Locals cite surge in Russian crypto holders' kidnappings

People interviewed by Delovoy Peterburg, a daily business newspaper in Saint Petersburg, Russia, have revealed that crypto investors in the country are increasingly facing hybrid attacks, where wallet hacks are accompanied by theft and threats of physical violence.

According to analysts, the main losses in crypto occur due to the carelessness of their owners and errors in storing passwords and seed phrases. 

Kidnappings of crypto investors are now becoming more common at the crossroads of crypto innovation and organized crime, exploiting the very transparency and decentralization that make crypto revolutionary. 

Russia has become a hotspot, even as it has notorious groups sponsored by the state that emerge. 

Attackers use leaked information from verification services and social media

Unlike traditional robberies, crypto kidnappings allow criminals to demand large sums that can be transferred quickly and discreetly. The ease and efficiency of such transactions underscore the growing risks associated with digital crimes.  

From high-profile executives and influencers to unsuspecting casual holders, no one in the crypto community is truly immune. According to Alexander Gostev, chief technology expert at Kaspersky Lab, attackers are compiling dossiers on digital asset owners using leaked information from verification services and social media. 

“There are cases where they first steal data, and then create a dossier on the victim, including their address, their daily routine, and their assets. This is then used for extortion or kidnapping. Most cases occur quietly: the victims are afraid of publicity,” Gostev explained.

In Russia, reports have recently revealed that a crypto millionaire who was also a scammer was kidnapped and murdered, together with his wife. As reported by Cryptopolitan, three suspects, Konstantin Shakht, Yuri Sharypov, and Vladimir Dalekin, all Russian citizens, were arrested.

Additionally, the regional department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that a 60-year-old pensioner from Kaliningrad lost almost 3 million rubles while trying to make money with crypto.

Even ZachXBT, a renowned blockchain investigator who handles complex scam cases, mentioned Russia as one of the countries he faced the most problems, saying: “Ranking the bottom 5 jurisdictions for crypto-related victims from my own experience: Nigeria, India, Canada, UK, Russia. If you contact me from them, I will likely have to decline formally assisting due to stagnant legal cases.”

To that end, Artem Kartashov, CEO of Mining Depot, advised that crypto market participants must use a range of security measures, from hardware wallets to unique, complex passwords. Large crypto investors favor shared-access schemes, while mining farm operators equip their facilities with video surveillance systems and hire armed security guards. 

Russian authorities get ready to deal with crypto criminals

Authorities in Russia are setting up to confiscate crypto during criminal investigations under a new law. The document, which the government submitted in April, establishes a mechanism for the seizure and confiscation of digital coins involved in criminal cases.

The text passed on last week supplements the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation with provisions recognizing crypto as property, the Interfax news agency reported.

In an article, the prominent business daily Kommersant pointed out, “Law enforcement agencies will be able to officially consider digital currency as property and apply coercive measures against it.”

The authorities will rely on the cooperation of foreign-based trading platforms when it needs to confiscate crypto holdings as part of criminal proceedings.

Meanwhile, the government has turned its attention to using a new consumption monitoring system to identify illegal crypto mining operations in the country. The more aggressive approach, aided by anonymous signals from the population, is already yielding results, with the recent discovery of a serious underground installation in western Russia.

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