woman was held captive at her home by five masked, armed individuals who gained entry using the fake delivery driver ruse. Under threat, she was forced to transfer 1.12 BTC, approximately EUR 68,000, to network digital wallets. Two suspects aged 21 and 22 were first arrested in Nîmes, then three others, including a 17-year-old minor, were arrested in early May in the Marseille area; the recruits, paid a few hundred euros via social media, were placed under formal investigation.","victims":"A 57-year-old woman residing in Péchabou (Haute-Garonne)","outcome":"EUR 68,000 in bitcoin transferred under duress, and the attackers also left with jewelry; five suspects arrested and placed under formal investigation, including a 17-year-old minor, who was arrested on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 by the Toulouse gendarmerie investigation unit, placed under formal investigation in Bordeaux on May 7 for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and armed robbery, and remanded in pretrial detention; the investigation is overseen by the Bordeaux specialized interregional court (JIRS).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was described by the Bordeaux public prosecutor's office as \"a private individual residing near Toulouse,\" held captive at her home because the attackers \"believed they knew this person held cryptocurrency\": strictly personal assets (Le Figaro / Cryptoast).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/cryptomonnaies-trois-nouvelles-mises-en-examen-apres-un-rapt-dans-le-sud-ouest-20260507","source1_name":"Le Figaro","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/sequestration-femme-57-ans-domicile-voler-cryptomonnaies/","source2_name":"Cryptoast — 57-year-old woman held captive at her home to steal her cryptocurrencies","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA409","date":"2026-03-27","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Paul, near Limoges, Haute-Vienne","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On March 27, 2026 at dawn, in Saint-Paul (Haute-Vienne), southeast of Limoges, two masked individuals armed with a handgun attacked a resident outside his home and forced him back inside, where they beat him; a third accomplice waited at the wheel of a vehicle parked nearby. Realizing he was about to be tied up, the victim escaped through a window; the attackers fled on foot after also striking a witness who tried to intervene, without taking anything. According to a statement from the Haute-Vienne Gendarmerie, the three suspects \"had carefully planned their action\" and \"were looking for cryptocurrency\"; arrested four days later, the 22-year-old adult was sentenced on May 29, 2026 to 10 years in prison without parole, a 17-year-old minor to 27 months, with the third still to be tried.","victims":"A resident of Saint-Paul (Haute-Vienne), presumed to hold cryptocurrency, and a witness who tried to intervene","outcome":"Attempt failed, nothing taken; three suspects identified within four days and arrested on March 31, 2026; a 22-year-old man sentenced on May 29 / June 1, 2026 to 10 years in prison without parole (the maximum sentence) by the Limoges court, a 17-year-old minor to 27 months, the third awaiting trial","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A resident was attacked outside and inside his own home, the attackers \"were looking for cryptocurrency\" belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ici.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/haute-vienne-87/saint-paul/haute-vienne-un-jeune-homme-de-22-ans-condamne-a-10-ans-de-prison-ferme-pour-une-agression-liee-a-de-la-cryptomonnaie-6905848","source1_name":"ici.fr (France Bleu Limousin)","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/extorsion-crypto-10-ans-prison-ferme-pour-affaire-haute-vienne/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L200","date":"2026-03-28","precision":"day","city":"Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (targeted, not obtained)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"None (attack aborted before any contact with the actual target)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of March 28 to 29, 2026, four young men aged 21 to 24, equipped with a knife, plastic ties, gloves and new high-visibility vests still in their packaging, had prepared an attack on a young cryptocurrency investor in Boulogne-Billancourt, near a houseboat, but went to the wrong address and targeted a 23-year-old mathematics student with no connection to cryptocurrency. Arrested aboard a Toyota Auris and hailing from Brunoy (Essonne) and the 7th arrondissement of Paris, they were placed in police custody in Nanterre then transferred to Paris.","victims":"A 23-year-old mathematics student, targeted by mistake (the actual target was an unidentified young cryptocurrency investor)","outcome":"Attack aborted before any contact with the real victim; no one injured; four suspects placed under formal investigation on April 2, 2026 for criminal conspiracy in preparation of a crime.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The actual target was a young 23-year-old mathematics student, a cryptocurrency investor in a personal capacity, targeted at his home; the team went to the wrong address and knocked on the door of a man in his fifties living on a houseboat, with no connection to crypto (Le Parisien).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/boulogne-les-agresseurs-ciblent-jeune-investisseur-en-crypto-se-trompent-dadresse-et-finissent-en-garde-a-vue-07-04-2026-WESX3VDQLNALFLW4UUQRVMVXHU.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L201","date":"2026-03-31","precision":"day","city":"Strasbourg (Neudorf neighborhood), Bas-Rhin","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (EUR 600,000 ransom demanded but never paid)","amount_usd":648000,"description":"A 25-year-old woman, wife of a cryptocurrency investor partly based in Dubai, was forced into a vehicle on March 31, 2026 around 3 p.m. by three individuals claiming to belong to the Marseille \"DZ Mafia,\" sent specially from Marseille to \"prove themselves.\" Bound and gagged, she was threatened with having a finger cut off while a ransom of EUR 600,000 was demanded from her husband; she was found safe and unharmed by police in a van parked in a forest south of Strasbourg, on Rue du Jura, after a witness report (duct tape and rope were seized in the vehicle). Two suspects aged 19 and 22 were arrested in early April and placed under formal investigation for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and death threats, with the case assigned to the JIRS of Nancy; a third man remains at large.","victims":"A 25-year-old woman, wife of a cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"The victim was released safe and unharmed with no ransom paid; two of the three perpetrators were arrested and placed under formal investigation for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and death threats; the JIRS of Nancy investigation continues into the third suspect and those who ordered the attack, linked to the DZ Mafia.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The ransom targeted the personal cryptocurrency assets of a man based in Dubai who had \"made a fortune in cryptocurrency\"; the 25-year-old woman was abducted only as leverage against this relative (Europe 1 refers to \"one of his friends,\" France 3 to her husband). No company is mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/grand-est/bas-rhin/strasbourg-0/cryptomonnaie-deux-hommes-interpelles-pour-enlevement-et-sequestration-d-une-jeune-femme-a-strasbourg-3349945.html","source1_name":"France 3 Régions / France Info","source2":"https://www.europe1.fr/faits-divers/une-jeune-femme-enlevee-a-strasbourg-par-des-hommes-se-reclamant-de-la-dz-mafia-933998","source2_name":"Europe 1","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA410","date":"2026-04","precision":"month","city":"Saint-Germain-l'Herm","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Around mid-April 2026 (about ten days before April 28), a family was violently attacked at their isolated home in Saint-Germain-l'Herm, a village of 488 residents in the Livradois area (Puy-de-Dôme); the victims suffered rib and finger fractures. According to press from the Centre France group (La République du Centre / La Montagne), investigators are exploring a motive linked to cryptocurrency, but this is only a working hypothesis: neither the Clermont-Ferrand public prosecutor's office nor the prefecture have commented. The number of assailants, the method used, and the loot were not disclosed; no arrests have been confirmed.","victims":"A family living in an isolated house (identities not published)","outcome":"Victims seriously injured (rib and finger fractures); number of assailants, method, and loot not disclosed; no arrest confirmed as of the publication date","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A family was attacked at their isolated home, the crypto lead mentioned by the press pointing to the household's personal assets, not a professional activity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://info.fr/agression-violente-saint-germain-lherm-famille-blessee-piste-crypto/","source1_name":"info.fr (citing La Montagne and Le Berry Républicain)","source2":"https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi7wFBVV95cUxOWXBYVW9uX2ZsVzN2VTFFUU1MYVU0YVdxM1RxanhKRzNIM19FMnZ2ZUIxODNKRHBsd1hYRXVjUW5uOGZ4SmtTSXJUbDhGOVJxYmpSRDhpSVJ6X2lNZGl5TDdnd0M1bHc5WDFCUkpIa2NnaHE2eGVfc3BrRWd6WlRxNHVBTDk1bHNRSlFVeFlpS3ZMamFnZ2MxT2toQld0VjRSbWJxRlNSR0wtcWxvVXhab0dzVExYRk1MUnZRM1BUbFNpNmdTelhUQUlhN21wWkhreHk4VXJpM25feDVLZU5sbzlZRHVBS3VtVzhXUG12OA?oc=5","source2_name":"La République du Centre / Centre France — 'Rib and finger fractures: this small village in Puy-de-Dôme the scene of an attack driven by cryptocurrency' (27 April 2026, link via Google News feed, publisher URL not resolved)","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA411","date":"2026-04-01","precision":"day","city":"Not disclosed","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On April 1, 2026, around 6 a.m., several individuals attempted a violent break-in at the home of a French crypto entrepreneur: they tried to break down the front door while shouting \"police,\" presented themselves as police officers, and tried again before real law enforcement arrived. The attack failed due to the door's resistance and the neighbors' alert; nothing was stolen despite a garage that had been left open, indicating that the person was specifically targeted. An inspector went to the scene, DNA samples were collected, and local patrols were reinforced; the information comes from the victim's public testimony on X, relayed by Cryptoast.","victims":"A crypto entrepreneur (identity and municipality not disclosed), who describes himself as having little public exposure","outcome":"Failed attempt, no loot taken","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A crypto entrepreneur was targeted by an attempted break-in at his own home, a personal target rather than corporate premises.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cryptoast.fr/liste-enlevements-agressions-lies-cryptomonnaies-france/","source1_name":"Cryptoast — List of kidnappings and assaults linked to cryptocurrencies in France","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/nouvelle-tentative-extorsion-crypto-france-pas-profil-moins-risque/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA449","date":"2026-04-01","precision":"day","city":"Ussuriysk (Primorsky Krai), Vygonnaya Street","country":"Russia","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"RUB 37 million in cryptocurrency targeted (non-existent holdings); unspecified personal belongings taken","amount_usd":null,"description":"In spring 2026, a teenage boy and girl from Ussuriysk, convinced that a local man held about 37 million rubles in cryptocurrency, recruited three other teenagers (including another underage girl) and planned to seize it. On the evening of 1 April 2026, the five burst into the man's flat on Vygonnaya Street, beat him repeatedly on the head and body, and took some of his belongings. The information about his holdings was false: he had no cryptocurrency.","victims":"A resident of Ussuriysk (man, not named), wrongly believed to hold cryptocurrency","outcome":"No cryptocurrency obtained (the victim had none); the victim was injured; belongings taken. The Primorsky Krai Investigative Committee closed its investigation in July 2026; the five minors were sent to trial for group robbery with home invasion (Article 162 of the Russian Criminal Code).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual attacked at home for personal cryptocurrency that the attackers wrongly believed he held; no business activity mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://ria.ru/20260710/sk-2103974321.html","source1_name":"RIA Novosti","source2":"https://newsroom24.ru/primorye/news/criminal/2026/news_332594/","source2_name":"Newsroom24","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L202","date":"2026-04-02","precision":"day","city":"Maidenhead, Berkshire","country":"United Kingdom","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Hardware wallet"],"amount":"Unknown (no cryptocurrency stolen; cash, silverware and jewelry taken, amount not specified)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Four men armed with a knife broke into the family home (five bedrooms, worth approximately GBP 1.5 million) of Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie, a South African entrepreneur, former CEO of the crypto company BCB Group and current head of the AI company Greater Things, in Maidenhead, at around 10 p.m. He, his wife Sarah and their two children were bound and threatened while the attackers demanded the access code to his cryptocurrency wallet; they ignored the Aston Martin parked in the driveway and ransacked the house, but left without taking anything, the victim stating he kept no unsecured cryptocurrency on the premises. No arrests had been announced as of mid-April 2026; the victim publicly warned his peers in the crypto industry of an \"organized campaign\" of this type of attack, amid a sharp rise in \"wrench attacks\" in Europe (CertiK data).","victims":"Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie (entrepreneur, former CEO of BCB Group), his wife Sarah and their two children","outcome":"No cryptocurrency stolen, house ransacked, family unharmed; no arrests reported to date, investigation opened by Thames Valley Police.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The four attackers demanded the access code to Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie's personal digital wallet at the family home; no attempt to target BCB Group's or Greater Things' treasury is reported.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15726453/Terror-Home-Counties-wealthy-crypto-boss-held-knifepoint-robbery.html","source1_name":"Daily Mail","source2":"https://cryptobriefing.com/greater-things-ceo-robbed-knifepoint-attackers-sought-crypto/","source2_name":"Crypto Briefing","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L203","date":"2026-04-10","precision":"day","city":"Anglet, Pyrénées-Atlantiques","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","jewelry","cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables","Cash"],"amount":"Unknown (high-value jewelry and cash taken, amount not specified)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Five masked and gloved individuals broke into a seaside second home in Anglet at dawn, around 6 a.m., believing that the property's former owner held a substantial cryptocurrency portfolio. They held a family of six present at the home captive for about an hour (a couple in their seventies, their son, his partner and two children aged 10 and 13), beating the two men and locking the women and children in a separate room, before leaving with jewelry and cash without finding their actual target, who had moved away. Four of the five suspects were arrested, placed under formal investigation and remanded in pretrial detention for organized unlawful confinement and organized armed robbery; the investigation continues to identify those who ordered the attack and one individual still at large.","victims":"A family of 6 (a couple in their seventies, their son, his partner and two children aged 10 and 13), occupying the home of the targeted former owner","outcome":"Jewelry and cash stolen, two men injured from blows, the real target not found; 4 of the 5 suspects arrested, placed under formal investigation and jailed, one instigator or accomplice still sought.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The perpetrators were searching for the substantial personal cryptocurrency portfolio of a business owner, the property's former owner; it was indeed his own personal wealth as a holder, not his company's treasury, that was targeted (Bordeaux public prosecutor's office).","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/pyrenees-atlantiques/bayonne/cinq-hommes-cagoules-sequestrent-les-occupants-d-une-villa-du-pays-basque-pour-retrouver-un-chef-d-entreprise-lie-aux-cryptomonnaies-3334103.html","source1_name":"France 3 Régions / France Info","source2":"https://actu17.fr/justice/anglet-quatre-hommes-ecroues-apres-la-sequestration-violente-dune-famille-pour-des-cryptomonnaies.html","source2_name":"Actu17","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L204","date":"2026-04-11","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Jean-de-Védas (Terral neighborhood), Hérault","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (no property stolen, attempt failed)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On April 11, 2026 around 9 a.m., a 25-year-old individual disguised as a delivery driver, armed with a handgun, entered the home of a family in the Terral neighborhood of Saint-Jean-de-Védas, whose father specialized in cryptocurrency transactions. He held the parents and children at gunpoint, grouping them into one room to demand the access codes to their crypto accounts. Taking advantage of a moment when the attacker was distracted, the father lunged at him; a shot was fired during the struggle without injuring anyone, and the attacker fled without taking anything. Arrested three days later in Marseille, the suspect was placed under formal investigation and jailed in a prison in Bouches-du-Rhône; investigators have not ruled out that he acted on behalf of someone who ordered the attack.","victims":"A father specializing in cryptocurrency, his wife and their children","outcome":"Extortion attempt failed, no one injured, no cryptocurrency stolen; 25-year-old suspect arrested, placed under formal investigation and jailed, investigation ongoing into a possible instigator.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attacker demanded the access codes to the crypto accounts of the father, who specialized in cryptocurrency transactions in a personal capacity, at the family home; no company or client funds are mentioned by the source.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://actu.fr/occitanie/saint-jean-de-vedas_34270/tentative-de-sequestration-d-une-famille-pour-la-cryptomonnaie-pres-de-montpellier-l-auteur-ecroue_64164851.html","source1_name":"actu.fr","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/un-homme-arme-braque-une-famille-pres-de-montpellier-le-pere-lui-saute-dessus-et-le-met-en-fuite-ef4dc3cc-3d89-11f1-b283-bbda7cee88c6","source2_name":"Ouest-France","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA412","date":"2026-04-13","precision":"day","city":"Quarre-les-Tombes, Yonne; hostages found in Val-de-Marne","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 400,000 demanded (ransom not paid)","amount_usd":400000,"description":"On April 13, 2026, the partner of Franck T., a former mason turned cryptocurrency investor, and their 11-year-old son were abducted from their home in Quarre-les-Tombes, Yonne, by kidnappers aged 17 to 20 recruited on social media, who demanded USD 400,000 in cryptocurrency. The hostages, held for a time in a hotel room in Val-de-Marne after a chaotic escape (running out of fuel on the highway), were located and freed by the GIGN after a day-long manhunt, with no ransom paid.","victims":"Franck T.'s partner and their 11-year-old son","outcome":"No ransom paid (400,000 dollars in cryptocurrency demanded); the hostages were freed by the GIGN on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 in Boissy-Saint-Léger (Val-de-Marne); seven men were placed in police custody. Six young people aged 17 to 20, including a minor, were placed under formal investigation on Friday, April 17, 2026 by investigating judges of the Paris specialized interregional court (JIRS), notably for kidnapping and unlawful confinement by an organized group, and the public prosecutor's office requested their pretrial detention; the alleged mastermind was not among those arrested.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The partner and son of investor Franck T. were abducted from their home to obtain a cryptocurrency ransom belonging to him personally.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://bourseinside.fr/crypto/cryptomonnaies-de-la-fuite-de-donnees-au-home-jacking-la-chronologie-glacante-des-enlevements-qui-terrorisent-les-investisseurs-francais/","source1_name":"Bourse Inside (timeline, citing France 2's 20 Heures)","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/liste-enlevements-agressions-lies-cryptomonnaies-france/","source2_name":"Cryptoast — List of kidnappings and assaults linked to cryptocurrencies in France","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA413","date":"2026-04-14","precision":"day","city":"Mytishchi, Moscow oblast","country":"Russia","type":"Extortion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"More than RUB 300,000 transferred under duress + RUB 10,000,000 demanded to a crypto wallet","amount_usd":125000,"description":"On April 14, 2026, in the Moscow region, four men aged 23 to 35 ordered a delivery of printer cartridges through an app, then, at the moment of handover, posed as police officers, showing fake service IDs and a traumatic (non-lethal) pistol. They beat the two couriers and forced them to transfer more than 300,000 rubles on the spot, before demanding an additional 10 million rubles within a week to a cryptocurrency wallet number they dictated to them. The four suspects (three from Transcaucasia, one from Moscow) were arrested; fake badges, the pistol, phones and bank cards were seized, and pretrial detention was ordered by the Mytishchi city court.","victims":"Two delivery couriers (the driver and his passenger)","outcome":"More than RUB 300,000 extorted; four suspects arrested by police and the Rosgvardia (fake service IDs, traumatic pistol seized)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two delivery couriers, private individuals targeted personally during a fake delivery, were forced to transfer their own money and then cryptocurrency to a personal wallet demanded by the attackers.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://ren.tv/news/kriminal/1419964-lzhesiloviki-s-oruzhiem-napali-na-kurerov-i-vymogali-10-mln-v-podmoskove","source1_name":"REN TV","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L206","date":"2026-04-17","precision":"day","city":"Genting Highlands, Pahang (abducted; held captive in Malacca; judicial proceedings in Raub, Pahang)","country":"Malaysia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"Ransom demanded: USDT 10,000,000; ransom paid: USDT 3,000,000 (about RM11.9 million); USDT 2.46 million recovered by police (about RM11.5 million)","amount_usd":3000000,"description":"Followed and then intercepted on the road between Genting Highlands and Kuala Lumpur, a South Korean national wanted by Interpol for illegal gambling (residing in Malaysia since 2016, passport cancelled) was held captive for four days in a homestay in Malacca by three compatriots who demanded USDT 10 million from his family. The family paid USDT 3 million (about RM11.9 million) before police located and freed the victim, seizing a fake gun, a Richard Mille watch, and cash.","victims":"A South Korean national wanted by the authorities of his own country and by Interpol for illegal gambling, residing in Malaysia since 2016","outcome":"Ransom partially paid (USDT 3 million), of which about USDT 2.46 million was recovered by Malaysian police; three South Korean suspects (aged 28-40) arrested and prosecuted for kidnapping (facing a sentence of 30 to 40 years in prison and whipping), remanded in custody and then, in June 2026, released on bail; the victim himself was jailed for overstaying his visa.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ransom in USDT demanded from the victim's family and paid from personal assets; no business entity targeted according to the source.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/05/1434963/three-south-koreans-court-over-rm396mil-genting-highlands-crypto","source1_name":"New Straits Times","source2":"https://www.msn.com/en-my/crime/general/genting-kidnapping-case-three-south-koreans-granted-bail-over-rm39-5m-crypto-ransom-plot-victim-jailed-for-overstaying/ar-AA26PKvQ","source2_name":"MSN / Malay Mail","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L207","date":"2026-04-20","precision":"day","city":"Ploudalmézeau, Finistère, Brittany","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 700,000","amount_usd":756000,"description":"Two masked men armed with an automatic pistol broke into a house in Ploudalmézeau in broad daylight where the grandparents, their daughter and her two young children were present; the father, active in the cryptocurrency sector, was absent. The children were isolated in a room, and the three adults were tied up and gagged for more than three hours, under threat of having a finger cut off the mother, who eventually gave up the password to the couple's digital wallet, which was emptied of about 700,000 euros.","victims":"A family from Ploudalmézeau: the grandparents, their daughter and her two young children (5 people); the father, absent at the time, is active in the cryptocurrency field","outcome":"EUR 700,000 in cryptocurrency stolen; the family was found tied up by neighbors who alerted the Gendarmerie; the fleeing suspects' vehicle was found abandoned in Brest; five months later (September 2026), four men from the Paris region (aged 18-37) were placed under formal investigation, two of them jailed for organized armed robbery and unlawful confinement, the other two placed under judicial supervision for criminal conspiracy.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers extorted the password to the couple's personal digital wallet (~EUR 700,000) at their home; the father is \"active in the cryptocurrency field\" but no company was targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.letelegramme.fr/finistere/ploudalmezeau-29830/a-ploudalmezeau-une-famille-sequestree-puis-delestee-de-700-000-eur-en-cryptomonnaies-exclusif-7030440.php","source1_name":"Le Télégramme","source2":"https://www.lefigaro.fr/faits-divers/finistere-quatre-hommes-soupconnes-d-avoir-sequestre-une-famille-pour-leur-extorquer-des-cryptomonnaies-mis-en-examen-20260910","source2_name":"Le Figaro","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA478","date":"2026-04-20","precision":"day","city":"Kaunas (9th Fort Street)","country":"Lithuania","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 27,700 in cash","amount_usd":32000,"description":"On Monday 20 April 2026 at around 3:30 p.m. on 9th Fort Street in Kaunas, a young man born in 2004 was buying cryptocurrency in a car. While the cash was being counted, a stranger ran up to the vehicle and, in a scuffle, grabbed EUR 27,700.","victims":"Young man born in 2004, buying cryptocurrency (not named)","outcome":"Two suspects born in 1999 and 2001 placed in a police holding cell; pre-trial investigation opened (Police Department, 21 April 2026).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual robbed of his cash during an in-person over-the-counter crypto purchase; no company named.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/lietuva/automobilyje-apiplestas-vyras-pagrobta-27-7-tukst-euru-n1513388","source1_name":"TV3.lt","source2":"https://www.lrytas.lt/lietuvosdiena/kriminalai/2026/04/21/news/kaune-is-kriptovaliutos-prekeiviu-pagrobta-27-7-tukst-euru-itariamieji-atsidure-uz-grotu-42133016","source2_name":"Lrytas","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L208","date":"2026-04-22","precision":"day","city":"Karachi (near Jinnah International Airport), Sindh","country":"Pakistan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency (digital account; the article does not explicitly confirm whether this was cryptocurrency rather than another digital financial service)"],"asset_classes":["ETH"],"amount":"USD 8,600","amount_usd":8600,"description":"A Karachi resident traveling by ride-hailing car to Lahore was intercepted one evening at a gas station near Jinnah Airport by four armed men who arrived in a double-cab pickup and forced him into their vehicle. Held for more than an hour, he was forced to access his digital account and transfer about 8,600 dollars from it, before being stripped of his phone and laptop, beaten, and then abandoned in the Korangi neighborhood.","victims":"A Karachi resident, identity not disclosed","outcome":"USD 8,600 stolen, victim beaten but released after several hours; according to his father, no formal complaint had yet been filed at the airport police station at the time the article was published, and no arrest is mentioned.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual abducted and forced at gunpoint to transfer about USD 8,600 from his personal digital financial account; no business entity mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://theasianmirror.com/latest/79185/karachi-airport-abduction-digital-account-robbery-8600/","source1_name":"The Asian Mirror","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA414","date":"2026-04-24","precision":"day","city":"Jaipur (Chitrakoot), Rajasthan","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USTC"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"INR 8.37 lakh (837,000 rupees)","amount_usd":9500,"description":"Ravi Meena was put in contact by an acquaintance with sellers offering USTC at a reduced price; two of them first met him alone, noticed he had come with cash, and called in their accomplices, who seized INR 8.37 lakh from him without ever delivering the cryptocurrency. The complaint was filed on April 24, 2026 at the Chitrakoot police station; on April 27, Jaipur police announced the arrest of six men aged 22 to 25 (Bhawani Singh Tanwar, Ayan Ali, Yogesh Kumar, Rahul Singh Rawat, Ghanshyam Singh, Yashvardhan Gurjar) after reviewing CCTV footage, and seized the Bolero vehicle used. The suspects admitted to having tricked several people via social media under the guise of crypto deals.","victims":"Ravi Meena, a cryptocurrency (USTC) buyer","outcome":"INR 8.37 lakh stolen; 6 arrests, vehicle seized","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ravi Meena, a private buyer in an in-person P2P transaction, had the cash he brought to purchase USTC for his own account stolen.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.bhaskar.com/g/local/rajasthan/jaipur/news/jaipur-crypto-scam-8-37-lakh-robbery-6-held-137799544.html","source1_name":"Dainik Bhaskar (Jaipur)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L209","date":"2026-04-29","precision":"day","city":"Koh Samui, Surat Thani","country":"Thailand","type":"Home invasion","assets":["BTC","Rolex (luxury watch)"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Valuables"],"amount":"GBP 70,000 in Bitcoin transferred under duress; total haul (including the Rolex) estimated at over GBP 250,000","amount_usd":90000,"description":"Three British nationals entered a villa rented by Ashley James O'Brien in Koh Samui while he was sleeping, threatened him with a firearm and forced him to remain on the ground while they searched the premises. They took a Rolex watch and forced him to transfer the equivalent of GBP 70,000 in Bitcoin, for a total haul estimated at over GBP 250,000. The suspects reportedly identified the victim as wealthy through mutual acquaintances before carrying out the attack.","victims":"Ashley James O'Brien, a 34-year-old British businessman","outcome":"Arrest warrants were issued on April 30, 2026 against Marco George Cameron Diamantis, Myles Rees Lapierre and his partner Samantha Dorothy Tilley (getaway driver); Diamantis reportedly remained in Thailand, while the other two allegedly fled the country, with police seeking Interpol red notices. No arrests were reported at the time of the articles consulted.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A British businessman held at gunpoint upon waking in the villa he was renting, stripped of his Rolex and forced to transfer GBP 70,000 in Bitcoin from his own assets; Crime Asia specifies that he was targeted after the suspects, met through mutual acquaintances, learned of his personal wealth. No company assets were targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.facebook.com/crimeasianews/posts/three-british-nationals-wanted-for-armed-robbery-of-businessman-on-koh-samui-the/122110417971072195/","source1_name":"The Sun","source2":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DX6ztMOiIVj/","source2_name":"Crime Asia (Facebook)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA415","date":"2026-05","precision":"month","city":"São Sebastião, Barequeçaba neighborhood (north coast of São Paulo)","country":"Brazil","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"In the Barequeçaba neighborhood of São Sebastião (north coast of São Paulo), a resident was surprised by armed criminals at the entrance to his home, overpowered, held in private confinement (cárcere privado), and subjected to sessions of physical and psychological torture while the gang demanded the transfer of his money and digital assets. On May 8, 2026, the Civil Police carried out an operation (12 civil police officers, six municipal guards, seven vehicles, with support from the DIG, the DISE and the Caraguatatuba police station), executing four search warrants and three arrest warrants in the Topolândia neighborhood: two men were arrested and BRL 1,585 along with two phones were seized, with a third suspect still at large. The exact date of the attack is not specified by the source; it occurred before May 8, 2026.","victims":"A resident of Barequeçaba (unnamed)","outcome":"Victim tortured and held captive; two suspects arrested, a third at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A resident was held captive and tortured at his home to force him to transfer \"his money and digital assets,\" personally owned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://novaimprensa.com/2026/05/dupla-e-presa-por-torturar-morador-para-roubar-criptomoedas-em-sao-sebastiao.html","source1_name":"Nova Imprensa","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA416","date":"2026-05","precision":"month","city":"Hanover, Laatzen and Ronnenberg (Hanover region); searches also conducted in Herzberg (Brandenburg)","country":"Germany","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (mixed loot: cash, jewelry, phones, cryptocurrencies)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Between October 2025 and May 2026, a gang of ten people (nine men and one woman, aged 17 to 26) operating in shifting formations lured at least seven victims aged 34 to 56, both German and foreign, into apartments rented for the occasion, under the pretext of business meetings or, in one case, an online purchase. The victims were attacked by several assailants at once, tied up, threatened with a knife and sometimes injured, with the loot including cash, jewelry, mobile phones and cryptocurrencies. On September 10, 2026, Hanover police carried out ten searches in Hanover, Laatzen, Ronnenberg and Herzberg (Brandenburg) and arrested four suspects (a 23-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man in Laatzen, a 20-year-old man in Hanover, a 23-year-old man in Ronnenberg), with the others still being sought.","victims":"At least 7 victims, men and women aged 34 to 56, from Germany and abroad","outcome":"Loot included cryptocurrencies; victims tied up and injured; 7 arrest warrants, 4 suspects arrested on September 10, 2026, 6 on the run","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Individual victims (aged 34-56) were lured into rented apartments under the pretext of business meetings or an online purchase and stripped of their personal belongings, including cryptocurrencies.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/66841/6350336","source1_name":"Polizeidirektion Hannover (POL-H press release via Presseportal) – « Polizei Hannover nimmt mehrere Tatverdächtige zu schwerwiegender Raubserie fest »","source2":"https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/hannover_weser-leinegebiet/zehn-verdaechtige-in-schwerer-raubserie-mehrere-gefasst,raubserie-100.html","source2_name":"NDR – « Zehn Verdächtige in \"brutaler Raubserie\" – mehrere gefasst »","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA417","date":"2026-05","precision":"day","city":"Chandigarh (lake parking lot, Sector 42)","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"INR 17.5 lakh (1,750,000 rupees), of which 5 lakh recovered","amount_usd":19900,"description":"Amit Kumar, a computer parts dealer near Panjab University, was contacted on WhatsApp by an individual identifying himself as Ankit, claiming to be a trader converting rupees into USDT; after several days of exchanges about a deal worth around 40 lakh, he was summoned to the lake parking lot in Sector 42. There, four to five men in a black Kia made him get into their car; sensing a trap, he got back out, and they chased him, beat him and his associate Vinay Jain, threatened him with a weapon, and grabbed the two bags containing INR 17.5 lakh in cash and his identity papers. The license plate had been disguised with black tape; tracing the plate number and reviewing CCTV footage led investigators to the vehicle's owner (a young blind man) and then to the arrest of one suspect and the recovery of 5 lakh rupees; the investigation continues at the Sector 36 police station.","victims":"Amit Kumar, a computer parts dealer (Sector 45, Chandigarh), and his associate Vinay Jain","outcome":"INR 17.5 lakh stolen; at least one arrest","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Amit Kumar, a private individual engaged in a P2P rupee/USDT conversion transaction, personally had the cash he brought to the in-person meeting stolen.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/crypto-deal-turns-robbery-17-5l-looted-at-sector-42-lake-parking/articleshow/131415380.cms","source1_name":"Times of India (Chandigarh)","source2":"https://www.jagran.com/punjab/chandigarh-chandigarh-usdt-robbery-175-lakh-loot-car-numbers-exposed-40257215.html","source2_name":"Dainik Jagran (Chandigarh)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA418","date":"2026-05","precision":"day","city":"Kyiv and Kyiv oblast","country":"Ukraine","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC","USDT"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","BTC","USDT"],"amount":"About USD 2,200,000 in cryptocurrencies handed over in total; one victim forced to raise USD 5,000,000","amount_usd":2200000,"description":"An armed group made up of four former police officers — including two colonels of the National Police, from the Crimea/Sevastopol command and a Kyiv unit — and one civilian accomplice kidnapped at least four cryptocurrency sector entrepreneurs. The gang surveilled its targets, traveled in official vehicles while posing as police officers, held the victims captive at gunpoint, and forced them to transfer cryptocurrency or sign fictitious acknowledgments of debt; about USD 2.2 million was handed over in total, with one victim abducted in Kyiv having had to raise USD 5 million, partly through borrowing, before being held and moved between several locations. The Kyiv oblast public prosecutor's office closed the investigation and referred the case to court at the end of May 2026, on charges of banditry, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, robbery with violence and extortion.","victims":"At least 4 entrepreneurs in the cryptocurrency sector (identities not published)","outcome":"~USD 2.2 million in cryptocurrencies extorted; 5 people referred to trial","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Crypto sector entrepreneurs were kidnapped individually and forced to transfer cryptocurrency or sign acknowledgments of debt committing their personal assets.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://bits.media/byvshikh-politseyskikh-obvinili-v-pokhishchenii-kriptobiznesmenov-radi-vykupa/","source1_name":"Bits.media","source2":"https://incrypted.com/ukraynskye-polytsejskye-zarabotaly-2-2-mln/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA419","date":"2026-05-01","precision":"day","city":"Nieuw-Vennep","country":"Netherlands","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"≈ EUR 60,000 in extorted transfers + EUR 25,000 subsequently demanded under threat of releasing the video","amount_usd":69000,"description":"On May 1, 2026 in Nieuw-Vennep, following a dispute over cryptocurrency investments, a man was forced at gunpoint into a car and then held captive by two brothers who were MMA fighters, along with a third accomplice. Forced to undress, he was filmed while one of the perpetrators urinated on him and in his mouth, and was threatened with having his eyes gouged out and his fingers cut off with pruning shears; under duress he made several transfers totaling about 60,000 euros, after which the perpetrators demanded a further 25,000 euros under threat of releasing the video. The defense disputes the use of a weapon and the pruning shears and contends that the defendant, a victim of a \"kind of pyramid scheme,\" was trying to recover his own money.","victims":"An unidentified man, a longtime friend of the main perpetrator, who had invested the perpetrator's money in cryptocurrencies","outcome":"Three suspects; Youssef B. (23) tried in August 2026 and then released under conditions, his brother still in detention, a third already released","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A personal dispute between friends over crypto investments escalated into an abduction aimed at extorting the victim's personal money.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/362195/crypto-ruzie-tussen-vrienden-escaleert-slachtoffer-bedreigd-afgeperst-en-vernederd","source1_name":"NU.nl","source2":"https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/regio/haarlem/om-nieuw-venneps-slachtoffer-ontvoering-en-afpersing-ernstig-vernederd/159602823.html","source2_name":"NH Nieuws","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L210","date":"2026-05-06","precision":"day","city":"Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["computers","smartphone"],"asset_classes":["Devices"],"amount":"Unknown (no cryptocurrency found; the stolen computers and smartphone were eventually recovered)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three men armed with a handgun broke down the front door of a house in Bondy at around 5 a.m. and surprised a sleeping couple, whom they struck and tied up before searching the house for cryptocurrency. Wrongly believing their victims held cryptocurrency, they left with computers and a smartphone, which they abandoned while fleeing when police located them in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.","victims":"A couple, not publicly identified, owners of a house in Bondy","outcome":"No cryptocurrency was found at the home; the victims, who had been struck (a punch to the face) and tied up, were able to raise the alarm once freed. The stolen goods (computers, smartphone) were located and had been abandoned by the attackers, but none of the three men had been arrested as of May 9, 2026; the investigation was assigned to the SDPJ 93 (Bobigny public prosecutor's office).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple of private individuals who owned a house, of whom \"the current owners have no connection to the world of cryptocurrency\" according to a source close to the case; the attackers were searching for personal cryptocurrency they wrongly believed the couple held, and left with the household's computers and smartphone.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/bondy-frappees-et-ligotees-au-petit-matin-les-victimes-du-home-jacking-navaient-pas-de-cryptomonnaie-09-05-2026-IOMODLNJEZGJHOUEN37Z3NS2VM.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/cryptomonnaie/seine-saint-denis-un-couple-agresse-lors-dun-home-jacking-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-quil-ne-possedait-pas-d2f425d4-4d3f-11f1-8c1e-ea82e439204b","source2_name":"Ouest-France","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L211","date":"2026-05-10","precision":"day","city":"Ottrott, Bas-Rhin","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"A resident of Ottrott, who had recently carried out cryptocurrency transactions in the region, was targeted in two attempted abductions and confinements at his home, on Sunday May 10 and then Monday May 11, 2026, before the gendarmerie was alerted. Five people from the Paris region were arrested on May 11 in the Bas-Rhin.","victims":"A resident of Ottrott, not publicly identified","outcome":"The five suspects were placed in police custody for attempted extortion in an organized group and attempted abduction, unlawful confinement or arbitrary detention in an organized group; the Saverne public prosecutor's office relinquished the case to the JIRS of Nancy. No ransom was paid and the victim was not injured.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual targeted at his home because he had himself recently carried out cryptocurrency transactions in the region; no source mentions an employer, a company or professional funds.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/grand-est/bas-rhin/strasbourg-0/un-homme-vise-par-deux-tentatives-d-enlevement-apres-des-transactions-en-cryptomonnaies-3349861.html","source1_name":"France 3 Régions / franceinfo","source2":"https://www.dna.fr/faits-divers-justice/2026/05/11/cryptomonnaie-et-tentative-d-enlevement-quatre-personnes-en-garde-a-vue","source2_name":"Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (DNA)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L212","date":"2026-05-20","precision":"day","city":"Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (investigators mentioned a ransom in cryptocurrency, amount not specified)","amount_usd":null,"description":"An individual disguised as a delivery driver presented himself at the home of Sebastien Borget, co-founder of The Sandbox, in Villenoy (Seine-et-Marne); when his wife opened the gate, five masked accomplices burst into the courtyard and dragged her by force toward a Citroen C3 to abduct her. The victim's cries alerted neighbors, who intervened, forcing the group to flee.","victims":"Wife of Sebastien Borget, co-founder and chief operating officer of The Sandbox","outcome":"The victim was not injured. Four members of the group fled by car; the other two, who left on foot and were then intercepted in a ride-hailing car by the Meaux BAC (anti-crime squad), were identified as Mateo V. (born 2010) and Walid H. (born 2009), residents of Pantin, and placed in police custody in possession of a fake weapon, cable ties and balaclavas; the other four members of the group remained at large.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Sebastien Borget's wife was abducted at the couple's family home in Seine-et-Marne by a group \"searching for financial assets\" linked to cryptocurrency held by the couple; the JDD makes no mention at any point of The Sandbox's treasury or client funds, only the executive's personal assets are targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.lejdd.fr/Societe/info-jdd-seine-et-marne-lepouse-dun-entrepreneur-en-cryptomonnaies-victime-dune-tentative-denlevement-174468","source1_name":"Le JDD","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/femme-cofondateur-the-sandbox-echappe-justesse-tentative-enlevement/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA481","date":"2026-05-21","precision":"day","city":"Kotor (Kavac)","country":"Montenegro","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"EUR 100,000 in cash (EUR 99,650 recovered from the suspects)","amount_usd":116000,"description":"On 21 May 2026 at around 2 p.m. in Kavac (Kotor municipality), one of the suspects invited a Kotor resident, M. M., and another person to a hotel room for a supposed sale of two bitcoins for EUR 100,000. Once the money had been brought, three accomplices came in, took the money and left, locking the victims in. M. M. escaped over the terrace and tried to stop their car from leaving; the four men got out, punched him in the head and body, kept beating him once he was on the ground, then fled towards Budva.","victims":"M. M., Kotor resident who came to buy two bitcoins","outcome":"Four suspects, three Americans and a Briton, intercepted the same day in Ulcinj as they tried to leave the country; EUR 99,650, GBP 660, USD 126, gold-like bars and suspected counterfeit money seized. Investigation for robbery-theft opened by the Podgorica Higher State Prosecutor's Office; pre-trial detention, extended by three months by the Supreme Court.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual lured to a hotel room for an over-the-counter bitcoin purchase and robbed of his cash; no company named.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.vijesti.me/vijesti/crna-hronika/809782/trojica-drzavljana-sad-i-britanac-uhapseni-u-ulcinju-oteli-100000-eura-od-kotoranina-i-pretukli-ga","source1_name":"Vijesti","source2":"https://www.cdm.me/hronika/lazna-trgovina-bitkoinima-zavrsila-pljackom-i-prebijanjem-u-kotoru/","source2_name":"CdM","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L213","date":"2026-05-22","precision":"day","city":"Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (bank transfers)"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"EUR 14,000","amount_usd":15120,"description":"A 25-year-old cryptocurrency investor was approached on May 22, 2026 at around 10:45 a.m. on boulevard de l'Europe in Mulhouse by two individuals who forced him into a BMW at knifepoint, then drove him for about twenty minutes, blindfolded and with his wrists tied behind his back, beating him along the way, to a holding location where five kidnappers were waiting. Tied to a chair, he was threatened with having a finger cut off with bolt cutters to give up the codes to his phones, computer and crypto accounts, and was then forced to request money by voice messages from his partner and a friend, resulting in three transfers totaling 14,000 euros, before being released that same evening at around 9:30 p.m. Four men aged 29 to 44 were placed under formal investigation and remanded in custody on June 3, 2026, after a judicial investigation was opened on May 27 for kidnapping, unlawful confinement and armed extortion.","victims":"A 25-year-old cryptocurrency investor","outcome":"EUR 14,000 extorted via bank transfers; victim released safe and sound that same evening; four suspects (aged 29 to 44) placed under formal investigation and remanded in custody since June 3, 2026.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim, a 25-year-old private investor, was abducted for his own assets: the kidnappers demanded the codes to his personal phones, computer and crypto accounts, then forced him to obtain transfers from his relatives. No corporate assets were involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/grand-est/haut-rhin/mulhouse/un-homme-enleve-sequestre-et-vole-apres-avoir-parle-de-ses-investissements-dans-la-cryptomonnaie-quatre-personnes-interpellees-3363202.html","source1_name":"France 3 Régions (France Info)","source2":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/un-investisseur-en-cryptomonnaie-enleve-et-sequestre-a-mulhouse-quatre-personnes-interpellees-36c03fb4-60bc-11f1-8c24-b38534c94fba","source2_name":"Ouest-France","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA421","date":"2026-06-05","precision":"day","city":"Ételfay, Somme","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On June 5, 2026 in Ételfay (Somme), a resident returning from walking her grandson to the bus stop was surprised in her yard by three masked and armed men who came to extort her cryptocurrencies, while her granddaughter was inside the house. The group fled without obtaining anything after being addressed in Ukrainian by the victim's mother-in-law, which made them suspicious. The victim had been identified through the data leak of the French crypto tax assistant Waltio (January 21, 2026, ~50,000 users) circulated on the darknet.","victims":"A grandmother living in Ételfay (Somme), her granddaughter who was present at the home, and her mother-in-law","outcome":"Failed attempt, nothing extorted; a 26-year-old special-needs educator tried on July 31, 2026 before the Amiens criminal court for unlawful confinement and extortion, having admitted his participation in exchange for 5,000 euros; the commando's driver was sentenced on September 25, 2026 to two years in prison plus three months of an earlier suspended sentence revoked; those who commissioned the attack remain unknown.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Group that came to extort a resident's personal cryptocurrencies at her home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.courrier-picard.fr/id735705/article/2026-07-29/cryptomonnaie-etelfay-trois-hommes-armes-et-encagoules-avaient-surgi","source1_name":"Cryptoast","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/nouvelle-attaque-crypto-jugee-somme/","source2_name":"Bourse Inside","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA464","date":"2026-06-07","precision":"day","city":"Rome (Casal Bertone; held at Borghesiana then Centocelle)","country":"Italy","type":"Torture","assets":["BTC","USDT","Cash","Gold","Luxury watch","Laptop"],"asset_classes":["BTC","USDT","Cash","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"No cryptocurrency obtained (transfers blocked by an emergency code); EUR 8,900 in cash, gold chains (EUR 11,000), a Rolex (EUR 20,000) and a laptop stolen","amount_usd":null,"description":"At about 2:30 am on 7 June 2026, a Colombian financial operator who converted cash into Bitcoin and USDT for a Venezuelan company was lured by a fellow Colombian woman into the lobby of a B&B in Casal Bertone, where a gang led by a trafficker nicknamed 'il Presidente' beat him and forced him into a car. Held for seven hours, first in a house in Borghesiana and then in a flat in Centocelle, tied hand and foot, threatened with a pistol and cut with a knife, he was forced to make transfers from his computer, but secretly typed an emergency code that blocked all transactions. Motive: a delay in converting into cryptocurrency EUR 7,000 in cash entrusted to him by 'il Presidente'.","victims":"A Colombian financial operator converting cash into Bitcoin and USDT for a Venezuelan company (not named)","outcome":"Crypto transfers blocked; the victim, cut with a knife, was released in the street the next morning after being forced to change out of his bloodstained clothes. On 24 September 2026 the Rome Squadra Mobile and the Civitavecchia carabinieri executed an order of the preliminary investigations judge (Francesco Patrone), requested by the Rome anti-mafia prosecutors (DDA), against nine Dominican and Colombian nationals (kidnapping for extortion, robbery, assault, transnational drug-trafficking conspiracy).","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"A cash-to-crypto converter working for a Venezuelan company, held over a late conversion and forced to transfer holdings that the source does not identify as personal or company funds.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.fanpage.it/roma/broker-sequestrato-e-torturato-a-roma-il-trucco-del-codice-demergenza-e-il-tatuaggio-sul-collo-a-forma-di-bacio/","source1_name":"Fanpage.it","source2":"https://www.fanpage.it/roma/sequestrano-un-uomo-per-7-ore-lo-torturano-con-un-coltello-legato-mani-e-piedi-9-arresti-a-roma/","source2_name":"Fanpage.it","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA454","date":"2026-06-08","precision":"day","city":"Coconut Creek (Broward County), Florida","country":"United States","type":"Home invasion","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"More than $27,000 in total (cash, property and cryptocurrency sold through Coinbase); crypto share not specified","amount_usd":27000,"description":"On 8 June 2026, in an apartment in Coconut Creek (the Vista Verde community, according to Coconut Creek Talk), Sheendalie Joseph allegedly let Tevin Dean (31) in while the occupant was upstairs. Dean held the victim at gunpoint, forced him to strip naked, bound him and covered his eyes with duct tape, dragged him down a hallway, then held a kitchen knife to the back of his head and threatened to kill him if he did not unlock his phone. The victim had to give up the passwords to his Coinbase account; the attackers sold his cryptocurrency, sent about $1,200 via Zelle to an account belonging to Joseph's son, attempted fraudulent transactions and took cards and phones (later factory-reset and pawned), after deleting seven Ring camera clips.","victims":"Unidentified man living in an apartment in Coconut Creek","outcome":"The victim stayed bound for almost half an hour before freeing himself. Tevin Dean was arrested on 29 July 2026 and charged with 12 felonies (home invasion with a firearm, armed kidnapping, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, grand theft, criminal use of personal identification, tampering with evidence...), and was held without bond; co-defendant Sheendalie Joseph had been arrested earlier, according to Coconut Creek Talk.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual robbed at home and forced to hand over access to his personal Coinbase account; the crypto was part of a wider haul (cash, cards, phones).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/07/30/coconut-creek-man-arrested-in-armed-home-invasion-faces-12-felony-charges/","source1_name":"Local 10 News (WPLG)","source2":"https://coconutcreektalk.com/crypto-cash-stolen-armed-home-invasion-victim-bound-naked/","source2_name":"Coconut Creek Talk","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA422","date":"2026-06-09","precision":"day","city":"Bengaluru (Sanjaynagar, Kalpana Chawla Road), Karnataka","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"INR 1,764,000 (17.64 lakh) in cash, of which INR 1,390,000 (13.90 lakh) recovered","amount_usd":20000,"description":"A resident of Kodigehalli (Bengaluru) who was preparing to open a café on Sira Highway needed to pay in cryptocurrency for equipment imported from China and Japan; put at ease by a first successful exchange of 2.50 lakh rupees on June 8, 2026 with a member of a WhatsApp USDT trading group, he was summoned on the evening of June 9 to Kalpana Chawla Road in Sanjaynagar to convert 17.64 lakh rupees into cash. Having come with his brother and a friend, he had the money snatched from him without any USDT being transferred, and all three men were physically assaulted before the attackers fled. Sanjaynagar police arrested twelve suspects aged 20 to 40 (Kareem Khan, Waseem Khan, Mohammed Ismail, Rehan A, Suhaib Javid, Ayan Mukherjee, Akheel Mohammed, Tausif, Liyaqath Sharif, Afjal Khan, Mujameel, Imran Pasha) and recovered 13.90 lakh rupees, 13 phones, a car and six two-wheelers.","victims":"A man residing in Kodigehalli (Bengaluru), who was setting up a café project, along with his brother and a friend, all three assaulted","outcome":"INR 1,764,000 (17.64 lakh) stolen with no crypto delivered; INR 1,390,000 (13.90 lakh) recovered; 12 arrests, seizure of 13 phones, a car and six two-wheelers","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual assaulted during a P2P cash-for-USDT transaction for his own account, despite the funds' intended business purpose.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/12-arrested-for-robbing-businessman-on-pretext-of-converting-cash-into-cryptocurrency/article71145597.ece","source1_name":"The Hindu","source2":"https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/bengaluru-police-arrest-12-in-rs-1764-lakh-crypto-fraud-robbery-case-victim-assaulted-4052621","source2_name":"Deccan Herald","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA423","date":"2026-06-11","precision":"day","city":"Vitória (abducted, Jardim Camburi neighborhood) / Serra, Jardim Carapina (held captive), Espírito Santo","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"3,700 USDT (approx. BRL 20,000) transferred, out of BRL 5,000,000 demanded","amount_usd":3700,"description":"On June 11, 2026, a cryptocurrency investor who had been under surveillance for a long time by a criminal organization was abducted from his Porsche in broad daylight on a street in Vitória (ES) by hooded men, transferred to a Chevrolet Celta and then taken to a wooded area of Jardim Carapina, in Serra, where he was assaulted and threatened with death. The kidnappers demanded around BRL 5 million but obtained only a transfer of about BRL 20,000, i.e. 3,700 USDT on the Tron network; alerted after the victim's father located his phone, police intervened and the victim managed to free himself by jumping off an embankment. Blockchain tracing under judicial authorization identified nine suspects, seven of whom were arrested (six in an operation on August 27, 2026), with Samuel and Ana Júlia still at large.","victims":"A cryptocurrency investor/influencer (not named)","outcome":"About 3,700 USDT transferred, victim escaped; 7 of 9 suspects arrested thanks to blockchain tracing","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Investor abducted and held for ransom over his own cryptocurrency holdings.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://tribunaonline.com.br/policia/policia-prende-7-suspeitos-de-sequestrar-investidor-e-exigir-milhoes-em-criptomoeda-330333","source1_name":"Tribuna Online (ES)","source2":"https://livecoins.com.br/influenciador-de-criptomoedas-e-sequestrado-no-es-mas-consegue-fugir/","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L214","date":"2026-06-14","precision":"day","city":"Marseille (13th arrondissement, Olives neighborhood)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"At around 3 a.m. on June 14, 2026, several individuals violently pounded on the door of a house in the Olives neighborhood, in Marseille's 13th arrondissement, as part of an operation targeting three homes the same night. The family barricaded themselves inside and the intruders fled when police arrived, without harming anyone or taking any funds; the investigation established that a child in the family, absent that night, had earned money in cryptocurrency a year earlier but no longer held any. Four men were arrested in the act that same night, following an attack linked to Gignac-la-Nerthe, with the investigation entrusted to Marseille's Brigade de répression du banditisme.","victims":"A family from a residential neighborhood in Marseille's 13th arrondissement","outcome":"Failed attempt: intruders fled when police arrived, no injuries, no funds taken; four suspects arrested in the act the same night.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The operation targeted the personal cryptocurrency earnings of a family member (a child of the household, absent that night), reached through relatives at their home: assets of a private individual, no business entity involved.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.laprovence.com/article/faits-divers-justice/2193885092828214/quatre-hommes-arretes-en-plein-braquage-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaies-pres-de-marseille","source1_name":"La Provence","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/crypto-4-hommes-marseille-serie-sequestrations-extorquer-cryptomonnaies/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L215","date":"2026-06-14","precision":"day","city":"Gignac-la-Nerthe, Bouches-du-Rhône","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of June 13 to 14, 2026, a few hours after a similar attempt in Marseille, several men entered a villa in Gignac-la-Nerthe and held two women captive, including one in her sixties, to force them to transfer cryptocurrency or reveal access keys belonging to a family relative. The victims were caught by police in the middle of an attempted transaction and freed safe and sound; the four suspects were arrested in the act after being blocked by improvised roadblocks set up by the victims' relatives. The case, entrusted to Marseille's Brigade de répression du banditisme, is part of a series of three attacks or attempted attacks committed the same night in Bouches-du-Rhône.","victims":"Two women, including one in her sixties","outcome":"Victims freed safe and sound by police before any actual extortion took place; four suspects arrested in the act thanks to roadblocks organized by the victims' relatives.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The two women were held captive to hand over cryptocurrency or access keys belonging to a family relative: individually held private assets, non-professional in nature.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.laprovence.com/article/faits-divers-justice/2193885092828214/quatre-hommes-arretes-en-plein-braquage-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaies-pres-de-marseille","source1_name":"La Provence","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/crypto-4-hommes-marseille-serie-sequestrations-extorquer-cryptomonnaies/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA424","date":"2026-06-17","precision":"day","city":"Karachi (Gulistan-e-Jauhar, between Blocks 14 and 15)","country":"Pakistan","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","USDT"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","USDT"],"amount":"approximately USD 500,000 alleged (figure from the Express Tribune headline; The News gives no figure, ARY speaks of 'millions of dollars')","amount_usd":500000,"description":"On the night of June 16-17, 2026 at around 2:30 a.m., Jan Sher Khan alias JS Rao was riding his motorcycle home in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighborhood of Karachi when a black vehicle struck him; CCTV footage shows three men in plain clothes getting out, chasing him, overpowering him and forcing him into the car after beating him. According to his complaint, four armed men took him to an unknown location, subjected him to violence and extorted passwords, fingerprints and access to his online accounts from him in order to transfer funds and data, also demanded dollars from his friends while posing as him, and took his iPhone 16 Pro Max before leaving him blindfolded near Bin Qasim before dawn. An FIR was registered on Thursday June 18 at the Gulshan-e-Jauhar police station; police are using CCTV footage to identify the suspects and the vehicle.","victims":"Jan Sher Khan alias JS Rao, a crypto trader describing himself as freelance","outcome":"About USD 500,000 in crypto assets transferred; case registered, police involvement suspected","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Freelance trader not incorporated as a company, held captive for his passwords and access to his own accounts.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.thenews.pk/print/1421361-crypto-trader-alleges-short-term-kidnapping-data-theft","source1_name":"The Express Tribune","source2":"https://arynews.tv/millions-in-crypto-stolen-trader-subjected-to-brutal-torture-in-short-term-karachi-kidnapping","source2_name":"ARY News","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L217","date":"2026-06-26","precision":"day","city":"Grivesnes, Somme, Hauts-de-France","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"No amount stolen (the couple did not own any cryptocurrency)","amount_usd":null,"description":"A couple, a farmer and a banking executive, living near Montdidier suffered three break-ins by different groups. On 24 June 2026 a first attempt was repelled by the dogs; on 26 June attackers burst in, tied up one occupant and beat the other, a scene filmed live on Snapchat; on 17 July a third team equipped with a crowbar, balaclavas and cable ties failed because of the alarm. The attackers wrongly believed the couple held the cryptocurrency fortune (about EUR 1,000,000) of the house's former owners, whose address had leaked on the dark web.","victims":"A farmer and a banking executive couple, in their thirties (names not disclosed)","outcome":"No cryptocurrency was stolen, since the couple did not own any. Two young men aged 20 and 21, members of the 17 July team recruited via Telegram (promised EUR 15,000 to 30,000), and their ride-hailing driver were sentenced on 10 August 2026 to 3 years (1.5 years to be served) and 18 months (9 months to be served) in prison. The couple is considering selling the house.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"ici.fr states that the thieves were targeting the cryptocurrency fortune of the house's former owners, \"a wealthy retired couple\" who were crypto millionaires, whose tax record and address had leaked on the darkweb: the assets of a private individual, no corporate assets were involved.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.ici.fr/hauts-de-france/somme-80/grivesnes/somme-un-couple-sequestre-chez-lui-et-cible-de-plusieurs-intrusions-pour-de-la-cryptomonnaie-qu-il-ne-possede-pas-9784554","source1_name":"ici.fr","source2":"https://www.courrier-picard.fr/id737863/article/2026-08-10/grivesnes-cambrioles-trois-fois-parce-que-le-precedent-proprietaire-possedait-de","source2_name":"Courrier Picard","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA425","date":"2026-06-29","precision":"day","city":"Lahore (Defence Housing Authority)","country":"Pakistan","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 1,500,000 demanded in cryptocurrency (approx. PKR 450 million); about USD 100,000 actually paid","amount_usd":100000,"description":"Muhammad Raza Dar, grandson of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, had met two foreign women (a Dutch woman and a Venezuelan woman) in Singapore in October 2025 through a joint crypto investment in which they had placed about USD 500,000; he obtained business visas for them and brought them to Lahore, where they were held captive a few hours after landing on June 29, 2026, gang-raped, and threatened with death to hand over access to a computer containing their crypto assets. The kidnappers demanded USD 1.5 million in cryptocurrency from the families via one victim's phone; after receiving about USD 100,000, they drove them toward the airport, where a road accident allowed them to escape. Four suspects including Raza Dar were arrested and placed in five-day police custody, a fifth (the \"Boss\") remains at large; the victims left Pakistan on July 3, 2026.","victims":"Two foreign women, one Dutch and one Venezuelan, partners in a joint crypto investment (~USD 500,000)","outcome":"About USD 100,000 extorted in crypto, victims raped; 4 arrests including the Deputy Prime Minister's grandson, national political scandal","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Two women held captive to hand over access to their personal crypto assets invested jointly.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://theprint.in/world/at-centre-of-abduction-sexual-assault-case-involving-pakistan-dy-pms-grandson-a-crypto-deal-offer/2978434/","source1_name":"Dawn","source2":"https://www.wionews.com/world/how-pakistani-fm-s-grandson-planned-and-gang-raped-two-foreign-women-after-inviting-them-for-business-1783203925202","source2_name":"WION","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L218","date":"2026-06-29","precision":"day","city":"Forest Hills, Queens, New York","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["hardware wallet"],"asset_classes":["Hardware wallet"],"amount":"None (the attackers fled without taking anything)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three armed individuals approached a couple (a 49-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman) on June 29, 2026 at around 8:15 p.m., near 70th Road and 110th Street in Forest Hills (Queens), demanding their Ledger hardware wallet containing their cryptocurrency. Caught off guard, the attackers fled on foot without taking anything.","victims":"A couple (a 49-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman)","outcome":"No one was injured, no theft was committed. The NYPD (112th Precinct) issued a wanted notice on July 9 with photos of the three suspects and is offering a USD 3,500 reward; no arrest had been reported as of the date of the article.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Hoodline reports that three armed men demanded the hardware wallet (Ledger) of a couple of passersby (49 and 46 years old) in the street; there is no mention of any professional context or economic entity, the targeted asset is a wallet held by private individuals.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://hoodline.com/2026/07/forest-hills-crypto-heist-flops-as-armed-trio-botches-ledger-grab-cops-say/","source1_name":"Hoodline","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA426","date":"2026-07","precision":"month","city":"Moscow","country":"Russia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 2,000,000 demanded; RUB 80,000 paid in cryptocurrency","amount_usd":1000,"description":"Four men aged 23 and 24 abducted an 18-year-old student from RUDN University and held him for four hours in a car after slipping him drugs, demanding 2 million rubles to \"hush up the matter.\" The student was released after transferring 80,000 rubles to them in cryptocurrency, under threat of death if he spoke out. The four suspects — Zaour Kerimkhanov, Nikolai Bortsvadze, Dzhambulat Okuev and Alexander Ilinov (an associate of the rapper MACAN) — were arrested in July 2026 and are suspected of kidnapping and extortion.","victims":"An 18-year-old student at RUDN University (Moscow)","outcome":"RUB 80,000 paid in crypto; four suspects arrested (Zaour Kerimkhanov, Nikolai Bortsvadze, Alexander Ilinov, Dzhambulat Okuev), suspected of kidnapping and extortion","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Student abducted and forced to transfer his own cryptocurrencies under threat.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://t.me/bazabazon/47715","source1_name":"Baza (Telegram)","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA427","date":"2026-07-01","precision":"month","city":"Tel Aviv (north, Yohanan Hyrcanus Street)","country":"Israel","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"approximately ILS 100,000 in cash","amount_usd":30000,"description":"On the evening of Wednesday, July 1, 2026, a victim who had come to exchange about 100,000 shekels in cash for digital currencies went to Yohanan Hyrcanus Street in northern Tel Aviv and got into a waiting vehicle: he was pepper-sprayed inside it, forcibly pulled out of the vehicle, beaten and stripped of his money. Passers-by who witnessed the struggle alerted police and noted the license plate; a 42-year-old resident of Bnei Brak was arrested at the wheel of the vehicle and his detention was extended by three days by the Tel Aviv magistrate's court, while the second suspect remains at large.","victims":"A private individual who came to exchange cash for cryptocurrencies (a man, not named)","outcome":"ILS 100,000 stolen; a 42-year-old suspect arrested and held in detention, a second at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual assaulted and robbed during an in-person over-the-counter exchange for his own account.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/crime/article/20901257","source1_name":"Israel Hayom — crime section","source2":"","source2_name":"mako — 'Little Red Riding Hood in Tel Aviv: they jumped on me and shoved me into the car' (4 July 2026, title picked up via Google News RSS)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L219","date":"2026-07-02","precision":"day","city":"Pecatu, Bali","country":"Indonesia","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"About USD 5,000,000 (IDR 90 billion) according to an Instagram interview cited by Bali Discovery; amount not confirmed by police, who were still calculating the damages","amount_usd":5000000,"description":"Artem Ivanov, 41, a Russian restaurateur and investor who owns the Hedonist Restaurant in Ungasan, was intercepted on a motorbike on July 2, 2026 at around 9:35 p.m. on Jalan Uluwatu-Jalan Belimbing in Pecatu (Bali) by masked individuals traveling in a black Nissan Serena, who handcuffed him with plastic ties and took him, his head covered, to a two-story house. Held for about 30 hours, beaten and threatened, he was forced to hand over access to his crypto wallets before being released on July 4 near Jimbaran.","victims":"Artem Ivanov, 41, a Russian restaurateur and investor","outcome":"About USD 5 million in cryptocurrency (IDR 90 billion) was extorted. No arrest was reported, and the investigation continued under the classifications of kidnapping, assault and armed robbery under the Indonesian penal code.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Bali Discovery and UA.News state that the kidnappers demanded, under torture, the passwords to his own crypto wallets, then broke into his villa to retrieve his phones and access his personal accounts: it is the private individual's assets, not his restaurant's treasury.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://balidiscovery.com/russian-in-bali-kidnapped-for-30-hours-forced-to-hand-over-crypto-account/","source1_name":"Bali Discovery","source2":"https://ua.news/en/world/povtoriuietsia-istoriia-komarova-na-bali-vikrali-rosiiskogo-pidpriiemtsia-zaradi-kriptovaliuti","source2_name":"UA.News","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L220","date":"2026-07-03","precision":"day","city":"Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo","country":"Brazil","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Between BRL 750,000 (Band) and BRL 800,000 (G1) depending on the source","amount_usd":150000,"description":"On July 3, 2026, two men posing as civil police officers broke into a hotel room in Ribeirao Preto, surprising an 18-year-old digital influencer in the bathroom; using handcuffs, badges and fake weapons, they handcuffed him, took him to a vehicle in the hotel garage and forced him to transfer between 750,000 and 800,000 reais worth of cryptocurrency. The suspects, who had been following the victim on social media and knew he was staying at that hotel, fled after the payment, exchanging gunfire with police on the Anhanguera highway.","victims":"An 18-year-old digital influencer","outcome":"The victim was released after the payment. One of the suspects, identified through facial recognition as he was returning to the Sao Paulo region in a ride-hailing car, was arrested in the act on July 3; the second remains at large. The civil police are investigating a possible gang specializing in this type of abduction.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"G1 quotes the police chief: the fake officers had discovered via social media that the victim, an 18-year-old influencer, \"lidava com criptomoedas\" (dealt with cryptocurrency) in a personal capacity, and forced him in a vehicle to transfer his own funds himself; no company or client funds were involved (Band refers to him as an \"empresario\" [businessman] but describes the same personal transfer).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://g1.globo.com/sp/ribeirao-preto-franca/noticia/2026/07/13/dupla-que-fingiu-ser-policial-roubou-r-800-mil-em-criptomoedas-apos-falsa-abordagem-a-influenciador-em-hotel-no-interior-de-sp.ghtml","source1_name":"G1 (Globo)","source2":"https://www.bandab.com.br/nacional/falsos-policiais-sequestram-empresario-extorquem-750-mil/amp/","source2_name":"Band (bandab.com.br)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA428","date":"2026-07-07","precision":"day","city":"Moscow (Moskva-City, Presnenskaya Embankment)","country":"Russia","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"RUB 1,500,000 in cash","amount_usd":19000,"description":"A 17-year-old teenager came to Moskva-City with friends to buy cryptocurrency with 1.5 million rubles from the sale of a car, but the exchange office refused the transaction. On the ground floor, strangers questioned him about the origin of the money; the young men got into a taxi, from which the attackers forcibly pulled them before pushing them into an underpass and snatching the bag of cash. Three suspects were arrested (two 19-year-olds from the North Caucasus, at a hostel on Leninsky Prospekt, with part of the loot, and a 22-year-old foreign national on Presnenskaya Embankment); prosecution under Article 161 §3 of the Russian Criminal Code, up to 12 years in a penal colony.","victims":"A 17-year-old teenager (son of a 45-year-old resident of Zvenigorod) and his friends","outcome":"RUB 1.5 million stolen, partially recovered; three suspects arrested (two 19-year-olds from the North Caucasus, one 22-year-old foreign national), prosecution under Article 161 §3 of the Russian Criminal Code (up to 12 years)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Teenager who came to buy cryptocurrency with personal money, robbed during the transaction.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://ria.ru/20260707/moskva-2103299649.html","source1_name":"RIA Novosti","source2":"https://www.mskagency.ru/materials/3556192","source2_name":"Moskovskoye Agentstvo Novostei","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA429","date":"2026-07-13","precision":"day","city":"Taipei (Da'an District, Zhongxiao East Road Section 3), Taipei","country":"Taiwan","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT","TWD (fiat)"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Other"],"amount":"TWD 2,500,000 in cash brought in exchange for 70,000+ USDT promised (over TWD 1,000,000 actually snatched, fully recovered)","amount_usd":80000,"description":"On July 13, 2026 at around 9 p.m., a 40-year-old woman named Cai (蔡), who had arranged via Instagram to exchange TWD 2.5 million in cash for more than 70,000 USDT, met a 20-year-old man named Zhang (張), who presented himself as a cryptocurrency dealer, on Zhongxiao East Road Section 3 in Taipei's Da'an District. After taking the cash for \"verification\" without ever delivering the USDT, Zhang grabbed the money and fled; the victim held onto his backpack while calling for help, and passers-by chased and restrained him until police from the Dunhua South police station arrived. The full amount was recovered and Zhang was referred to the Taipei public prosecutor's office for snatch theft (搶奪) and fraud.","victims":"A woman named Cai/Tsai (蔡), 40, buyer of USDT during an OTC meeting","outcome":"Full amount recovered, 20-year-old suspect apprehended on the spot by passers-by and police, referred to the Taipei public prosecutor's office","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Private individual robbed during a personal OTC meeting to buy USDT.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/5505656","source1_name":"Liberty Times (自由時報)","source2":"https://udn.com/news/story/7320/9628947","source2_name":"UDN (聯合新聞網)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L230","date":"2026-07-13","precision":"day","city":"Taverny, Val-d'Oise","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","cash (transfers)","jewelry","phones","computers"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash","Valuables","Devices"],"amount":"About EUR 100 in cryptocurrency (account balance); EUR 450 in two transfers; jewelry, phones and computers","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 13 July 2026 at around 5:40 p.m., three masked and gloved men burst into a family's house in Taverny. The mother and her 10-year-old child were tied up while the father was assaulted with a stun gun; the attackers demanded cryptocurrency transfers from his Waltio account, a crypto tax platform whose customer data had leaked in January 2026. As the balance was only about a hundred euros, they forced the mother to make two transfers totaling 450 euros and took jewelry, phones and computers.","victims":"A father, his wife and their 10-year-old child (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"Limited haul (a crypto balance of about a hundred euros, 450 euros in transfers, jewelry and equipment); the father was assaulted with a stun gun; six men recruited on social media were arrested after less than two months of investigation (SIPJ 95, DCOS) and placed under formal investigation on 11 September 2026 for organized armed theft, extortion and unlawful confinement and criminal conspiracy, three of them remanded in custody; the alleged instigator was already in prison in Auxerre, according to Le Parisien.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual targeted at home for his personal Waltio account, identified through the leak of the platform's customer tax data; no professional crypto activity mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/val-d-oise-95/une-famille-sequestree-et-violentee-pour-100-euros-de-cryptomonnaies-six-suspects-mis-en-examen-apres-un-home-jacking-a-taverny-23-09-2026-2PJADY7AEVD6FH2AW7KIAL4TWE.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/taverny_95607/val-doise-un-couple-et-leur-enfant-attaques-et-sequestres-a-leur-domicile-pour-une-centaine-deuros-en-cryptomonnaie_64832044.html","source2_name":"actu.fr (La Gazette du Val d'Oise)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L221","date":"2026-07-15","precision":"day","city":"Pattaya, Chonburi","country":"Thailand","type":"Extortion","assets":["ETH"],"asset_classes":["ETH"],"amount":"GBP 9,782","amount_usd":12520,"description":"A 24-year-old British tourist, Dion Adam Timberlake, was lured to a sixth-floor apartment at the Tudor Court Condo in Pattaya by an acquaintance nicknamed \"Maz,\" under the pretext of watching the England-Argentina World Cup semi-final together. Once there, Maz pulled out a knife, confiscated his passport and car keys, taped his wrists and forced him to transfer the equivalent of GBP 9,782 in Ethereum from his crypto wallet, which he had shown to acquaintances shortly before. The victim was released unharmed and filed a complaint that night; the two British suspects, Nisar Armaan (22) and Nolan Emmanuel (22), were arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and unlawful confinement.","victims":"Dion Adam Timberlake, a 24-year-old British tourist","outcome":"The victim transferred the equivalent of GBP 9,782 in Ethereum at knifepoint, then was released unharmed; two British nationals were arrested and charged with robbery in a group and unlawful confinement, one of them facing additional charges for overstaying his visa.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A British tourist held at knifepoint in an apartment and forced to transfer the ETH from his own wallet, which he had shown the attackers shortly before: a natural person's assets, no economic structure targeted.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.thesun.ie/news/17331965/brit-tourist-hostage-crypto-stolen-thailand-world-cup/","source1_name":"The Irish Sun","source2":"https://crimeasia.com/british-tourist-held-hostage-and-has-crypto-stolen-by-acquaintances-while-watching-world-cup-game-in-thailand","source2_name":"CrimeAsia","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA430","date":"2026-07-21","precision":"month","city":"Val-de-Marne (municipality not disclosed)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In late July 2026, a computer engineer from Val-de-Marne was targeted in a third unlawful confinement attempt within six months; as with the two previous ones, the attack failed and no loot was taken. According to Cryptoast, the sole source for this information, the victim has a low public profile with no public exposure and is believed to have been targeted because his address appeared in a stolen database that had since become outdated. No primary source (police, public prosecutor's office, mainstream press) could be found.","victims":"A man, a computer engineer, holder of cryptocurrencies (identity not published)","outcome":"Failed attempt, no loot","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Computer engineer targeted personally as a cryptocurrency holder, with no connection to an employer or company.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://cryptoast.fr/liste-enlevements-agressions-lies-cryptomonnaies-france/","source1_name":"Cryptoast — List of kidnappings and assaults linked to cryptocurrencies in France","source2":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/home-jackings-de-detenteurs-de-cryptomonnaie-pourquoi-presque-tout-le-monde-peut-etre-attaque-par-erreur-04-08-2026-TXS4GOH35RET7FSYFNIHOL4AUM.php","source2_name":"Le Parisien — 'Home-jackings of cryptocurrency holders: why almost anyone can be attacked by mistake' (4 August 2026)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA431","date":"2026-07-21","precision":"day","city":"Anjar / Gandhidham (Kutch East), Gujarat","country":"India","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"584,000 to 584,500 USDT (about 5.55 crore INR), plus 20 lakh INR paid in cash and intercepted","amount_usd":584000,"description":"On July 21, 2026, Dilip Majethiya, 44, a transporter, was lured to the front of his office in Gandhidham by an acquaintance, Javed Saycha, under the pretext of collecting a debt, then taken to a house in the Sapnanagar neighborhood where he was tied up with plastic rope, beaten, and threatened with a knife at his throat while the kidnappers demanded 20 lakh rupees. During the confinement, the kidnappers made a video call to his brother Naresh, based in Dubai, showed him the abuse, threatened to kill the victim, and sent him a QR code: Naresh transferred about 584,000 USDT, valued by investigators at 5.55 crore rupees. Dilip was released near the Oslo Cinema intersection without knowing that a much larger ransom had been paid; seven accused, including the alleged mastermind Harsh Sadadpuri, were arrested by Kutch East police, while three (Javed Saycha, Rizwan Khicha, Sohil Buchad) remain at large.","victims":"Dilip Gokaldas Majethiya, 44, a transporter from Varshamedi (Anjar) operating in Gandhidham, and his brother Naresh alias Lalo Majethiya (Dubai)","outcome":"584,500 USDT (about 5.55 crore INR) paid as ransom; victim released, 7 arrests, 3 accused at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A transporter was kidnapped and ransomed in USDT for his own assets, via his brother, with no mention of a company's funds being targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://english.gujaratsamachar.com/news/gujarat/anjar-kidnapping-case-dubai-based-brother-extorted-indian-rupee555-cr-in-usdt-7-arrested-71077766334","source1_name":"Gujarat Samachar English","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/7-held-for-kidnapping-businessman-extracting-5-5-crore-ransom/articleshow/132693740.cms","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA432","date":"2026-07-25","precision":"day","city":"Bankya (Sofia)","country":"Bulgaria","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Amount not established; Bulgarian press mentions up to EUR 9,000,000 in bitcoins, a figure not officially confirmed","amount_usd":null,"description":"On the night of July 25 to 26, 2026, Vladimir Yankov known as \"Zagatoto,\" 56, an importer of coffee and vending machines, was attacked at his home in Bankya, a suburb of Sofia, by two hooded men who had been waiting for him there and had been filmed around the house before his return from dinner. According to investigators cited by the newspaper 24 Chasa, he was beaten and tortured for about three hours and then strangled; the house was then cleaned with bleach and set on fire, and his body was found burned. The theft of large sums from his cryptocurrency wallet is the main line of investigation, as the perpetrators left behind more than 50,000 euros in cash and gold bars in an open safe, as well as his collection of valuable watches.","victims":"Vladimir Yankov known as \"Zagatoto,\" 56, importer of coffee, tea, and vending machines","outcome":"Victim killed by strangulation, then his body burned in the fire; suspects identified according to the Interior Minister, investigation ongoing as of summer 2026","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The victim was tortured and killed at his home for the theft of his personal cryptocurrency wallet, distinct from his vending-machine import business.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.24chasa.bg/bulgaria/article/23293574","source1_name":"24chasa.bg","source2":"https://www.24chasa.bg/bulgaria/article/23409689","source2_name":"24chasa.bg (first article, Bankya/bitcoins)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA501","date":"2026-07-25","precision":"day","city":"Toronto (near Finch Avenue and Bayview Avenue)","country":"Canada","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"Unknown (the sources do not say whether any cryptocurrency was obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 25 July 2026, near Finch and Bayview avenues in Toronto, a man was abducted at gunpoint as he approached his vehicle. He was handcuffed and assaulted by his abductors, who tried to gain access to his cryptocurrency assets and to his business-related security systems, then released with a warning not to contact police.","victims":"Unnamed man (age and occupation not released by police)","outcome":"The victim was released after being handcuffed and assaulted. Two suspects were arrested within 24 hours, seven in total, including three members of the Canadian Armed Forces (Sachintha/Talarambage Fernando, 22, and James Moreau, 29, reservist bombardiers of the 7th Toronto Regiment, arrested on 11 August 2026; Jack Miley, 24) and four Toronto residents (Raheem Bishop-Jackson, 24, Saiefeddine Adem, 22, Christian Darbandi, 39, Suhaib Alekozai, 39); 82 charges including kidnapping for ransom and forcible confinement. Searches recovered firearms (including two with 3D-printed receivers and a shotgun), two silencers, GPS trackers, methamphetamine and cocaine, and about 2,500 rounds of ammunition stolen from the Canadian Armed Forces (Toronto police announcement of 14 October 2026).","target":"Undetermined","target_reason":"Police say the abductors were after the cryptocurrency assets of the victim, the owner of a cryptocurrency exchange, and his business's security systems; the sources do not say whether the crypto was personal or business-owned.","harm":"Outcome unknown","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://globalnews.ca/news/12101916/toronto-police-canadian-soldiers-charges/","source1_name":"Global News","source2":"https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/10/14/violent-abduction-targeting-mans-crypto-assets-leads-to-arrest-of-3-caf-members-toronto-police/","source2_name":"CP24","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"WA433","date":"2026-07-28","precision":"day","city":"Karachi","country":"Pakistan","type":"Killing","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Mir Raza Ali, 25, owner of the Wafflix dessert shop and a Binance futures trader for four years, disappeared on July 28, 2026 from the PECHS neighborhood in Karachi. His body was found the next day in bushes near a wedding hall in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, killed by gunshot; the first autopsy report showed inconsistencies, and a second autopsy concluded that he had been tortured before being shot, ruling out the initial suicide theory. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency obtained six months of Binance data and crypto transactions, and the victim's trading activity is at the center of the investigation, but no crypto-related motive has been established at this stage and no charges have been filed.","victims":"Mir Raza Ali, 25, restaurant owner (Wafflix) and crypto trader","outcome":"Victim tortured then killed by gunshot; investigation ongoing, no charges confirmed","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"An independent crypto trader for four years, tortured then killed, with his personal Binance trading activity being examined as the lead.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.dawn.com/news/2028618","source1_name":"Dawn","source2":"https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628316/nccia-obtains-binance-crypto-transaction-data-in-mir-raza-murder-case","source2_name":"The Express Tribune","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L223","date":"2026-08-03","precision":"day","city":"Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Yvelines","country":"France","type":"Home invasion","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of August 3-4, 2026, in Montigny-le-Bretonneux (Yvelines), three individuals broke a ground-floor glass door of the apartment of a woman described as a business owner holding cryptocurrency, and methodically searched the rooms of the home. Alerted, police intervened before the burglary was completed: a 20-year-old suspect was arrested on the spot while two accomplices fled; an investigation for organized theft was opened.","victims":"A woman, a business owner (shopkeeper), a suspected cryptocurrency holder","outcome":"The home invasion was thwarted by the rapid intervention of the police; no theft was completed. A 20-year-old suspect was arrested on the spot and placed in police custody, two accomplices fled; investigation opened for organized theft.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Burglary of the personal home of a shopkeeper reputed to hold cryptocurrency, with the perpetrators searching her apartment to find her assets; nothing links the operation to her company's treasury or premises.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.europe1.fr/faits-divers/info-europe-1-yvelines-un-home-jacking-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaies-dejoue-la-nuit-derniere-un-suspect-de-20-ans-interpelle-998715","source1_name":"Europe 1","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA436","date":"2026-08-07","precision":"day","city":"Indore (Palasia / Saket Square), Madhya Pradesh","country":"India","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"7 lakh INR (700,000 rupees)","amount_usd":8000,"description":"A group of six men, who planned the scheme in a cafe near Bengali Square in Indore, gained Abhay Tiwari's trust through WhatsApp calls by promising him 6,000 to 7,000 USDT, going as far as making him a small real USDT transfer, then summoned him with 7 lakh rupees in cash near Saket Square. Taken to an isolated alley under the pretext of counting the money, he was approached by accomplices posing as Crime Branch officers who beat him and took the 7 lakh. Palasia police arrested six suspects within 36 hours, including a lawyer, Ashutosh Pradhan, and recovered part of the money; the seventh, Monu alias Vivek Pardesi, brother of one of the accused, remains wanted.","victims":"Abhay Tiwari, a buyer/trader of USDT seeking 6,000 to 7,000 USDT","outcome":"7 lakh INR stolen, partial recovery; 6 arrests, 1 at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The robbery of an individual during an in-person over-the-counter transaction to buy USDT with his own cash.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/indore-fake-crime-branch-robbery-six-held-for-allegedly-looting-7-lakh-in-usdt-trap","source1_name":"Free Press Journal (Indore)","source2":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/advocate-among-six-arrested-for-robbing-man-of-rs-7l-in-usdt-trap/articleshow/133058727.cms","source2_name":"Times of India (Indore)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L224","date":"2026-08-10","precision":"day","city":"Rion-des-Landes, Landes","country":"France","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["BTC","unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (an \"important sum\" not quantified by the sources)","amount_usd":null,"description":"During the night of August 10-11, 2026, a group of assailants broke into the home of a couple in Rion-des-Landes (Landes) around 4 a.m., threatened them and pressured them to obtain a large sum in bitcoin and cryptocurrency, before abducting both victims. The man was found naked and bearing several lacerations in the municipality of Solférino, while the woman was found in a car several kilometers away, in another department.","victims":"A couple (a man and a woman)","outcome":"Both victims survived, the man bearing lacerations. A major gendarmerie operation (the Rion-des-Landes/Lesperon road sealed off, systematic checks) led to the arrest of two men; the case was assigned to the Parquet national anticriminalité organisée (PNACO) and the Bordeaux juridiction interrégionale spécialisée (JIRS).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple threatened at their home then abducted to hand over their own bitcoin and cryptocurrency: assets of natural persons, no economic structure mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://actu.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/rion-des-landes_40243/un-couple-sequestre-et-enleve-dans-les-landes-pour-ses-bitcoins-et-de-la-cryptomonnaie-deux-hommes-interpelles_64671438.html","source1_name":"Actu Landes (actu.fr)","source2":"https://www.sudouest.fr/faits-divers/faits-divers-dans-les-landes/landes-un-couple-sequestre-puis-enleve-un-groupe-de-malfaiteurs-voulait-recuperer-ses-bitcoins-30317655.php","source2_name":"Sud Ouest","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L225","date":"2026-08-22","precision":"day","city":"Vern-sur-Seiche, Ille-et-Vilaine","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Individuals broke into an isolated house in Vern-sur-Seiche, near Rennes, on August 22, 2026, to extort cryptocurrency from a supposed holder believed to live there, who in fact was not present: a wrong address. The actual occupants, who held no digital assets, were held captive and assaulted before the attackers, realizing their mistake, fled. The investigation was assigned to the Rennes section de recherches.","victims":"A family of tenants (number not specified), targeted due to a wrong address","outcome":"No theft was carried out, as the real target was absent and the occupants held no crypto assets; the occupants were traumatized and treated by emergency services; the attackers fled, no arrests reported at this stage; investigation opened by the Rennes public prosecutor's office.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Ouest-France states that the assailants were targeting \"the owner of the property, a cryptocurrency holder,\" a private individual: personal digital assets of a natural person, with the tenants attacked due to a wrong address.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/info-ouest-france-une-famille-sequestree-par-erreur-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-pres-de-rennes-une-enquete-ouverte-0b30fa26-a7a9-11f1-8a27-1e0c4eb5e395","source1_name":"Ouest-France","source2":"https://www.ici.fr/bretagne/ille-et-vilaine-35/vern-sur-seiche/extorsion-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-une-famille-bretonne-sequestree-par-erreur-pres-de-rennes-6199739","source2_name":"ici (France Bleu Armorique)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L226","date":"2026-08-24","precision":"day","city":"Jouy-en-Josas, Yvelines","country":"France","type":"Torture","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"no amount extorted (only a phone was taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"Three individuals held a 47-year-old man captive at his home in Jouy-en-Josas during the night of August 23-24, 2026, demanding the equivalent of EUR 6 million in cryptocurrency, whereas his actual holdings amounted to only EUR 3,000. Tied up, gagged and struck in the face, he was also cut (lacerations to the hands, arms and knees) before managing, around 4:33 a.m., to free himself and flee to raise the alarm at a neighbor's home. The attackers fled by car, taking only a mobile phone; the investigation was assigned to the Versailles Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB).","victims":"A 47-year-old man","outcome":"The victim was injured (blows and lacerations) but managed to escape after about two hours held captive; no ransom was paid, as the actual funds were minimal; the attackers fled, no arrests reported at this stage; investigation assigned to the Versailles BRB.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Europe 1 and Le Parisien: the perpetrators demanded from the owner the codes to HIS OWN cryptocurrency accounts, at his home; no professional entity is mentioned.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Knife or blade","source1":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/jouy-en-josas-sequestre-et-torture-chez-lui-pour-des-cryptomonnaies-il-reussit-a-echapper-a-ses-agresseurs-25-08-2026-RGHHQJOJ7NBNJMTALKMML7TFUQ.php","source1_name":"Le Parisien","source2":"https://www.europe1.fr/faits-divers/info-europe-1-yvelines-sequestre-pour-ses-cryptomonnaies-il-parvient-a-sechapper-1033703","source2_name":"Europe 1","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L227","date":"2026-08-29","precision":"day","city":"Alès, Gard","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"Early on the morning of 29 August 2026 (around 5 a.m. according to Midi Libre, shortly before 7 a.m. according to Ouest-France), two individuals armed with a handgun and a knife smashed a bay window and burst into the home of a couple in their forties in Ales, with their baby present. The couple were tied up and threatened for several hours; the attackers were looking for cryptocurrency. The victims' screams alerted neighbours, who called the police, and the two attackers fled.","victims":"A couple (identities not disclosed), with a young child present at the home","outcome":"Prolonged confinement and threats, no serious injury reported; the attackers left empty-handed; no arrest to date; investigation handled by the Nimes organised crime unit (DCOS).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Midi Libre quotes the victims themselves: \"We have decided to no longer hold any crypto assets so as not to relive such a nightmare\" — the couple did hold personal crypto assets, which the attackers wanted handed over via transactions at their home.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.midilibre.fr/2026/08/31/un-couple-dales-ligote-et-menace-chez-eux-par-des-braqueurs-armes-leur-enfant-present-13529688.php","source1_name":"Midi Libre","source2":"https://journalducoin.com/actualites/ales-couple-sequestre-ligote-piste-crypto/","source2_name":"Journal du Coin","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA437","date":"2026-09","precision":"month","city":"Cartagena","country":"Colombia","type":"Other","assets":["BTC"],"asset_classes":["BTC"],"amount":"0.38 BTC (~USD 25,000 according to unidentified Colombian media, an unverifiable figure) plus phone and bank card","amount_usd":25000,"description":"According to a single account not confirmed by the authorities, a Dutch national reportedly met a woman presenting herself as \"Maria Jose\" on Bumble in Cartagena; during a second date at an apartment, after a few drinks and a massage she offered, he reportedly lost consciousness. When he woke up the woman had disappeared with his phone (which contained his authenticator and password manager) and his bank card, and 0.38 BTC (about USD 25,000) had been transferred. No toxicology report, police confirmation, or charges are public; the case is known only from the sole testimony of Robert Eaton, an expatriate in Cartagena, relayed by a crypto blog.","victims":"A Dutch national (identity not public)","outcome":"0.38 BTC stolen; no known arrests","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Theft of an individual's personal BTC through an online dating trap (drugging and theft during a private date).","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://cryptobenelux.com/europa/nederlander-in-colombia-beroofd-van-telefoon-bankpas-en-bitcoins-na-bumble-date","source1_name":"CryptoBenelux","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA446","date":"2026-09","precision":"month","city":"Saint-Juery, Tarn (Albi area)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"In early September 2026, at around 3 a.m., two armed, masked and gloved men got in through the garage of the house of a 22-year-old video game developer in Saint-Juery, near Albi. They threatened him with a firearm, struck him on the head with the butt of the gun and pushed him onto the bed, demanding \"your wallet\", then unlocked his phone with facial recognition. The victim jumped on one of them and set off a tear gas canister, driving the attackers away; according to him, his personal data had leaked in the hack of France Connect.","victims":"Lucas, 22, a video game developer, and his girlfriend","outcome":"Failed attempt; the attackers fled without the cryptocurrency; the victim was struck with a gun butt; a complaint was filed and an investigation for attempted aggravated extortion is under way, supervised by the Albi public prosecutor's office; the perpetrators had not been identified as of 11 October 2026. During the night of 30 September to 1 October, five masked individuals were seen scouting outside a relative's house north of Albi; the victim says he has sold all his cryptocurrency.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A young private individual, a video game developer, targeted at home for his personal cryptocurrency; no professional crypto activity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.ladepeche.fr/2026/10/11/temoignage-je-nai-plus-de-crypto-laissez-moi-tranquille-des-individus-armes-debarquent-chez-lui-en-pleine-nuit-un-jeune-tarnais-victime-dune-tentative-13590947.php","source1_name":"La Depeche du Midi","source2":"","source2_name":"","confidence":"Low","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA438","date":"2026-09-01","precision":"day","city":"Atizapán de Zaragoza (Bosque Esmeralda), State of Mexico","country":"Mexico","type":"Killing","assets":["BTC","hardware wallet","cash"],"asset_classes":["BTC","Hardware wallet","Cash"],"amount":"Cold wallet (\"caja fria\") sought; amount uncertain: the suspects believed they would find \"millions of dollars in bitcoin\" there, but court testimony refers to a device giving access to about 3,000,000 MXN (~USD 177,000) — the figure of USD 1.5 million found on Lopp is not supported by either source reviewed","amount_usd":177000,"description":"On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, between 5:30 and 7:40 p.m., four people were killed in an apartment in the Grand Viure development: Jonathan Samuel Melendez Ochoa (38, keyboardist and co-founder of the group Camilo Septimo), his wife, 35, four months pregnant, their 3-year-old daughter, and the 21-year-old housekeeper; three victims had their hands tied and were shot in the head, the fourth was shot in the back, and the family dog was also killed. There was no sign of forced entry, as the alleged attacker — Diego Sebastian \"N,\" an associate of the musician — had entered on the strength of his trusted relationship; according to the State of Mexico public prosecutor's office, the attackers were looking for a \"caja fria\" (hardware wallet) believed to contain sums in bitcoin, amid a financial dispute valued at 300,000 pesos. Two men, Diego Sebastian \"N\" and Gerardo \"N\" (who allegedly helped him flee), were arrested; the 6-year-old son survived unharmed and is to testify.","victims":"Jonathan Samuel Melendez Ochoa (38), his wife (35, four months pregnant), their 3-year-old daughter, the 21-year-old housekeeper; surviving 6-year-old son","outcome":"Four victims killed; two men in custody (Gerardo \"N\" and Diego Sebastian \"N,\" the musician's associate)","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"The attackers were looking for the musician's personal hardware wallet containing his own bitcoins, amid a private financial dispute with an associate.","harm":"Victim killed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2026/09/03/criptomonedas-y-disputa-economica-la-principal-hipotesis-por-el-multihomicidio-del-tecladista-de-camilo-septimo/","source1_name":"Infobae México","source2":"https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/cryptocurrency-heist-suspected-murder-camilo-septimo-keyboardist-family-1818572","source2_name":"","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA439","date":"2026-09-03","precision":"day","city":"Las Pinas City (Metro Manila)","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"PHP 250,000 demanded, about PHP 202,500 paid (INR 80,000 + PHP 150,000)","amount_usd":3500,"description":"On the night of September 3, 2026, a 24-year-old Indian medical student was abducted from his apartment in Las Pinas by five Indian classmates aged 24 to 26, who wanted to use his crypto wallet account for criminal activity and held him captive after he refused, according to Brigadier General Edwin Balles of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group. A ransom of 250,000 pesos was demanded from the victim's brother, who reported the disappearance on September 4; the family wired 80,000 Indian rupees (about PHP 52,500) and then deposited PHP 150,000 at an ATM on Alabang-Zapote Road. The victim was released on September 5, 2026 on Alabang-Zapote Road, and the five suspects were arrested as they tried to retrieve the money.","victims":"A 24-year-old Indian medical student (identity not published)","outcome":"About PHP 202,500 paid; victim rescued on September 5, 2026; 5 Indian suspects arrested, inquest for kidnapping and aggravated illegal detention","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A student was held captive so that his own personal crypto wallet account could be used, with ransom paid by his family.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://globalnation.inquirer.net/337522/pnp-indian-korean-men-rescued-from-kidnap-for-ransom-schemes","source1_name":"Philippine Daily Inquirer (Global Nation)","source2":"https://tribune.net.ph/2026/09/09/kidnapped-korean-indian-nationals-rescued","source2_name":"Daily Tribune","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA443","date":"2026-09-04","precision":"day","city":"Chattogram (Halishahar, K-Block; held at the metropolitan police headquarters)","country":"Bangladesh","type":"Extortion","assets":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Cash"],"amount":"USD 10,864 transferred from Binance (12,500 \"Binance dollars\" according to Prothom Alo) + about BDT 4.8 lakh (ATM withdrawal and mobile payment); BDT 18 lakh in total according to the complaints","amount_usd":10864,"description":"On the morning of 4 September 2026, a team of plainclothes officers of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police, led by Assistant Commissioner Shariful Alam (LIC interception cell), picked up trader Akhtaruzzaman Shakil and his friend Mansur Ali at a residence in Halishahar and took them to the LIC offices at CMP headquarters. The officers, who knew Shakil's phone held substantial cryptocurrency on Binance, threatened to implicate him in a gambling case and to publish his private photos; after demanding BDT 10 million, they forced him to transfer about USD 10,864 from his Binance account in three transactions, then to withdraw money at an ATM and through a mobile payment app.","victims":"Akhtaruzzaman Shakil, 27, a polypropylene granule trader in Khatunganj, and his friend Mansur Ali","outcome":"The victims were released around midnight after the transfers; another BDT 5 lakh was demanded the next day in exchange for returning the car. On 14 September 2026, two ASIs (Bashir Uddin, Sufian) were closed and Assistant Commissioner Shariful Alam was withdrawn from duty; an internal inquiry was assigned to a deputy commissioner. No criminal charges announced.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual (trader) held by police officers acting on their own account and forced to transfer his personal crypto holdings from his Binance account.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/2-ctg-police-asis-closed-ac-withdrawn-over-allegations-extorting-cash-crypto-businessman","source1_name":"The Business Standard","source2":"https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/7funrmyqqu","source2_name":"Prothom Alo","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA440","date":"2026-09-05","precision":"day","city":"Los Angeles (Downtown, South Park)","country":"United States","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency","jewelry"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency","Valuables"],"amount":"Unknown","amount_usd":null,"description":"On September 5, 2026 at about 1:27 a.m., near 888 S. Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles, two masked men armed with a handgun robbed a person, taking jewelry and cryptocurrency and wounding them in the head before fleeing. An ambulance was called; no arrest has been announced. The exact circumstances (a P2P exchange meeting or an ambush near a residence) are not established by police, contrary to what the original record claimed.","victims":"An unidentified person, wounded in the head","outcome":"Victim wounded in the head; jewelry and crypto stolen; suspects at large","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A street robbery of an unidentified individual, with personal jewelry and cryptocurrency stolen with no connection to a business entity.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://mynewsla.com/crime/2026/09/05/one-person-injured-in-downtown-robbery/","source1_name":"MyNewsLA","source2":"https://hoodline.com/2026/09/armed-robbers-hit-dtla-jewelry-and-crypto-meetup-leave-victim-with-head-injury/","source2_name":"Hoodline","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA444","date":"2026-09-05","precision":"day","city":"San Jose (south San Jose), California","country":"United States","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["Unspecified crypto"],"asset_classes":["Other"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing obtained)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On 5 September 2026 at around 9:30 p.m., two men posing as delivery workers came to the door of a house in south San Jose; one of them, wearing a ski mask, brandished a firearm, which the resident saw on his security camera. As the door was not opened, they drove off before police arrived. According to San Jose police, the pair targeted people known to hold large amounts of cryptocurrency and is linked to other similar incidents, including in Atherton.","victims":"Unidentified resident of a house in south San Jose, targeted for his presumed crypto holdings","outcome":"Failed attempt: nobody opened the door, nothing stolen. The vehicle was identified through automated license plate readers; Damian Vielma (20) and Jeremiah Clybourn (19), of Dallas, were arrested in Dallas on 24 September 2026 with the help of the U.S. Marshals, and the firearm used on 5 September was seized; they were booked for attempted robbery, stolen vehicle and firearm offenses and are awaiting extradition to Santa Clara County.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual targeted at home for his presumed personal crypto holdings (\"victims with high amount of crypto wealth\").","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.sjpd.org/Home/Components/News/News/2965/262","source1_name":"San Jose Police Department","source2":"https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/california-san-jose-home-invasion-robbery-delivery-suspect-arrest-dallas-texas/","source2_name":"CBS News Bay Area","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L228","date":"2026-09-06","precision":"day","city":"Nice, Alpes-Maritimes","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"USD 25,000","amount_usd":25000,"description":"Two masked individuals broke into the home of a mother and her son in Nice on Sunday, September 6, 2026, holding them captive to steal a wallet, a passport and two mobile phones. One of the phones gave access to the codes of a cryptocurrency account valued at USD 25,000, which the attackers emptied entirely. The Nice public prosecutor's office opened an investigation for armed extortion and unlawful confinement, assigned to the interdepartmental judicial police service.","victims":"A mother and her son (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"A cryptocurrency account of about USD 25,000 was stolen, along with documents and phones; no serious injury reported; attackers fled, no arrests announced; investigation ongoing (interdepartmental judicial police service, Nice public prosecutor's office).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A cryptocurrency account accessible from the phone of private individuals (a mother and her son) held captive at their home; no economic structure mentioned by France Info.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.franceinfo.fr/economie/bitcoin/a-nice-deux-personnes-sequestrees-chez-elles-et-un-compte-de-cryptomonnaies-d-une-valeur-de-25-000-dollars-derobe_8180891.html","source1_name":"France Info","source2":"https://www.ici.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/alpes-maritimes-06/nice/deux-personnes-sequestrees-chez-elles-a-nice-sur-fond-de-cryptomonnaies-25-000-dollars-derobes-9607198","source2_name":"ici (France Bleu Azur)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA441","date":"2026-09-08","precision":"day","city":"Pasay City (abduction) / Kawit, Cavite (release)","country":"Philippines","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["USDT"],"asset_classes":["USDT"],"amount":"PHP 30,000,000 demanded, about PHP 550,000 paid (pesos + USDT)","amount_usd":9500,"description":"In the early morning of September 8, 2026, a 41-year-old South Korean businessman was intercepted on Roxas Boulevard, near Vicente Sotto Street in Pasay City, by at least seven men in a silver SUV who forced him into their vehicle. The kidnappers demanded 30 million pesos from a relative; the family paid about 550,000 pesos, partly in Philippine pesos and partly in Tether (USDT). The victim was released shortly afterward in Kawit, Cavite, and returned to Pasay, where the PNP-AKG took charge of him; no suspect had been identified as of September 9, with police tracing the accounts that received the ransom.","victims":"A 41-year-old South Korean businessman (identity undisclosed)","outcome":"About PHP 550,000 paid, partly in USDT; victim released alive; kidnappers not identified, tracing of the recipient accounts ongoing.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A businessman was abducted, with ransom paid by a relative, partly in USDT, for his personal release.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"None","source1":"https://globalnation.inquirer.net/337522/pnp-indian-korean-men-rescued-from-kidnap-for-ransom-schemes","source1_name":"Philippine Daily Inquirer (Global Nation)","source2":"https://tribune.net.ph/2026/09/09/kidnapped-korean-indian-nationals-rescued","source2_name":"Daily Tribune","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA467","date":"2026-09-16","precision":"day","city":"Incheon (Cheongna-dong, Seohae-gu district)","country":"South Korea","type":"Robbery during an in-person trade","assets":["KRW cash"],"asset_classes":["Cash"],"amount":"KRW 35,000,000 in cash (KRW 5,500,000 recovered)","amount_usd":25000,"description":"On 16 September 2026 at around 4:30 p.m., two men in their forties lured a man in his thirties to an officetel building in Cheongna-dong (Incheon) by offering him a face-to-face cryptocurrency deal, presented as a way to save on fees. They gave him a drink that probably contained a drug and, once he had lost consciousness, fled with the KRW 35 million in cash he had prepared to pay for the cryptocurrency. The victim woke up about five hours later in his car and reported the robbery.","victims":"A man in his thirties buying cryptocurrency (not named)","outcome":"KRW 35 million stolen, KRW 5.5 million recovered during the arrests; the victim was unconscious for about five hours and the drink was sent to the National Forensic Service for analysis. Incheon Seobu police arrested the first suspect on 21 September 2026 at a motel in Wonju (Gangwon) and the second on 29 September in Juan-dong (Michuhol-gu, Incheon), both for special robbery. The first suspect, held in custody, was found unconscious in the shower of the Seobu police station cells on 5 October 2026 and died on 6 October; a note resembling a suicide letter was found and police are reviewing how the detainee was supervised.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual lured with a face-to-face over-the-counter cryptocurrency deal and robbed of the cash prepared for the purchase.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Restraints or incapacitant","source1":"https://www.newstong.co.kr/view3.aspx?seq=14714773","source1_name":"Newsis","source2":"https://www.siminilbo.co.kr/news/newsview.php?ncode=1160292612856651","source2_name":"Siminilbo","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L231","date":"2026-09-20","precision":"day","city":"Vendin-le-Vieil, Pas-de-Calais (near Lens)","country":"France","type":"Held captive at home","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"EUR 40,000 (about USD 46,000)","amount_usd":46000,"description":"During the night of Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 September 2026, at around 4 a.m., four masked and gloved individuals broke into a detached house in Vendin-le-Vieil, near Lens. They tied up a couple and their two children, aged 8 and 12, with black tape, separated and beat the father, a salaried IT specialist working in the cryptocurrency sector, and forced him to hand over his login codes and then make a cryptocurrency transfer of 40,000 euros. The 12-year-old daughter was struck in the face with car keys; the attackers stayed more than three hours before fleeing by car.","victims":"A couple and their two children (a 12-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy); the father, 40, a salaried IT specialist in the cryptocurrency sector (identities not disclosed)","outcome":"40,000 euros in cryptocurrency transferred under duress; the victims, in shock, freed themselves and were taken care of by firefighters at around 7 a.m., then referred for forensic medical examination; four suspects at large, no arrests announced; investigation by the Béthune public prosecutor's office for unlawful confinement and extortion by an organized gang, assigned to the interdepartmental judicial police services of Pas-de-Calais and Nord and to the French anti-cybercrime office (OFAC).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"Forced transfer from the father's cryptocurrency accounts (franceinfo mentions cryptocurrency investments made by the father); he is an employee in the sector, not a company head, and no company is described as targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.bfmtv.com/grand-littoral/une-famille-dont-le-pere-travaille-dans-la-cryptomonnaie-sequestree-et-ligotee-a-son-domicile-de-vendin-le-vieil-quatre-suspects-en-fuite_AN-202609200176.html","source1_name":"BFMTV","source2":"https://www.ici.fr/hauts-de-france/pas-de-calais-62/vendin-le-vieil/un-couple-et-ses-deux-enfants-sequestres-et-ligotes-chez-eux-par-quatre-individus-a-vendin-le-vieil-4290117","source2_name":"ici (France Bleu Nord)","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"L234","date":"2026-09-29","precision":"day","city":"Saint-Jean-de-Vedas, Herault (near Montpellier)","country":"France","type":"Attempted attack","assets":["unspecified cryptocurrency"],"asset_classes":["Unspecified cryptocurrency"],"amount":"Unknown (nothing taken)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Tuesday 29 September 2026 at around 5 a.m., three masked and armed individuals climbed the fence of a couple of entrepreneurs' property in Saint-Jean-de-Vedas, on the outskirts of Montpellier. The garden's perimeter detection system went off and drove them away before they could get into the house. The father, a 40-year-old entrepreneur specializing in cryptocurrencies, had already been targeted on 11 April 2026 by an armed fake delivery man who demanded the codes to his crypto accounts.","victims":"A 40-year-old entrepreneur specializing in cryptocurrencies and his wife (identities not disclosed), already targeted on 11 April 2026","outcome":"Failed attempt; the intruders were driven off by the alarm before getting inside; three suspects aged 19, 30 and 38 were arrested by the gendarmerie in a vehicle reported stolen in Marseille, two of them with long criminal records; the investigation was assigned to the Castelnau-le-Lez investigative unit (brigade de recherches).","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A couple targeted at home for the husband's personal crypto holdings; he had already been ordered in April to hand over the codes to his accounts; no company or client funds mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Not specified","source1":"https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/info-ouest-france-deja-victime-dune-tentative-de-cryptorapt-un-couple-a-nouveau-cible-pres-de-montpellier-a23b41aa-bbe6-11f1-81a4-4fea3020cab7","source1_name":"Ouest-France","source2":"https://cryptoast.fr/nouvelle-tentative-cryptorapt-herault-couple-vise-seconde-fois/","source2_name":"Cryptoast","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA458","date":"2026-09-30","precision":"day","city":"Montevideo (Cordon, Bulevar Artigas and Maldonado)","country":"Uruguay","type":"Other","assets":["Cash (sought, none on site)","Personal belongings"],"asset_classes":["Cash","Other"],"amount":"Unknown (no cash found; personal belongings of two people taken, not itemised)","amount_usd":null,"description":"On Wednesday 30 September 2026 at around 5 pm, two men who arrived on a motorcycle, faces covered and wearing helmets and gloves, one of them dressed as a state-school pupil (white smock and blue bow), entered a cryptocurrency buying and selling shop on Bulevar Artigas near Maldonado (Cordon neighbourhood) through a neighbouring business, as the shop's grilles were closed. At gunpoint they demanded money from staff and customers; since the company keeps no cash, they took the personal belongings of two people present and left on the motorcycle.","victims":"Staff and customers of a cryptocurrency exchange shop (company not named)","outcome":"Nothing belonging to the company was taken; personal belongings of two people were stolen; no one was injured. The robbers escaped; police are reviewing cameras in the area. According to Telenoche, the same shop had been robbed before.","target":"Business assets","target_reason":"Armed robbery of a cryptocurrency exchange shop for its cash; only belongings of the people present were taken.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":false,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.montevideo.com.uy/Noticias/Ladrones-de-tunica-y-mona-asaltaron-local-de-compra-y-venta-de-criptomonedas-en-Cordon-uc977074","source1_name":"Montevideo Portal","source2":"https://www.teledoce.com/telemundo/policiales/rapinaron-un-local-de-criptomonedas-en-bulevar-artigas-y-maldonado-uno-de-los-delincuentes-llevaba-tunica-y-mona","source2_name":"Teledoce (Telemundo)","confidence":"Medium","in_reference_list":true},{"id":"WA506","date":"2026-10-05","precision":"day","city":"Istanbul (intercepted in Sariyer, held in Basaksehir)","country":"Türkiye","type":"Kidnapping","assets":["Unspecified crypto","luxury watch","cash"],"asset_classes":["Other","Valuables","Cash"],"amount":"USD 198,000 in total, including USD 38,000 in crypto assets, a USD 150,000 watch and USD 10,000 in cash","amount_usd":198000,"description":"On 5 October 2026 at around 00:50 in Sariyer (Istanbul), men posing as police officers cut off the car of a foreign national identified by his initials A.D., handcuffed him and took him to Basaksehir. Threatening him with a gun, they took about USD 38,000 in crypto assets, a luxury watch valued at USD 150,000 and USD 10,000 in cash that they made him collect from his friends.","victims":"A.D., a foreign national (nationality and age not given)","outcome":"The victim was freed during a raid by the robbery bureau (Gasp Buro Amirligi) in Basaksehir; six suspects were detained and referred to the judicial authorities for aggravated robbery by impersonating police officers and deprivation of liberty; police seized two unlicensed pistols, an airsoft rifle, ammunition, three fake ID documents, a police vest and five radios.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private foreign individual stopped in his car and stripped of his own crypto assets, watch and cash; no company is mentioned.","harm":"Victim physically unharmed","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.trthaber.com/haber/turkiye/istanbulda-198-bin-dolarlik-varligi-gasbedilerek-kacirilan-yabanci-uyruklu-kurtarildi-959906.html","source1_name":"TRT Haber","source2":"https://anlatilaninotesi.com.tr/20261012/polis-kiligina-girip-yolunu-kestiler-kelepceleyerek-198-bin-dolarlik-varligini-gasbettiler-1109474719.html","source2_name":"Sputnik Turkiye","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":false},{"id":"L233","date":"2026-10-06","precision":"day","city":"Pattaya (Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chonburi)","country":"Thailand","type":"Home invasion","assets":["USDT","Cash","Watches"],"asset_classes":["USDT","Cash","Valuables"],"amount":"About USD 820,000 in crypto assets (~THB 27 million; USD 824,000 in USDT according to the Turkish press) + THB 150,000 to 210,000 in cash, 3 to 5 Rolex watches and 4 phones; total loss close to THB 30 million according to police (THB 37 million, or TRY 54.3 million, according to the Turkish press)","amount_usd":820000,"description":"On 6 October 2026 at around 3:30 a.m., three armed, masked and gloved men used a ladder to get into a villa in a luxury housing estate in Nong Prue, near Pattaya, kicked in the door of the owner's bedroom and threatened him with a firearm to make him open the safe. The owner and a Burmese housekeeper were handcuffed and beaten; the victim was forced to transfer his crypto assets (USDT according to the Turkish press) from his wallet to the attackers' wallet, after which they were sold, and the robbers took cash, Rolex watches and phones. The getaway vehicle, a black Toyota Fortuner, was found abandoned; police identified five Chinese nationals who reportedly left Thailand within six hours of the robbery.","victims":"Kutay Aslan, a 34-year-old Turkish businessman living in Pattaya (named by the Turkish press); his housekeeper, a Burmese national","outcome":"Crypto assets transferred and then sold, cash, watches and phones taken; the victims were handcuffed and beaten, and the main victim managed to escape and report the robbery at Nong Prue police station. The Pattaya Provincial Court issued arrest warrants for five Chinese nationals (Dong Ping, Lixinle, Wang Hongbo, Mu Hongda, Zhiyu Wang) for armed night-time robbery and unlawful detention; the suspects fled Thailand and an Interpol Red Notice request was initiated.","target":"Personal assets","target_reason":"A private individual robbed at home and forced to transfer the crypto assets from his own wallet; no economic structure targeted.","harm":"Victim injured","confined":true,"weapon":"Firearm","source1":"https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-police-hunt-three-armed-robbers-after-luxury-home-raid-567638","source1_name":"Pattaya Mail","source2":"https://www.amarintv.com/news/crime/559600","source2_name":"Amarin TV","confidence":"High","in_reference_list":true}]