Swedish Bitcoiners targeted by armed criminals
Criminals in Sweden are particularly targeting popular local Bitcoin figures, apparently as a result of the ease of obtaining personal information and residential addresses in the country.
Reports from Swedish media outlets LT and Aftonbladet linked separate robberies in Ranninge and Södertlje that appeared to be similar. Victims were tied up and physically assaulted to steal their physical and virtual Bitcoin (BTC) holdings.
Renowned cryptocurrency activist Eric Wall, who currently serves as a board member of the Starknet Foundation, highlighted the event on XPost (formerly Twitter). Wall said the two attack cases indicate that Swedish criminals are actively looking to target Bitcoin users.
It is now officially available in Sweden.
This Monday, a middle-aged Swedish couple was robbed in their home by 4 masked men. They were physically assaulted with their own kitchen knives. They were tied up for hours and one of them went to…
— Eric Wall (@ercwl) November 8, 2023
“This Monday, a middle-aged Swedish couple was robbed in their home by 4 masked men. They were physically assaulted with their own kitchen knife. They were trapped for hours and one had to be airlifted to the hospital, Wall wrote.
He explained that the purpose of the attack was to steal the couple's bitcoins, before emphasizing the connection to a separate incident in which “two well-known Bitcoin/crypto profiles were targeted by masked and armed men in their homes.”
According to Wall, the victims were physically assaulted for hours in an attempt to steal their bitcoin holdings held in hardware wallets. He added that the first incident of criminals targeting Bitcoin users occurred in 2018. In 2022, “one of Sweden's most famous bitcoiners” was hacked.
Related: UK approves bill to allow authorities to seize Bitcoin used for crime
Wall also believes that criminals will scan social media to identify and target Bitcoin or cryptocurrency users. A common theme of the attacks, he said, was that they happened shortly after individuals mentioned bitcoin and cryptocurrencies on podcasts or in public.
He also believes that Sweden's Offentlighetsprincipen (public access to information) laws, which give the public the right to request information including residential addresses and government tax records, are becoming a way for criminals to prey on ecosystem participants.
“Although the intention behind this law is to reduce corruption, it is not suitable for modern society.”
Wall said he left the country because of these laws and that Sweden is “probably one of the most insecure countries active in the crypto sector.”
The Offentlighetsprincipen law reportedly makes it easier for citizens to search the addresses of Swedish residents and check their tax records. This is being abused, because criminals can “size” how much an individual has paid in income or capital gains tax.
Cointelegraph reached out to a Swedish police official to get more details about these incidents and whether any arrests have been made.
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