Unnamed Canadian Man & Family in Hiding From Bitcoin-Targeted Kidnapping
A Canadian man, a volunteer moderator for a crypto forum, has reportedly gone into hiding with his family after a series of attempted abductions.
According to a report from La Presse, a Canadian French language news outlet, the victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, claims he witnessed his alleged kidnappers preparing for a violent attack before he and his children managed to flee.
He detailed:
“The guys had equipment to torture me. They had a 2-foot by 2-foot tarpaulin with a hole in the middle and [green hoses] around it to cut a limb and stop the bleeding.”
He added:
“It's incredible violence.”
Canadian man forced into hiding after alleged bitcoin kidnapping and torture attempt: report https://t.co/XaDkb2jiBi
— The Block (@TheBlock__) January 6, 2025
The man and his family have been relocating from one Airbnb to another to evade the suspected criminals, who he believes were after his Bitcoin holdings.
Police determined that the motive behind the attacks was to steal funds from his crypto wallet.
He noted:
"[The perpetrators] would have seen posts on a Facebook page that I’ve been moderating for several years and thought I had 2.5 million Bitcoin. That is far from being the case. I’m a very ordinary guy. I may have 10,000 dollars.”
The ordeal began on 4 November when two masked men allegedly threatened the victim outside his home, but they fled when he closed the door.
Days later, on 8 November, while placing his daughter in the car, the man noticed a suspicious black car without a license plate near his home.
After being followed, he called the police, only to have a gun pointed at him when he stopped the car.
BITCOIN HODLER DODGES RUTHLESS KIDNAP SCHEME
A Canadian mod for a crypto forum went into hiding after kidnappers mistook him for a BTC whale, thinking he had 2.5M Bitcoin.
Reality check? He only held $10K in crypto but still faced threats of "incredible violence" before… pic.twitter.com/W4FC3DUinT
— Mario Nawfal’s Roundtable (@RoundtableSpace) January 7, 2025
Alleged Criminals Out on Bail
In November, four individuals were arrested and accused of conspiring to kidnap and possessing prohibited firearms.
Two of the suspects were brought before the Victoriaville courthouse, but they were released pending their trial, set for March, and placed under house arrest.
They are permitted to leave only for legitimate work-related reasons.
However, the victim appears dissatisfied with the Court of Quebec's decision to grant bail.
The victim expressed frustration, stating that he has been forced to deplete his remaining savings in order to continue evading the alleged kidnappers.
