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3mo ago

French Police Arrest Over 20 Suspects in Wave of Crypto-Targeted Kidnappings

The operation follows abductions of Bitcoin leaders’ relatives; a US investor faces charges in New York for torturing a tourist to steal crypto credentials.

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Im Fall um die Entführung eines italienischen Krypto-Investors in New York mit dem Ziel der Erpressung seiner Bitcoin-Passwörter hat die Polizei einen zweiten Verdächtigen festgenommen.
Nach mehreren Übergriffen auf Menschen mit Verbindungen zu Bitcoin-Unternehmern hat die französische Polizei mehr als 20 Verdächtige festgenommen. Dabei sei eine weitere geplante Entführung in der Nähe von Nantes verhindert worden, hieß es am Dienstag.

Overview

  • The arrests link to attempted kidnappings of family members of high-profile Bitcoin entrepreneurs in regions including Paris, Essonne and Nantes.
  • Authorities foiled a planned abduction near Nantes while probing earlier cases that demanded millions of euros in ransom paid in Bitcoin.
  • Victims have included the father of a leading crypto executive who was freed two days after his May 1 capture and a family attacked en route to a daycare.
  • In New York, prosecutors charged a 37-year-old US cryptocurrency investor with abducting and torturing an Italian tourist to coerce his Bitcoin wallet password.
  • Industry figures such as Ledger partner Eric Larchevêque have warned that violence against cryptocurrency owners is escalating into a major security threat.