The victim had finished hosting a crypto-related event in downtown Las Vegas, and when he returned home, the suspects forced him into a vehicle and drove him to a remote desert area an hour away from the city. There, they forced him to hand over passwords to his accounts, according to a May 10 report from Las Vegas local news outlet 8 News Now. The man was allegedly told to comply with the teens’ demands if he wanted to “live to see another day,” and because they also “had his dad and would kill him,” according to the report. It’s also alleged that a fourth person may have been communicating with the three young men through a phone call during the incident, which the victim could hear through a speakerphone.
Related: Ledger co-founder released after days in captivity in France: ReportMeanwhile, Jameson Lopp, a cypherpunk and co-founder of self-custodial firm Casa, has created a list on GitHub recording dozens of offline crypto robberies all over the world. The first dates back to 2014, when someone allegedly tried to extort computer scientist and cryptographer Hal Finney of 1,000 Bitcoin (BTC) worth $400,000 at the time. There have been 21 incidents of in-person crypto-related robbery so far this year, according to Lopp’s list.
After having his accounts drained of $4 million in crypto and NFTs, the victim reportedly walked five miles back through the desert to reach a gas station where he could call a friend for help. Two 16-year-olds from Florida are facing charges including robbery, kidnapping, and extortion in connection with the incident.
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Author / Journalist: Cointelegraph by Stephen Katte
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