$243M Bitcoin scam that led to kidnapping and chaos
In one of the most bizarre crossovers between digital crime and real-world violence, a group of young cybercriminals stole almost $243 million in Bitcoin (BTC). Within weeks, the fallout spilled from the blockchain into a quiet Connecticut suburb, ending in a harrowing kidnapping plot.
If this seems like the plot of a Netflix thriller, you’re not alone in thinking that. But it happened. And fast.
Let’s unpack how a Minecraft-playing teenager, an underground network of crypto thieves and a Lamborghini-driving suburban couple all became tangled in a wild web of digital deception and real-world chaos.
It all started when a Washington, D.C.-based cryptocurrency investor received a suspicious phone call. The person on the other end posed as a security representative from Google. A second call came from someone claiming to be with Gemini, a well-known crypto exchange.
