And is that a good situation, digital asset holder? Far from Internet memes designed with rockets and other videos promising insolent returns on investment, the return to reality is sometimes difficult for some reckless investors who like to flaunt their wealth. Here’s a look back at crypto-related assaults.
Macabre attack: a millionaire dismembered in a suitcase
The case caused quite a stir. The millionaire investor Fernando Pérez Algaba was found dismembered in a suitcase. At least in part, his head having been found in a backpack shortly after the discovery of his limbs in a suitcase.
Many commentators sought to reassure themselves that the millionaire’s death certainly had more to do with his bad company (notably dubious creditors) rather than his cryptocurrency fortune. And that’s not to be ruled out.
That said, the lifestyle of the Argentinian, who liked to flaunt himself behind the wheel of beautiful cars and on social networks left little doubt about his financial situation. It is also quite possible that this display of wealth has given rise to envy, jealousy, or vengeful ideas.
For although the murder of Fernando Pérez is a particularly impressive case, it is not entirely isolated. Here’s a look back at attacks linked to the possession of cryptos.
Avoid the temptation of flaunting your wealth
You probably still remember the statements made by Hasheur (Owen Simonin), who was mugged in his home last year. The attack was carried out by one of his « followers » on social networks, who thought he could get Owen to cough up some dough at gunpoint. You can read Owen’s own account of this deplorable incident here. here.
While the story had a happy ending, it led Hasheur to move house and take greater precautions about disclosing his personal details. It’s obvious that his wild success can lead to jealousy and temptation.
However, Owen Simonin is very different from Fernando Pérez Algaba. While the latter liked to show off, Owen doesn’t flaunt his success by spending his day driving luxury cars. But as a successful businessman and entrepreneur, it’s hard for him to hide it.
Again, this is not an isolated case: here are other examples that will make you pass the urge to shout from the rooftops about your cryptocurrency fortune.
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Kidnapped for Ethers, he went through hell
In 2017, a cryptocurrency holder went to an appointment given to him by one of his relatives. Now, this relative knew that our investor held a significant amount of Ethers in a non-custodial wallet at his home.
The perpetrators kidnapped the victim, forced him to hand over his telephone codes and graciously provided the keys to his home. All this at gunpoint, a splendid negotiation gas pedal.
The kidnappers then went to the victim’s home to steal his wallet and transfer $1.8 million in Ethers to their own wallets.
The case was brought before the New York Supreme Court, which felt that the number of assaults related to the holding of digital assets will be closely linked to the increase in value of these same assets. In other words, the more your cryptos are worth, the more covetous they become.
This has also been noted by the Canadian police, who deplore an increase in thefts from crypt holdersbones as soon as they gain a certain notoriety. And thieves have no shortage of imagination: bogus cabs, bogus deliverymen, bogus policemen, you name it!. So be extremely careful.
London, capital of crypto-related attacks
More recently, many people have noted that physical assaults in London have drastically increased towards cryptocurrency holders. And this as stabbings reached a new record high in the London capital within the year 2022.
According to The Guardianon modus operandi The attackers’ modus operandi is simple: assume that anyone watching or talking about crypto prices in the street is an investor. What follows is even more straightforward: at gunpoint, and with several cheerful protagonists, the victims are forced to unlock their phones so that the attackers can transfer the funds to their own address.
These new attacks pose several major difficulties:
- Firstly, and this is the very purpose of the decentralization of our environment, the victims cannot sue the bank to request cancellation of the transaction.
- Secondly, the funds held in the attackers’ wallets cannot be seized by the courtsunless the criminals have the good sense to place them on an exchange, in which case you need to be lucky enough to come across champions of the discipline.
- Finally, if police officers have become accustomed to scrutinizing bank account statements, they have not yet developed any real on-chain analysis skills for day-to-day business. This complicates the investigation enormously.
Reason why police and gendarmerieas well as specialized investigation groups, are increasingly looking for profiles of blockchain experts who can help them keep track of offenders.
All these cases should make you extremely cautious about who you mention your investments to, and your habits when it comes to consulting your crypto accounts and wallets on your phone. Don’t forget that, even if social networks would have you believe the opposite : to live happily, you have to live hidden. Meanwhile, virtual attacks continue to rage, such as the one recently suffered by the Curve protocol.
To keep your cryptographic assets safe, the best solution is still a personal hardware wallet. At Ledgerthere’s something for every profile and every crypto. Don’t wait to secure your capital (commercial link)!