{"id":281400,"date":"2021-01-19T09:45:03","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T14:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insidebitcoins.com\/?p=281400"},"modified":"2021-07-28T04:47:35","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T08:47:35","slug":"armed-thieves-rob-crypto-trader-of-450k-cash-and-usdt-tokens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insidebitcoins.com\/news\/armed-thieves-rob-crypto-trader-of-450k-cash-and-usdt-tokens","title":{"rendered":"Armed Thieves Rob Crypto Trader of $450K Cash and USDT Tokens"},"content":{"rendered":"
For so long, global cryptocurrency crime involved hacking an exchange or floating a Ponzi operation. It seems some crooks have resorted to physical theft and assault.<\/span><\/p>\n In Hong Kong, a group of armed robbers ambushed a crypto trader and stole her Bitcoins.<\/span><\/p>\n The gang had been priming their victim prior to the theft, per a <\/span>report<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the South China Morning Post (SCMP).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They had posed as crypto buyers, and one of them had engaged in multiple transactions with the victim \u2013 most likely to gain her trust.<\/span><\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Hong Kong police confirmed that they had found several deals between the victim and the gang.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These deals were for values around $77,000 to $90,000. Before the trader was robbed, the thieves had struck up a USDT exchange with the victim \u2013 a deal valued at about $450,000.<\/span><\/p>\n The deal was a peer-to-peer exchange between the robbers and the victims. The moment the crooks got the tokens, they locked her up in the office, collected her phone and the HK$3.5 million ( about $450,000) at knifepoint. The victim used her second phone to contact her husband, who eventually contacted law enforcement. The victim is reportedly unhurt in the entire operation.<\/span><\/p>\n Although uncommon, physical robberies aren\u2019t so new to the crypto space. Some criminals have shown a lack of patience and would very much prefer to hit their victims physically, regardless of the consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n The unnamed victim in this week\u2019s case was able to leave the ordeal unhurt. However, the same can\u2019t be said for many people who have been through similar experiences. In September 2019, Norwegian news source TV 2\u00a0<\/span>reported<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that a local man had been robbed at his luxurious private apartment.<\/span><\/p>\n Also unnamed, this victim had reportedly been famous for making about $11 million at the time through his crypto trades. The robber allegedly gained access to the victim\u2019s housing block and rang the doorbell directly. Once the millionaire answered the door, he found a shotgun barrel in his face.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Oslo Attorney General\u2019s Office, the suspect threatened his victim to lay down or he\u2019d shoot. However, the victim was quick to escape as he threw himself off his balcony and fell two floors to the adjoining street. The report didn\u2019t say whether the victim sustained any injuries, but considering the fall, he probably did.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Trade Gone South<\/b><\/h2>\n
A Spotlight on Physical Crypto Crime<\/b><\/h2>\n