A Brazilian woman was kidnapped by criminals targeting her crypto-trading son, leading to a ransom demand of over 3.3 million reais (approximately $600,000) worth of Bitcoin. The woman, a retired teacher, was abducted in March as she left a forum in Recife, with the criminals having tracked her son's social media activities to estimate her potential access to large crypto holdings. After being held at gunpoint for 12 hours, her son, based in Portugal, sent 5 BTC to secure her release. Authorities have apprehended four individuals tied to the incident, highlighting a rise in 'wrench attacks' worldwide, characterized by kidnappings for cryptocurrency ransom. Similar cases have occurred recently in London and France, underscoring a disturbing trend in crypto-related crime.

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