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Known Physical Bitcoin Attacks

A list of known attacks against Bitcoin / crypto asset owning entities that occurred in meatspace. NOTE: this list is not comprehensive; many attacks are not publicly reported.

Readers may be interested in this relevant presentation: "The Hodlguard- a primer on physical security in Bitcoin" and slides.

DateVictimLocationDescription
December 29, 2014Hal FinneySanta Barbara , CaliforniaBitcoin developer SWATted after months of harrassment & extortion
January 3, 2015Amanda McCollumAtlanta, GeorgiaBTM thieves strike smoke shop, fire gun
January 22, 2015Martin WismeijerAmsterdam, NetherlandsThieves steal 2 bitcoin ATMs
February, 2015Dean KatzNew York, New YorkBitcoin trader robbed of $12,000 at gunpoint
May 27, 2015Dwayne RichardsNew York, New YorkFirefighter kidnapped, robbed of $1,100, & stabbed by crypto thieves
November 16, 2015Robert NederhoedDelft, NetherlandsThieves steal bitcoin ATM containing 2,000 EUR
July 11, 2016Tadas KasputisKaunas, LithuaniaCryptocurrency executive kidnapped at car wash
July 25, 2016Steve ManosWest Palm Beach, FloridaBitcoin trader robbed of $28,000 at gunpoint
August 14, 2016MultipleToronto, OntarioPolice arrest teens in string of bitcoin-related robberies
November 6, 2016Tivoli BrasserieOudenbosch, NetherlandsDutch Bitcoin ATM Owner Laughs at Thieves Who Took His Machine
February 16, 2017JosojLondon, EnglandDescription of robbery during Localbitcoins trade with Bitcoin Uncensored interview and the robber's side of the story.
February 26, 2017Rocelo Lopes' wifeFlorianopolis, BrazilWife of crypto exchange owner kidnapped and ransomed
March 14, 20173 Indian Bitcoin tradersDubai, UAE3 Emiratis pose as cops, kidnap victims and rob them of 25 BTC
June 17, 2017Miyuki NodaGifu, JapanWoman strangled, attacker takes 100,000 yen worth of BTC
September 4, 2017Alexey SherstneKyiv, UkraineMan tortured for $50k in Bitcoins
October 16, 2017Jameson LoppDurham, North CarolinaBitcoin developer SWATted & extorted
October, 2017MultipleToulouse, France4 bitcoin traders robbed at gunpoint
October, 2017MultipleLos Angeles, California"Discount Bitcoin Bandits" committed 5 robberies at gunpoint
November 4, 2017UnidentifiedNew York, New YorkMan robbed of $1.8M of ETH
November 15, 2017UnidentifiedIstanbul, TurkeyGang stole $2.83M in BTC from businessman
December, 2017UnidentifiedReykjavik, Iceland600 Bitcoin ASICs stolen and Follow-up Story
December 26, 2017Pavel LernerKyiv, UkraineBitcoin exchange owner kidnapped & ransomed
January 3, 2018"Dallas"Milwaukee, WisconsinConvicted felon accused of firing gun inside downtown Milwaukee condo during Bitcoin sale
January 14, 2018Pavel NyashinLeningrad Oblast, RussiaBlogger Who Boasted About Crypto Wealth Beaten and Robbed For $425k
January 15, 2018Maxsim Latsoka & Anna NikurinaPhuket, ThailandRussian gang steals 100,000 Euros in BTC from young Russian couple
January 18, 2018____ LeeNorth Point, Hong KongBitcoin trader lured to bogus meeting and robbed of HK$1.4M
January 23, 2018Canadian BitcoinsOttawa, CanadaFailed armed robbery attempt of Canadian bitcoin exchange
January 27, 2018Danny Aston & Amy JayMoulsford, Oxfordshire, EnglandArmed home invasion of Bitcoin trading firm owner
January 29, 2018UnidentifiedCumming, GeorgiaFive men arrested for planning armed home invasion of bitcoin owner
January 2018UnidentifiedOdessa, UkraineSeveral men pose as bitcoin sellers, beat and rob buyer of 1.5 Million UAH ($57,000 USD
February 9, 2018Sailesh BhattAmreli, IndiaPolice Officers Beat, Extorted 200 BTC from Businessman
February 21, 2018____ TaiTaichung, TaiwanFour men assault bitcoin seller & transfer 18 BTC
February 23, 2018Yury MayorovMoscow, RussiaCrypto Developer Beaten, Robbed Of 300 BTC
February 23, 2018UnidentifiedMoscow, RussiaCrypto investor has face mutilated, robbed of $1M in BTC
March 2018Undisclosed womanKillingly, Connecticut2 women invaded home of another woman who had opened a "Bitcoin account" in the name of one of the attackers and used it to steal her money.
March 2018Unidentified MinerKyiv, UkraineMiner kidnapped, extorted for $50,000. Kidnappers caught 8 months later.
March 22, 2018Multiple gas stationsIrving & Mesquite, TexasRobbers douse clerks with pepper spray, steal from Bitcoin ATMs in Irving and Mesquite
April 8, 2018Pang Joon HauSingaporeMan seeking to buy BTC robbed of $365,000
April 11, 2018Ryan RiceMiami, FloridaBitcoin buyer shoots robber in self defense
April 25, 20182 unidentified Asian brothersDubai, UAEGang of 10 robbed two brothers of AED 7m ($1.9m) in cash who were looking to buy Bitcoin
June 6, 2018Unidentified 22-year-oldMilan, ItalyRobbers attempt bitcoin purchase with counterfeit money, beat victims and fire gun, take 50,000 euros
June 13, 2018"Synth"ChinaHome invasion of Skycoin architect resulted in theft of 18.88 BTC and 6,466 SKY
June 19, 2018UnidentifiedWels, Austria$250,000 in cryptocurrency taken by robbers posing as postmen
July 6, 2018Austin NedvedNorthborough, MassachussettsArmed home invasion of Localbitcoins trader
September 7, 2018Nicholas TrugliaNew York, New YorkFriends accused of torturing pal to steal his cryptocurrency
November ?, 2018Kieran HamiltonManchester, EnglandCrypto trader stabbed, robbed by home invaders
November 16, 2018Andrew ______Lanseria, South AfricaBitcoin trader drugged, beaten, and tortured before transferring BTC to attackers
February 10, 2019Tjeerd H.Drouwenerveen, NetherlandsBitcoin trader tortured with drill
March 12, 2019CostcuttersFar Cotton, Northampton, EnglandBitcoin machine stolen during robbery
May 14, 2019UndisclosedOslo, NorwayBitcoin millionaire escapes armed home invader by jumping off balcony
June 30, 2019Luftan Shaikh, Mohammad Shazad, Malang ShahJaipur, Rajasthan, IndiaCriminal Gang Abducts & Tortures Cryptocurrency Traders, Demands 80 BTC Ransom
July 15, 2019Bitcoin ExchangeSparkhill, Birmingham, EnglandMasked raiders hold up Bitcoin Exchange in front of dozens of witnesses
July 26, 2019UnidentifiedWels, AustriaMan raided in office (en)
August 26, 2019Abdul ShakoorDehradun, IndiaKingpin of Kerala bitcoin scam murdered in Dehradun
November 19, 2019Simply Delicious Food MarketVernon, British ColumbiaThieves break into BTM
January ?, 2020Iroro Wisdom OvieAbraka, NigeriaMan shot & killed by home invaders seeking $10,000 in bitcoin
January ?, 202017 y/o traderPreston, Lancashire, EnglandTrader lured to apartment, kidnapped, driven around in car trunk.
January 8, 2020Mark Cheng Jin QuanBangkok, ThailandBlockchain advisor kidnapped, held at gunpoint, extorted for $60,000 in bitcoin
January 21, 2020Mayfair Quick MartPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania2 men break into BTM, steal cash box
February 10, 2020Unidentified coupleCarlisle, EnglandHome invaders force victims to create crypto exchange accounts
March 18, 2020Unidentified siblingsBlantyre, ScotlandHome invader beats woman with Toblerone, forces victim to transfer $200,000 of BTC
May 17, 2020Le Duc NguyenHo Chi Minh City, VietnamHCMC cops charged with $1.6 mln bitcoin robbery. Follow-up article here.
May 19, 2020Exxon Gas StationEast Lansdowne, Pennsylvania2 subjects pry open BTM in broad daylight
May 23, 2020Ellis PinskyIrvinton, NY2 men commit home invasion of hacker, seeking tens of millions of dollars in bitcoin
September, 2020Male FreshmanKent, EnglandStudent robbed of bitcoin at knifepoint during first week at university.
October 1, 2020UnidentifiedKyiv, UkrainePolice kidnap a businessman, torture him, and force his wife to send them 7 bitcoin.
October 7, 2020Mike's ProduceKelowna, BC, CanadaBotched Bitcoin theft destroys deli
October 22, 2020UndisclosedRiga, LatviaMan arrested for planning kidnapping and killing owners of cryptocurrencies
December ?, 2020UndisclosedDubai, UAE4 Ukrainian men attack Bitcoin buyer with deoderant
December 24, 2020UndisclosedTernopil, UkraineMan kidnapped and tortured for $800k
Unknown, 2021Dillon AttardSliema, MaltaVictim describes his disbelief as $700,000 stolen in front of him
January 5, 202137 y/o manChai Wan, Hong KongRobbers take US$387,000 in cash, 15BTC from man after in-person trade
January 18, 2021Unidentified WomanKwun Tong, Hong KongGang snatches HK$3.5 million from trader at knifepoint
January 23, 2021Physical Exchange EmployeesOsztyn, PolandTwo employees shot at physical Bitcoin exchange FlyingAtom
February 4, 2021Married CoupleStockholm, SwedenArmed robbers invade home and force owners to hand over 1M+ SEK in BTC
February ?, 2021Swiss & GermanGujranwala, PakistanArmed robbers take $93k in BTC at gunpoint
March 10, 2021Bank directorRecife, BrazilMan kidnapped by a gang , tied up, and had two teeth knocked out. He was released after he instructed his partner to transfer 4.78 BTC to the attackers.
March 16, 202129 y/o Berlin manMunich, GermanyRobbers steal bitcoin worth almost 100,000 Euros
March 18, 2021"F.T."Mendoza, ArgentinaArmed robbers steal iPhone, $5k at gunpoint
April 8, 202130 year old minerZaporizhya, UkraineMining farm owner shoots at looters
April 13, 2021UndisclosedCalgary, Alberta, CanadaArmed men force their way into Canyon Meadows home, steal cryptocurrency keys
May, 202114 y/o boyBradford, UKTeen bitcoin trader kidnapped & ransomed
May, 2021___ GhershonyBethesda, MarylandSon drugs father, steals $400K in BTC
June 11, 202140 y/o manGyeonggi Province, South KoreaWoman drugs man she met on chat app, steals $87K from his phone.
June 14, 202122 y/o manKwun Tong, Hong KongTrader temporarily blinded, HK$2 million stolen
June 24, 202139 y/o manLeeuwarden, Netherlands3 men posing as service technicians beat password out of Bitcoin owner
July, 2021Unidentified manOmsk, Russia3 men kidnap and extort over $1M in crypto from victim
July 1, 2021Unidentified manUnknownBitcoin holder drugged and robbed by Tinder date
July 14, 2021Morakinyo Peter & Yusuf DayoLagos, NigeriaLaw Enforcement Officers rob 2 men of $50K USD in bitcoin at gunpoint
July 28, 202139 y/o manTsim Sha Tsui, Hong KongTrader robbed of HK$3 million at knifepoint
August ?, 20213 womenDubai, UAE4 Africans rob three women of $100,000 in a fake Bitcoin deal
August 8, 2021Wesley Pessano SantaremSao Pedro da Aldeia, BrazilCrypto Trader's Murder Blamed On Social Media Bragging
August 18, 2021Simon ArthuisPlancher-Bas, FranceComputer engineering student killed for €200,000 in cryptocurrency
September ?, 2021Unidentified 31 y/oAbkhaziaThieves break into garage, steal 20 mining servers worth $10,000.
September 9, 2021Mark GeorWestmere, New ZealandSafe containing $4M of cryptocurrency ripped from house
October, 2021MinerTomsk, RussiaArmed Robbers attack Miner at his Home, Steal 86 BTC
October 7, 2021Liquor StoreSouth Bay, CaliforniaThieves Break Into Liquor Store to Steal Bitcoin ATM
October 20, 2021Astamur ArdzibnaAbkhaziaMan Shot Dead in Hail of Gunfire Over Crypto Mining Rigs
November 2, 2021Zaryn DentzelMadrid, SpainHome invaders torture social media founder, take tens of millions of euros in bitcoin
November 6, 202139 y/o traderHong KongCrypto trader kidnapped by Triad gang, beaten with hammers
November 12, 2021GBTC Crypto ExchangeBarcelona, SpainThieves rip bitcoin ATM from crypto store
December ?, 2021Unidentified FamilySukhumi, Abkhazia2 masked men break into home, hold family at gunpoint before escaping with three servers and $2,040 in cash.
December 11, 2021Camilla Guadagnuolo & Principe NeriniBali, IndonesiaRobbers take $400K in cash & bitcoin at knifepoint
December 15, 2021Vincent EvertsAmsterdam, NetherlandsArmed home invaders threaten TV personality during livestream
December 27, 20212 unidentified malesThunder Bay, Ontario, Canada11 Inmates take 2 inmates hostage, force them to transfer cryptocurrency
January 16, 2022Gas StationMemphis, TNSuspects smash gas station with truck, steal Bitcoin ATM
January 21, 202234 y/o teacherHoboken, Belgium3 men invade home, fail to force owner to hand over 3M Euros of BTC
February, 2022John ForsythMissouriCrypto founder kidnapped, zip-tied, threatened to be thrown off bridge.
February 2, 2022Vinay NaikPune, IndiaPune: 8 including cop arrested for kidnapping man to extort Bitcoin worth Rs 300 crore ( $50 million USD )
February 3, 2022Vinay JainSurat, IndiaAuto parts businessman brings suitcase full of $260K worth of cash to do an in-person crypto trade, gets beaten and robbed by 8 men.
February 3, 2022Ilya BasinBrooklyn, New YorkCrypto consultant hog-tied, beaten during home invasion.
March, 2022bitcoin traderDubai, UAE4 men invade home, tie up man, steal $450K from safe.
March 2, 2022Unidentified manMiami, FLBusinessman ambushed by armed robber, has $1M watch & crypto wallet taken.
March 4, 2022Electronics DealerPune, IndiaWoman cop suspended for bid to extort crypto from trader
March 16, 2022Pierrick JamauxNew York, New YorkCrypto expert shot 5 times by robber seeking Richard Mille watch.
April, 2022Unidentified traderDubai, UAE9 robbers invaded the office of a bitcoin trader and took over $1,000,000 in cash.
April 21, 2022Unidentified coupleNorrköping, SwedenCouple tied up and beaten, forced to transfer cryptocurrency.
May, 20224 victimsLondon, EnglandMultiple incidents of crypto muggings around London.
May, 2022Unidentified manDubai, UAECrypto expert assaulted & robbed by investors for losing money.
May 20, 2022Factory OwnerKlang, Malaysia12 men rob aluminum factory, steal 180 Bitcoin ASICs.
June, 2022UndisclosedOsaka, JapanSon of Mitsubishi Electric CEO + 7 men kidnap, torture gym member for crypto assets.
July, 2022Asian InvestorDubai, UAEMan suffers home invasion, loses ~$50,000 after attempting a face-to-face cash trade to buy bitcoin.
July, 2022Vkusvill SupermarketKuchino, Russia4 armed mask men rob warehouse, steal 100 GPUs.
August 6, 202230 y/o brokerManerba, Italy3 men follow a man home, hold him at knifepoint for BTC.
August 7, 2022Arjun BhargavVrindavan Yojana, India3 men trick, abduct, torture realtor for 8 BTC.
September, 2022Middle Aged CoupleRichmond, B.C., CanadaMultiple suspects posing as police invade home, tie up residents, steal $10M in crypto.
September 6, 202219 y/o hackerLincolnshire, U.K.3 men, 1 posing as a cop, arrested while attempting home invasion.
September 12, 202219 y/o manWinnipeg, CanadaMan held at gunpoint, assaulted and tied up during Bitcoin trade.
September 12, 2022Unidentified coupleDelray Beach, FloridaArmed gang invades home, takes jewelry, electronics, cash. Tried but failed to drain Gemini account.
September 15, 2022Russian CoupleKoh Samui, ThailandRussian couple extorted by gang of foreign men at coffee shop.
September 15, 2022Unidentified young manHomestead, FloridaArmed gang invades home, takes jewelery, electronics. Kidnapped & tortured victim, failed to find his bitcoin.
December, 2022Aiden PleterskiToronto, Ontario"Crypto king" abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers sought millions in ransom
December 1, 2022Russian BusinessmanMoscow, RussiaMan kidnapped from his Bentley by 4 men, forced to give access to bitcoin wallet.
December 3, 2022Unidentified manLelystad, NetherlandsMan responds to ad to sell his bitcoin, is attacked by several men & forced to transfer 30K EUR worth of BTC & ETH.
December 11, 20222 RussiansPhuket, Thailand2 men who work on a cryptocurrency were kidnapped and robbed.
December 22, 2022Unidentified manLittle Elm, TexasArmed gang invades home, torture victims for 3 hours, take jewelery, fail to find hardware wallet with $1.4m.
January 14, 2023Crypto CompanyBarcelona, Spain5 men stormed into a company's office armed with tasers and zip ties.
February 25, 2023Yuri BoytsovBali, Indonesia4 men invade crypto blogger's home, beat him until he transfers $284,000 in BTC.
February 27, 2023German manMedellin, Colombia20 year old Venezuelan woman drugs and robs man of 1 BTC.
March 9, 2023Peter VuongSydney, AustraliaGang kidnaps boyfriend of crypto trader's relative, demands $5M ransom while torturing him for 6 days.
March 20, 2023Virendra MalikNoida, IndiaCouple stages robbery to steal bitcoin from their friend, but he doesn't comply.
March 29, 202348 y/o womanSeoul, South Korea4 men kidnap woman, steal crypto, murder her.
April, 2023Unidentified WomanDubai, UAEDriver & 3 friends lured an investor into a fake deal, robbed, electrocuted, stripped naked, and took blackmail videos.
April 12, 202376 y/o coupleDurham, NC2 men posing as construction workers invade home, force transfer of $250K in crypto.
May 3, 2023Unidentified manBenalmádena, Spain3 men kidnap crypto businessman, demand €1 million ransom. He was rescued by police.
May 26, 2023Smoke ShopHouston, TX7 men arrested after ramming store with stolen truck in failed attempt to steal Bitcoin ATM.
June 2023Crypto EntrepreneurTel Aviv, IsraelCrypto entrepreneur robbed at gunpoint in his home in Tel Aviv (Hebrew)
July 16, 2023Unknown CoupleQueens, NYFake FBI agents in Porsche tase and tie up couple, steal Mercedes, $40K in cash, crypto
September 3, 2023Italian manPhuket, ThailandRussian MMA fighter & twin brother rob man of watches, seek Ledger wallet.
October 30, 2023Crypto ExchangeTbilisi, Georgia6 men rob exchange office, take $900K USD in crypto.
November 6, 2023Middle-aged coupleRönninge, SwedenCouple tied up, beaten, and threatened with their own kitchen knives.
November 10, 2023Binance ClientMontenegroExecutives lured into fake business trip, kidnapped, forced to empty wallets of $12M USDT.
December 25, 202323 y/o minerIzhevsk, RussiaMiner kidnapped from home, ransomed, rescued by police.
January 16, 202442 y/o manCluj, RomaniaRestaurant owner kidnapped, doused in diesel, force fed alcohol, has finger cut off, until he transferred $200K USD in crypto.
January 31, 2024Belarusian couple (23 y/o man)Phuket, Thailand5 "Russians" arrested in crypto abduction case (~USD 801,200)
March 10, 2024Young CoupleMontreal, Quebec, CanadaGang of 4 kidnaps couple and robs them of $25,000 in cryptocurrency.
March 15, 2024___ YevginiSamui Island, ThailandGang of 6 Russians robs Russian man and wife at coffee shop for 1.8 million baht in BTC.
April 18, 202411 TradersLianhe Zaobao, Singapore4 men rob suspected Chinese crypto gambling ring of $3M USD.
June 17, 2024Ramesh NairLondon, England3 men armed with machetes invade home, force owner to transfer 1,000+ ETH.
July 3, 20243 y/o boyTseung Kwan, Hong Kong2 women abduct toddler from mall, demand $660,000 USDT ransom.
July 11, 2024Chinese NationalCyberjaya, Malaysia18 people kidnap 2 victims, hold them for $1.2M ransom, get in shootout with police.
July 12, 2024British Crypto TraderBangkok, Thailand5 people tie up trader, assault, and rob him.
July 28, 202429 y/o Moroccan manKyiv, Ukraine4 men kidnap foreigner, rob, & murder him for 3 BTC.
August 7, 202411 IsraelisPuntarenas, Costa Rica8 men, possibly police, overpower security guard, rob 11 tourists of 10+ BTC.
August 4, 2024Ke JibaoBangkok, ThailandGang of 4 Chinese nationals sneak into gated estate, commit armed home invasion, rob $2M USD of cryptocurrency.
August ?, 2024Nick DrakonUndisclosedCrypto executive surveilled, armed home invasion, forced to transfer personal & company assets.
August 29, 202419 y/oHougang, SingaporeMan seeks p2p trade of cash for USDT, punched by attackers, successfully escapes.