Criminals in Sweden have specifically targeted prominent local Bitcoin figures, seemingly because personal information and residential addresses are easily accessible in the country.
Reports by Swedish media outlets LT and Aftonbladet linked two robberies in Lenninge and Södertälje that appeared to use the same modus operandi. Victims were tied up and physically abused in order to steal physical and virtual Bitcoin (BTC) assets.
Eric Wall, a prominent cryptocurrency supporter who currently serves on the board of directors of the StarkNet Foundation, highlighted these events in an X post (formerly Twitter). Wall said the two attacks showed Swedish criminals were actively seeking to target Bitcoin users.
Sweden is now officially in trouble
On Monday, a middle-aged Swedish couple was kidnapped and robbed at their home by four masked men. They were physically abused and threatened with their own kitchen knives. They were tied up for several hours and one of them had to be escorted to…
— Eric Wall (@ercwl) November 8, 2023
“On Monday this week, a middle-aged Swedish couple was kidnapped and robbed in their home by four masked men. They were physically abused and threatened with their own kitchen knives. They were tied up for several hours and one of them had to be escorted by helicopter Hospital,” Wall wrote.
He noted that the purpose of the attack was to steal the couple’s Bitcoins, before highlighting the connection to another incident in which “two prominent Bitcoin/cryptocurrency files were attacked in their home by masked armed men” .
According to Wall, the victims were subjected to violent physical abuse over a period of several hours in order to steal the Bitcoin they were holding in their hardware wallets. He added that the first crime against Bitcoin users occurred in 2022, when the apartment of “one of Sweden’s most prominent Bitcoin holders” was broken into.
related: UK passes bill allowing authorities to seize Bitcoin used in crimes
Wall also believes criminals will use social media to identify and target Bitcoin or cryptocurrency users. He claimed that a common theme among these attacks is that they occur shortly after individuals live stream podcasts focusing on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies or mention the topic in public.
He also believes that Sweden openness principle (Public Access to Information Principle) Laws that give the public the right to request information from the government, including residential addresses and tax records, are becoming a means for criminals to prey on ecosystem participants.
“While the intention behind this legislation is to reduce corruption, it is not suitable for modern society.”
Wall added that he left the country because of these laws and that Sweden is “probably one of the least safe countries to be active in the cryptocurrency space.”
this openness principle The law also reportedly makes it easy for citizens to search the addresses of Swedish residents and search their tax records. This is abused because criminals can determine how much income or capital gains tax a person paid and “measure” it accordingly.
Cointelegraph has contacted the Swedish Police to find out more details about these incidents and whether any arrests have been made.
Magazine: Blockchain Detective: Mt. Gox’s Collapse Witnesses the Birth of Chainaanalysis
Svlook
