ZachXBT says there is a surge in thieves targeting offline crypto traders
Blockchain researcher ZackXBT says he's noticed a surge in messages from people claiming to be victims of physical crypto theft.
In an Oct. 10 post, the onchain sleuth said he had received messages from multiple victims of crypto home invasion theft “in the last few months, it's much higher in Western Europe than in other regions.”
He made the same claim in a message on his Telegram channel on September 27, saying he knows several individuals in the crypto community who have had their cryptos stolen at gunpoint in recent months.
At the same time, ZachXBT claims to have found evidence that X user's address and personal information was stolen after a data breach in which $4.3 million in crypto was stolen during a June 2024 home raid, allowing thieves to track it down.
Source: ZachXBT
He said that after researching the victim, the thieves armed themselves with slingshots and entered the premises under the pretense of delivering a package to the victim's home.
They then forced the victim to open a ledger and transfer crypto to two wallet addresses. ZachXBT Both addresses are still dormant.
“While this is a cautionary tale and we hope this leads to an arrest, here are some steps you can take to protect yourself,” ZackXBT said.
“Avoid sharing personal information or details of your crypto holdings with friends or exchanging them on social networks.”
According to GitHub, at least 15 offline crypto hacks have been recorded in various countries in the past year, 17 in 2023 and 32 in 2021.
The online platform claimed that in 2014, an unknown caller from computer scientist and cryptographer Hal Feeney attempted to extort 1,000 Bitcoin (BTC), worth $400,000 at the time.
RELATED: Home Invaders Use Machete, Toblero To Steal Someone's Bitcoins
More recently, Nick Dracon, former CEO of crypto research and education platform Revlo Intel, claimed in a September 5 post on X that he was targeted, stalked and robbed by a highly sophisticated group, who threatened his wife and eight. – The child of the month.
Revelo resigned as CEO of Intel after he revealed he was held at gunpoint and forced to divert personal, corporate and investor funds.
On June 25, a Florida man was charged with leading a series of violent home invasions aimed at stealing crypto.
Between December 2022 and July 2023, the gang allegedly used violence, extortion and threats to intimidate people, forcing them to transfer their crypto holdings to wallet addresses controlled by the thieves.
Magazine: Peter Todd names Satoshi on HBO, MT. Gox payment plan deadline extended, and more: Hodler Digest, October 6-12
