Men Torture Cryptocurrency Trader For Bitcoins In South Africa

By Sumedha Bose

Beware, possesing bitcoins could be fatal to your life! A South African bitcoin trader had to find his out the hard way. The man, allegedly named “Andrew” recently fell victim to a cryptocurrency crime in Soweto, Johannesburg.

(Read why America is No.1 in cryptocurrency crimes)

A local news source of Soweto states that the man was lured into a residence by five men who wanted to rob him of his cryptocurrency. They made up certain false excuses to get him to the residence. He was told that he will be giving a presentation at a private residence. This offer was made to him by a man he met on Facebook.

When he got to the residence, he was knocked over by someone who placed a cloth soaked in chloroform on his mouth and ambushed him from behind. He continues to narrate his story which takes a pretty gruesome turn.

Andrew, who belongs to Lanseria, a small township in Johannesburg, claims that he woke up in another house and he was being held hostage by five men who had surrounded him. He was then tortured for hours and the men wanted to know his account details. He describes vividly that he was stripped of his clothes, assaulted and was even branded with a hot iron.

Once they threatened to kill him, he had to oblige. He allegedly transferred bitcoin worth approximately 900,000 rand ($65,984) to the assailants. Additionally, the men robbed him of two mobile phones, two laptops, 3,000 rand in cash. he was ultimately blindfolded and left on the side of a road, after he had served his purpose.

This is not the first time that violent crimes surrounding cryptocurrency has taken place in South Africa. Back in May, a boy was kidnapped and the kidnappers asked for bitcoin as ransom. The 13-year-old boy from the town of Witbank, in the eastern province of Mpumalanga, was abducted while he was playing with two friends near his home.

Reports of such crimes surrounding cryptocurrency keep surfacing now and then, which just makes you wonder, how far will people go to steal your virtual currency?

 

Sumedha Bose

Sumedha uses words as her crutch to get by in life. She takes a keen interest in debating, dancing and destroying the patriarchy in her free time.

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