Dean Skurka, CEO of Canadian cryptocurrency trading service group WonderFi, was recently forcibly taken away by assailants in downtown Toronto, with the suspects demanding a ransom of 1 million Canadian dollars for his release. However, Canadian prosecutors stated that Skurka is currently safe, and the case remains under further investigation.
In broad daylight, he was forcibly taken away in downtown Toronto during a busy time.
According to reports, this kidnapping incident occurred on November 6 at 6 PM Eastern Time, located in downtown Toronto, Canada, where four suspects forcibly took Skurka away and coerced the victim into paying a ransom. Subsequently, Skurka was found safe in a century-old park in downtown Toronto.
Paid a ransom of 1 million dollars; the company's operations were not affected.
According to insiders, the suspects demanded a ransom of 1 million Canadian dollars via electronic payment after the incident. Skurka also issued a statement on November 7, confirming that he 'experienced an incident,' is currently safe, and emphasized that the safety of his employees at WonderFi and company data have not been affected, nor should there be any concern about the safety of user funds.
Dean Skurka stated that he is currently safe, and both his employees and user assets are secure. Cryptocurrency has become a target for criminals, with the number of cases being proportional to Bitcoin prices.
In recent years, as the value of cryptocurrencies has gradually risen, similar kidnapping cases have emerged one after another. According to Jameson Lopp, founder of cybersecurity company Casa, the Skurka case is the 171st cryptocurrency-related kidnapping case he has tracked, further stating that the number of such cases usually increases with the rising Bitcoin prices.
Due to the U.S. presidential election, especially after Trump previously expressed support for Bitcoin and subsequently won, the price of Bitcoin reached a new high, surpassing $76,000, making cryptocurrencies even more enticing for criminals.
Jameson Lopp, founder of cybersecurity company Casa, commented on this matter in an interview, stating that cryptocurrency and industry professionals are more easily targeted and need to enhance their crisis awareness.
Lopp pointed out that cryptocurrencies are easier to transfer and steal than traditional funds. Compared to directly robbing a physical bank or armored truck, obtaining cryptocurrency assets from individuals is simpler. He also noted that many cryptocurrency users obviously lack physical security and personal data protection. He emphasized that individuals, especially those associated with well-known cryptocurrency businesses, need to have crisis awareness to protect their own safety.
(A 29-year-old Bitcoin holder was murdered in Ukraine, beaten and robbed of 3 Bitcoins)
In this article, the CEO of Canadian exchange WonderFi was forcibly taken away, and the kidnapping case has increased alongside the rise in Bitcoin prices. It was first reported by Chain News ABMedia.
