Police are investigating the high-profile abduction of Dean Skurka, CEO of Toronto-based crypto agency WonderFi Applied sciences, who was forcibly taken close to College Avenue and Richmond Road on Wednesday night.
Unknown suspects pressured Skurka right into a automobile throughout rush hour, demanding $720k ($1 million Canadian {dollars}) ransom for his launch. The ransom was paid electronically, and Skurka was discovered secure in Centennial Park, Etobicoke, hours later.
As crypto achieve reputation, its decentralized nature and excessive valuations have turned executives into profitable targets for criminals looking for fast, untraceable funds.
Reportedly hours later, Skurka was discovered unhurt in Centennial Park, Etobicoke, following the digital switch of the ransom, as per a CBC report.
In an electronic mail to CBC Toronto on Thursday, Skurka confirmed the ordeal however assured that he was secure. “The protection and safety of all of WonderFi’s staff are paramount,” he acknowledged. “Shopper funds and information stay secure, and weren’t impacted by this incident.”
This alarming incident factors to the mounting bodily threats confronted by outstanding figures within the crypto sector. Safety skilled Jameson Lopp famous how Skurka’s abduction marks the 171st reported case of bodily violence concentrating on crypto holders.
Toronto has witnessed comparable incidents earlier than. In late 2022, self-proclaimed “Crypto King” Aiden Pleterski was kidnapped and tortured over allegations of misusing investor funds.
In a weird twist of latest cybercrime incidents, French multinational company Schneider Electrical was not too long ago focused by the Hellcat ransomware group. The hackers grabbed consideration with their uncommon demand: $125,000 value of French baguettes, or alternatively, Monero—a privacy-focused crypto recognized for its untraceable transactions.
Because the crypto trade grapples with bodily threats, on-line scams are additionally on the rise. In California, Santa Barbara residents are reportedly falling sufferer to cybercriminals demanding Bitcoin funds.
Scammers have been sending threatening textual content messages with connected pictures of victims’ houses, claiming to have hacked their telephones and threatening to launch private information except a $2,000 Bitcoin fee is made.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
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