Rise In Crypto Robberies Reported In Western Europe

According to Cointelegraph, blockchain investigator ZachXBT has observed an increase in reports of in-person crypto robberies. In an Oct. 10 post, ZachXBT mentioned receiving messages from multiple victims of crypto home invasion thefts in Western Europe over the past few months, noting a higher rate compared to other regions. He reiterated this claim in a Sept. 27 message on his Telegram channel, stating that several individuals in the crypto community had been held at gunpoint and had their crypto assets stolen recently. ZachXBT also reported evidence of a June 2024 home invasion where an X user was robbed of $4.3 million in crypto. The victim's address and personal information were allegedly stolen after a data breach, enabling the thieves to locate him. The perpetrators reportedly researched the victim, posed as delivery personnel, and entered the premises armed with machetes. They then forced the victim to open his ledger and transfer all his crypto to two wallet addresses, which remain dormant. ZachXBT advised caution, suggesting measures to protect oneself, such as avoiding sharing personal information or details about crypto holdings with friends or on social media. According to GitHub, there have been at least 15 recorded incidents of offline crypto robbery from various countries in the past year, around 17 in 2023, and 32 in 2021. The platform has documented incidents of in-person crypto theft dating back to 2014, including an attempt to extort computer scientist and cryptographer Hal Finney of 1,000 Bitcoin. In a recent case, Nick Drakon, former CEO of crypto research and education platform Revelo Intel, claimed in a Sept. 5 post on X that he was targeted, surveilled, and robbed by a sophisticated group who also threatened his family. Drakon stepped down from his position after revealing he was held at gunpoint and forced to transfer personal, company, and investor funds. Additionally, on June 25, a Florida man was convicted of leading multiple violent home invasions aimed at stealing victims' crypto. Between December 2022 and July 2023, the gang reportedly used violence, kidnapping, and threats to intimidate victims into transferring their crypto holdings to wallet addresses controlled by the thieves.