From Austria to Spain, two murders reveal the growing physical crisis in the crypto world. In the pursuit of digital assets, criminals are shifting from hacking to violent extortion. From the kidnapping of the son of the mayor of Ukraine to government authorities warning about organized crime, these incidents, known as 'wrench attacks', are pushing the security risks of cryptocurrency to the level of personal safety.
Burning cars and destroying evidence: The crypto motivation behind the Ukrainian son's murder emerges.
TSN ua reports that Austrian police are investigating a highly suspected homicide related to cryptocurrency. 21-year-old Serhii Kuzmin, the son of the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Danylo Kuzmin, was found dead in a burned-out car in the Donaustadt area of Vienna at the end of November.
Source: TSN ua Danylo Kuzmin's photo and the burned car
Forensic evidence indicates that the deceased suffered severe beatings while alive, with head trauma and broken teeth, and no traces of smoke in the lungs, suggesting he was dead or near death before the vehicle was set on fire. Police initially theorize that the assailants forced Kuzmin to surrender his cryptocurrency wallet password during the assault, and it was later discovered that a considerable amount of cryptocurrency had been transferred from that wallet.
The son of an ambassador and a former customs officer involved: political identity intertwined with cryptocurrency crime.
The background of the suspects has also raised significant concerns, as Austrian authorities detained two Ukrainian nationals, including a 19-year-old student reportedly a classmate of the deceased, who is the stepson of the Ukrainian ambassador to Bulgaria, and another who is a 45-year-old former customs officer from Ukraine.
Investigations show that after Kuzmin was killed, his cryptocurrency wallet was completely emptied, and related evidence in his car was also destroyed, reinforcing the theory of a financial motive. Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov stated that this is a humanitarian tragedy and refused to comment further.
Danger is everywhere: Spain warns of threats from cryptocurrency kidnapping extortion groups.
Recently, Spanish police also uncovered another cryptocurrency kidnapping case. Authorities collaborated with Danish police to arrest five people in Spain and charged four additional suspects, discovering a violent crime group specifically targeting cryptocurrency holders.
Investigations indicate that the male victim and his partner were threatened at gunpoint near Malaga, attempting to force him to surrender cryptocurrency wallet access; ultimately, the man was killed and his body discarded in the woods. Police confiscated tools used in the crime, the victim's clothing, and communication devices during the search, confirming that this was an organized and planned extortion operation.
Cryptocurrency cannot stop violence; wealth must first seek self-preservation.
Recent multiple cases point to an increasingly rampant trend, where the actions of cryptocurrency investors are not only monitored on-chain but may also be fraught with danger on social media and in real life; the term 'cryptocurrency' seems to be becoming a new incentive for physical violent crime.
The so-called 'Wrench Attack' refers to kidnapping incidents related to cryptocurrency, where victims are coerced through violence to surrender their wallet passwords, becoming an unavoidable reality in the crypto world.
Investors can only try to maintain anonymity and low profile in public, avoid exposing wallet addresses and real activity ranges, or entrust third-party custody to ensure personal safety.
This article is authorized for reprint from: (Chain News)
Original title: ('Wrench Attack' Running Rampant! The son of the mayor of Ukraine killed, Spanish authorities warn of potential organized crime)
Original author: Crumax
'From the Austrian case to the Spanish kidnapping case: Wrench Attacks are spreading, and cryptocurrency crime is moving into reality' - this article was first published in 'Crypto City'.