From a kidnapping in France to crypto wallet in Venezuela: Inside a ransom laundering scheme
A kidnapping case involving a cryptocurrency entrepreneur's father highlights the growing trend of crypto-linked abductions. The victim's son, known as TeufeurS, paid a ransom of €1.7 million to secure his father's release. Investigators are now tracing the complex financial channels used by the kidnappers to launder the ransom money.
- ▪B. D., a 60-year-old man, was kidnapped in France on August 24, 2023.
- ▪His son, a cryptocurrency influencer, paid a ransom of €1.7 million to secure his release.
- ▪Investigators are focusing on tracking the ransom payments to uncover the laundering network.
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What is the connection between the kidnapping of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur's father, a ransom paid into a Venezuelan national's digital wallet, and the world's largest wildlife park, located in India? The answer to this question would shed light on a shady case that has become an iconic example of a wave of crypto-linked kidnappings, and possibly even served as the template for a spate of abductions that sparked panic among cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in 2025. Read more Subscribers only The rise and fall of a gang of crypto-ransom kidnappers The indictment document for the trial of seven individuals charged with the crimes of criminal conspiracy, extortion, kidnapping, unlawful detention and money laundering as an organized group, seen by Le Monde, reveals an unexpected criminal…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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