In a shocking turn of events, Toronto based crypto firm WonderFi’s CEO was abducted for a ransom of $1 million in Canada.
According to CBC report, on Wednesday night, Dean Skurka, the CEO of WonderFi Technologies, a cryptocurrency company based in Toronto, was abducted in downtown Toronto.
Skurka Stays Unharmed After The Kidnapping
The incident happened during rush hour, just before 6 p.m., near University Avenue and Richmond Street W. Suspects allegedly forced Skurka into a car and demanded a $1 million ransom, according to Toronto Police.
However, Skurka later told CBC that he was unharmed and had returned safely to his family. Thankfully, the ransom was paid electronically, and he was later discovered in Centennial Park, Etobicoke.
Interestingly, the reported abduction took place on the same day that WonderFi announced its third-quarter financial results, which showed a 153% rise over the same period in 2023.
Kidnapping Comes After Rooch Network CEO Was Held At Knifepoint
This incident of kidnapping of WonderFi CEO comes just a couple of days after Rooch Network CEO had faced a similar incident in Thailand.
Haichao Zhu, the co-founder of Rooch Network, was the victim of a robbery in the capital of Thailand. Zhu’s X post claims that after arriving in Bangkok on a late-night flight for the Ethereum Devcon conference, he was robbed at knifepoint.
Zhu also cautioned his followers about traveling to the conference at night and to be careful. However, despite this, he asserted his belief that Thailand in general is a safe place for people to visit.
CBC Highlights Rise In Thefts Intended To Steal Crypto
CBC in its report also highlighted the fact that thefts that are intended to csteal cryptocurrencies have seen a steady rise in the past couple of years.
Citing, Jameson Lopp, who has been monitoring physical thefts intended to steal cryptocurrency for about ten years, the organisation states that, Skurka’s kidnapping represents the 171st time he has heard of suspects stealing bitcoins through physical force.
Lopp is the co-founder and chief security officer of Casa, a security company that protects cryptocurrency users.
However, contrary to this, kidnapping is a rather rare form of case in Canada. According to official reports, the percentage of reported missing people that are abducted is less than 1% in the nation.
On top of that, most cases of abduction are related to children. Data states that 72% of children who are reported missing are 14 years of age or older. This makes the abduction of the crypto-firm CEO a rather rare occurrence.