A Brazilian woman's kidnapping highlights the rising trend of ransom demands focused on cryptocurrency. The retired teacher was abducted after her son’s crypto trading activities were closely monitored on social media by a gang hoping for a financial windfall. After being held at gunpoint for twelve hours, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of over $600,000 worth of Bitcoin. The son, currently residing in Portugal, had to send 5 BTC to secure her release. This incident sheds light on the increasing prevalence of 'wrench attacks', where criminals target individuals connected to significant cryptocurrency assets. Authorities are struggling to recover the stolen crypto amid reports of similar cases where victims have been tortured or harmed. Such incidents could escalate further as awareness of cryptocurrency holdings grows, leading to more targeted threats against individuals perceived to have wealth in the digital asset space.

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