The CEO of a crypto firm called WonderFi Technologies, Dean Skurka, was kidnapped in Toronto near University Avenue and Richmond Street. He was taken by unknown people during rush hour and they demanded a ransom of $720,000 (Canadian dollars) for his release. He was later found safe in Centennial Park, Etobicoke after the ransom was paid electronically.
This shows that people in the crypto industry are becoming targets for criminals who want quick, untraceable payments. There have been other similar cases before, like when a man called Aiden Pleterski was kidnapped over allegations of misusing investor funds. Also, a company called Schneider Electric was targeted by a ransomware group who demanded payment in French baguettes or Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
In another case, scammers in Santa Barbara are tricking people into paying them Bitcoin by sending threatening text messages with images of their homes.