In Brazil, a retired teacher was kidnapped by a gang that demanded a ransom of over $600,000 worth of Bitcoin, targeting her due to her son's crypto trading activities. Police report that the woman was captured after leaving a forum in Recife, as the kidnappers tracked her son through social media. The gang held her at gunpoint for 12 hours until her son, residing in Portugal, transferred 5 BTC for her release. This incident highlights a growing trend of 'wrench attacks'—kidnappings aimed at accessing a victim's cryptocurrency. Authorities revealed that recovering the stolen Bitcoin from the kidnappers would be challenging. Such kidnappings are increasingly common, with similar incidents reported in London and France involving crypto investors. As of 2025, statistics show nearly as many wrench attacks have occurred as in all of 2024, emphasizing the rising risks associated with cryptocurrency.

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