Trust Betrayed: How an Innocent Meeting Turned into a Violent Ransom for Crypto Investor

The Web3 industry is often associated with the energy of people striving to create a better future filled with peace and goodness. However, sometimes tragic incidents occur where people use physical force to take finances from other participants in this world unlawfully. In one of our previous articles, we mentioned a similar case called "In the Crosshairs of the Law: How Two Young Swindlers Spent Millions on Luxury."

In this article, Coinmooner wants to discuss another incident related to the cryptocurrency industry. According to local media reports, the incident took place on the island of Phuket. The victim was 23-year-old Vyacheslav Leybov, who was invited to a hotel room by his acquaintance, 18-year-old Ukrainian citizen Alfred Chernyshuk. When Leybov entered the room, he was met by 21-year-old Armenian Arman Grigoryan. The men initially chatted on the balcony, but when Leybov went to the bathroom, he was attacked by two masked men armed with a hammer and a knife.

The attackers threatened Leybov, saying they would break his fingers if he didn’t transfer 500,000 USDT to their account. Leybov tried to negotiate and asked to lower the ransom to 250,000 USDT. Fearing for his life and health, he was forced to give in to the threats and transfer the money. Afterward, the attackers tied him to the bed and warned him not to tell anyone about the incident, then hurriedly fled.

The Dark Side of Web3: Crypto Investor Held Hostage and Robbed in Luxury Resort

Fortunately, Leybov managed to escape. He immediately rode his motorcycle to Phuket Airport, hoping to catch up with the criminals, but they were not there. He then reported the incident to the local police.

Recently, cryptocurrency owners, especially foreigners, have often become victims of attacks. In November, Thai police arrested six officers involved in extorting 10 million USDT from a citizen of Vanuatu. In addition, the creator of the Bitcoin network app Rooch Network, Haichao Zhu, was recently robbed in Bangkok while attending the Ethereum Devcon 2024 conference.

This incident reminds us that in the Web3 industry, one must always stay alert and cautious, especially regarding the security of personal data and income sources. Using the most advanced protection methods to safeguard oneself and one's finances is also essential.