A Turkish Bitcoin tycoon was kidnapped by a gangster, losing up to 450 BTC

Turkish police announced that they have successfully captured a group of daring "cryptocurrency kidnappers". Their targets are mainly Bitcoin holders. They were arrested by the police when they were planning to kidnap their second victim. The first victim was a wealthy businessman, and they had extorted 450个比特币from him, worth $3.3 million.

Ransomware

The incident took place in Merter, a suburb west of Istanbul. According to local media reports, the gang followed the first victim to his car, kidnapped him, and stole his laptop and other belongings. They then demanded that the victim hand over 450 BTC. The gang tortured him for nearly eight hours, locked him in a van, and threatened him with violence.

It is clear that these criminals are not good at hiding their whereabouts, either in the real world or in the online world. After the victim reported the case to the police, the police launched an investigation. The police then confirmed the identities of the criminals and placed the five criminals under surveillance.

The transparency of blockchain

In addition to monitoring the criminals, cybercrime officers were also involved in the case, monitoring the circulation of the stolen bitcoins on the blockchain. The police then launched a sting operation and arrested the gangsters on the spot when they were about to kidnap the second victim. Turkey's judicial review process is very fast and very strict. According to local media reports, one of the leaders was charged with extortion and faces 30 years in prison.

After seeing the first victim flaunt his lavish lifestyle on social media, these criminals set their sights on their target. As the number of cryptocurrency holders increases, it’s important to be cautious about showing off your wealth. Bitcoin itself doesn’t attract criminals – but money does. As the price of Bitcoin continues to rise, it’s important to keep your cryptocurrency assets safe and keep a low profile.