Increasing kidnapping and ransom. Privacy is important.

[_act_]

In France, police rescued a 56 year old man doused in gasoline. The attacker broke into his home and tied him and his wife up. Took the man away and demanded for ransom fro m his son. If not because he shouted for help in the car he was, police would not have known and intervened. I guess the two captors demanded for crypto from his son.

In Pakistan, seven individuals including a Counter-Terrorism Department officer were arrested on 3rd of January for kidnapping a local crypto trader. The victim was Mohammed Arsalan who was kidnapped on 25th of December and he was forced to transfer 340,000 on his Binance account.

In Australia, a Saudi royal was lured into a kidnapping plot through a dating app. The Daily Mail reported that Catherine Colivas, a 24-year-old woman, lured the royal to her home, where three men, including her boyfriend, ambushed him. The victim was tied up and threatened with having his fingers cut off unless he transferred $40,000 in Bitcoin.

Toronto police are investigating the kidnapping of Dean Skurka, CEO of WonderFi, a Canadian crypto exchange. Skurka was abducted in downtown Toronto during rush hour on Nov. 6 and released after a $1 million ransom was electronically paid, according to CBC News.


https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-s-record-breaking-year-sees-spike-in-kidnappings-and-ransom-schemes

[target]

Criminals today are getting bolder. Not even wearing a mask when they commit their crimes.
Its not a good time to brag your crypto profit on social media. Someone out there could be just lurking to find out who they could victimised to earn a large sum because they know the person has money in an account.

And they know if you send a ransom money, it can't be taken back from them.

[hugeblack]

Wouldn't it be easier to commit these crimes with cash? Unless these organizations are part of a huge money laundering network, it is difficult to convert these Bitcoins into cash without being caught and compared to cash crimes. Such crimes are still limited, but they alert us to the necessity of privacy and not disclosing what Bitcoins we own.

[bayu7adi]

Wouldn't it be easier to commit these crimes with cash? Unless these organizations are part of a huge money laundering network, it is difficult to convert these Bitcoins into cash without being caught and compared to cash crimes. Such crimes are still limited, but they alert us to the necessity of privacy and not disclosing what Bitcoins we own.

Logically, cash is easier to rob, but the potential of Bitcoin is more interesting... a robber can rob a large amount of money without needing a backpack with Bitcoin... even digital transactions make it easier to get money...

Privacy is really something that must be protected, everyone has their own privacy... and strangely enough showing off wealth publicly just to want to be recognized by others, has more negative impacts than positive impacts... so stop showing your balance on social media... it's really useless, even if you write it just for motivation, but

[yhiaali3]

I hope these increasing crimes of cryptocurrency theft force I hope they force governments to reconsider their fight against privacy, governments need to understand that maintaining privacy is very important for citizens.

These increasing incidents strongly indicate that maintaining privacy is not necessarily for illegal activities but rather that maintaining privacy is an integral part of the personal security of investors and their families at the same time.

[libert19]

Wouldn't it be easier to commit these crimes with cash? Unless these organizations are part of a huge money laundering network, it is difficult to convert these Bitcoins into cash without being caught and compared to cash crimes. Such crimes are still limited, but they alert us to the necessity of privacy and not disclosing what Bitcoins we own.

Crypto is more convenient than cash, don't it? Yes, it could be hard to convert to cash but for taking ransom it's as convenient as it gets — anonymity, quick transfer, no trace, no need to carry it in bag unlike cash.

[TomPluz]

This news can be alarming for people whom the public knows got some crypto coins and tokens hidden somewhere...and this is one big reason why just like cryptocurrency we must put more value to privacy. Never ever let the whole world know that you are somehow involved with cryptocurrency most especially if you are living in a country where those kidnappings took place. As for me, these bad people are just be wasting their time as kidnapping me is not worth it. I could not even buy a new shirt last December so am so poor these days and in fact am accepting donations from anyone who made a lot of money in cryptocurrency last year. so pretend to be poor and never float your wealth around...and make sure you have some security in place around your house, just in case.

[bitbit97]

I dont think that increased privacy would help to fight with kidnapping and ransom. What stops a criminal to kidnap a random person that seems to be having a family or someone that has a friend. Family and a friend would do everything anyway to save kidnapped person. Rich or poor will be forced to find and pay anyway. For kidnapper it will be at the same, to kidnap a millionaires child or average class persons child and ask for a $1 million ransom. A life is a life and anyone would do everything to get that money and help their child.

[target]

I dont think that increased privacy would help to fight with kidnapping and ransom. What stops a criminal to kidnap a random person that seems to be having a family or someone that has a friend. Family and a friend would do everything anyway to save kidnapped person. Rich or poor will be forced to find and pay anyway. For kidnapper it will be at the same, to kidnap a millionaires child or average class persons child and ask for a $1 million ransom. A life is a life and anyone would do everything to get that money and help their child.

OP is not talking about random kidnapping.
OP's lists are crypto holders who ar kidnapped and the kidnappers specifically asked them BTC for the ransom which means these kidnappers are targeting crypto holders. 

It would have been avoided if they were not known to own Bitcoin. They were just too carefree to just let everyone know they are crypto owners.

[hugeblack]

Logically, cash is easier to rob, but the potential of Bitcoin is more interesting... a robber can rob a large amount of money without needing a backpack with Bitcoin... even digital transactions make it easier to get money...

Yes, such crimes can happen with cash, bitcoin, visa, gold or any form of money. So I think such articles are biased towards bitcoin, but again privacy is important and you should not show your balance to others.

[bitterguy28]

it is not surprising though not any less disappointing

crypto is becoming a profitable industry more and more as the day goes by and this is becoming obvious to a lot of people unfortunately a lot of people instead of seeking profit by working hard and working honestly think about illegal acts for a much quicker and bigger profit it is such an injustice to those who work diligently without harming anyone

but anyway people with ill intentions will always exist and in fact would continue to just increase more so we should not expect anymore for them to be better rather let us just protect ourselves and keep our information safe and away from prying hands and curious eyes

[bitbit97]

I dont think that increased privacy would help to fight with kidnapping and ransom. What stops a criminal to kidnap a random person that seems to be having a family or someone that has a friend. Family and a friend would do everything anyway to save kidnapped person. Rich or poor will be forced to find and pay anyway. For kidnapper it will be at the same, to kidnap a millionaires child or average class persons child and ask for a $1 million ransom. A life is a life and anyone would do everything to get that money and help their child.

OP is not talking about random kidnapping.
OP's lists are crypto holders who ar kidnapped and the kidnappers specifically asked them BTC for the ransom which means these kidnappers are targeting crypto holders. 

It would have been avoided if they were not known to own Bitcoin. They were just too carefree to just let everyone know they are crypto owners.

If you flash your money in wrong place and in front of wrong people, it does not matter if you are a crypto holder or a person with $100 banknote, as chances of being robbed or getting troubles increase greatly. I am not saying that we should not stay cautious all the time now, but in the article its only several cases, even more cases can be found if we make a search. But compared to the number of none-crypto, that isnt much to do something extra for privacy measures. Take a look on what is happening West Africa: +100k cases only during last year. Dont get me wrong. I am not saying that now we should deanonymize ourselves, show documents or accounts and wallets we have everywhere. I am only saying that reckless people with money will always find troubles. And people dont have to be exactly rich to get into problems with money.

[Stompix]

Wouldn't it be easier to commit these crimes with cash?

Nope!
First, with the cash you can't get it that easy, even from most ATMs I can't get more than 5000 Euros at maximum here, in some countries the limits are $1000.

Second with crypto, unless they find your wallet you can claim forever you have not received the money, If you shove a QR code in front of the victim, and he makes the transfer then how would the police prove it is your adress? As for laundering and changing it into cash that is pretty easy, all you need is a mule to take it from an ATM, there are plenty of poor people who do that job for $100-$200.

Crypto is easier for most kidnappers, bank will track you and freeze your account before you manage to take the sum out, cash is not available, crypto can be carried in a  text message.

 

[Faisal2202]

In Pakistan, seven individuals including a Counter-Terrorism Department officer were arrested on 3rd of January for kidnapping a local crypto trader. The victim was Mohammed Arsalan who was kidnapped on 25th of December and he was forced to transfer 340,000 on his Binance account.

Cases are increasing day by day, and why this is happening now is also understandable because the market is very bullish and maybe these criminals think all the investors are making a good amount of money right now. I remember I invested a few hundred dollars in BTC and told my cousin, and he shared it with everyone almost, and even in some gatherings, he said he would have made good profits as BTC had not crossed $100k. I did not understand what to say, as in gatherings all people are family, so it does not matter.

But the point is we must keep the circle tight even if we have invested a small amount of money, as considering the inflation in the country for some, that amount can be enough. For example, the case that occurred in Pakistan was really frightening, and the authorities took action against those criminals, and surprisingly, those criminals were no one but the authorities themselves. Well, if the word is true, then I hope the victim can get a refund too, but not 100%.

[Gurujebs]

https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-s-record-breaking-year-sees-spike-in-kidnappings-and-ransom-schemes

If there is good privacy in the first place by anyone involved in crypto, I'm sure there wouldn't be the problems we see here in crypto in the fist place because how can you arrest something that doesn't exists, it is better to ways avoid anything that can makes the work recognize your foot print this is why everything you doesn't doesn't have to get to the internet.

If you don't tell the work about heat you have, they will only leave a life guess, doubt but if you are very lousy person, there are somethings that you might not know about but because you are a loud person, ever one will start suspect you.