According to BlockBeats, a 19-year-old cryptocurrency trader in Singapore was ambushed by two men while attempting to exchange 32,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 24,000 USD) for USDT. The incident occurred on August 29 when the trader, known only as 'ZK,' met with the sellers in a parking lot. During the transaction, one of the men punched ZK in the face, prompting him to flee to a nearby shopping mall while calling for help. The attackers pursued him but eventually lost track of him. ZK then reported the incident to the police.

The transaction was arranged via Telegram, and although ZK had never dealt with the seller before, he proceeded with the exchange because he needed USDT and the seller was the only one who contacted him. ZK preferred a face-to-face transaction to save on fees, stating that the costs associated with his trading frequency were unreasonable. Initially, the parties agreed to meet in a public mall where ZK would hand over the cash and the seller would transfer the USDT to his wallet. However, the seller changed the meeting location to a nearby parking lot at the last minute.

Singapore police have since arrested two men, aged 20 and 21, in connection with the attempted robbery.