Dean Skurka is president and CEO of Canadian cryptocurrency company WonderFi. Skulka was forced into a car in downtown Toronto during rush hour, but his customers' funds and data were safe. said he was unaffected by the kidnapping
The kidnapped CEO of Canadian cryptocurrency company WonderFi has returned safely after electronically transferring C$1 million ($720,000) to his captors.
On Wednesday, around 6 p.m. during rush hour, WonderFi president and CEO Dean Skulka was forced into a car in the area of University Avenue and Richmond Street W in downtown Toronto, CBC reported. Reported.
Mr. Škurka was ordered to pay a ransom demand of CAD 1 million. Investigators said he was later released at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. Skulka said of the kidnapping:
“The safety and security of all WonderFi employees is of the utmost importance. Customer funds and data remain safe and unaffected by this incident.”
Skurka's kidnapping is the 171st incident of violence targeting crypto holders, said Jameson Ropp, co-founder and chief security officer of Casa, a security company focused on protecting crypto users. It is said that
Mr Ropp said:
“As the price[of Bitcoin]rises, awareness of this space permeates throughout society, resulting in people with criminal mindsets carrying out physical attacks against known crypto holders. I became determined to understand what the ROI would be.
The kidnapping occurred at a time when Bitcoin prices were on the rise.
Yesterday, Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $76,677 on major cryptocurrency exchanges. The new price was announced as the US Federal Reserve (Fed) announced a 25 basis point (bp) interest rate cut.
Earlier this week, Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $75,317 as voting results suggested Donald Trump won the White House.
