Hold onto your digital wallets, folks, because crypto's wild ride isn't just about market swings anymore! A treasure trove of tales, curated by Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp, is shedding light on the darker side of Bitcoin ownership. The “Known Physical Bitcoin Attacks” archive reveals over 100 spine-chilling stories where Bitcoin holders found themselves in the crosshairs of danger.
Let's kick things off with the legendary Hal Finney, a crypto pioneer whose experience sounds like it's ripped straight from a thriller. Imagine this: back in December 2014, while Hal was battling ALS, his wife Fran gets a bizarre alert from a 911 operator. SWAT teams were reportedly on their way due to a bogus murder-suicide report. The chaos ensued just days after a tragic local shooting, leading to an intense police response, and all of this was part of a year-long extortion scheme demanding a jaw-dropping 1,000 BTC!
Jameson Lopp himself wasn't spared from this madness. In August 2017, he experienced a “swatting” incident, where a prank call unleashed heavily armed officers on his doorstep. The caller claimed there was a hostage situation, complete with explosives, demanding a hefty ransom of $60,000. Spoiler alert: it was all a hoax, driven by online vendettas.
And it doesn't stop there. The saga continues with even more dramatic tales, like the kidnapping and stabbing of Dwayne Richards in NYC, and the daring abduction of a crypto executive in Lithuania. There's also the infamous Istanbul heist, where a businessman was relieved of $2.83 million in BTC by a gang. Talk about high stakes!
Across the globe, the creativity of criminals knows no bounds. In England, machete-wielding intruders forced homeowners to cough up over 1,000 ETH. From Pavel Lerner's abduction in Kyiv to a string of home invasions across major cities worldwide, the list reads like a global crime anthology.
In a twist that could rival any Hollywood plot, two women kidnapped a toddler, demanding a $660,000 ransom in USDT. Meanwhile, a British crypto trader found himself at the mercy of five attackers, and the drama hit a new high when the parents of thieves in a $243 million heist were carjacked in a botched ransom attempt.
So, while you're diving into the crypto world, remember: it's not just about the digital numbers. Stay safe out there, because in this high-stakes game, the thrill sometimes spills over into real life!
