A cryptocurrency trader has been kidnapped in Spain. According to our colleagues at The Mirror, three British crooks lured the broker to an apartment in Estepona, a town on the Costa del Sol. The crooks had crossed paths with the trader, a thirty-something from India, in a neighboring town, Marbella.
After chatting, the three men offered their victim a drink at their place. There, they held the trader hostage before demanding a ransom of 30,000 euros in cryptocurrencies. The broker had made the mistake of bragging about his crypto earnings while talking to his future captors. It was probably the cryptocurrencies of the trader’s clients that interested the gang.
Call to a friend
The victim convinced the criminals that she needed to contact a friend by phone to release the funds. On the phone, the trader warned his friend of the situation in a foreign language, unknown to the kidnappers. The latter, based in London, made sure that the Spanish police were notified. The police then began looking for the victim and his kidnappers.
While the police were trying to locate the apartment, the criminals made multiple threats. Fearing for his life, the trader decided to jump from the building via the terrace. The man fell more than 9 meters. At the same time, the Spanish police were preparing to storm the building.
The victim was taken into care by the authorities. The kidnappers were then arrested as they tried to flee in a car. After appearing in court, the trio was jailed. Police officers seized €10,000 in cash, cocaine, and firearms.
Do you have crypto? Discretion is key
In recent months, the crypto world has been the scene of a series of kidnappings, including in France. David Balland, the co-founder of the unicorn Ledger, was abducted from his home near Vierzon. To obtain a ransom of several million euros, the criminals went so far as to mutilate the entrepreneur. He was rescued by the French police.
If you are lucky enough to have large sums of cryptocurrency, we advise you to remain discreet about it. Do not flaunt your success to people you do not know well. By talking loosely about digital assets in your portfolio, you become a target.
Source: The Mirror
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