Family Tortured for Crypto as Attackers Steal €1.4 Million #
A court judgment in British Columbia’s Provincial Court has revealed the gruesome details of an April 2024 attack. The attackers have since confessed.
Attack on Family for Bitcoin #
In April 2024, four men gained access to a home in Canada where a family was present. Two of them disguised themselves as Canadian Post employees and asked for a signature for a fake package. Once inside, they let in two other assailants and restrained the man, woman, and their daughter with zip ties.
The attackers attempted to access the cryptocurrencies owned by the father. They began threatening and beating the family. They then forced the daughter into pornographic acts while physically assaulting her.
The man and woman were subjected to waterboarding, and threats were made that the man would be mutilated if he did not provide access to his cryptocurrency holdings.
When the daughter was left alone, she heard the door close at one point. She went to check on her father and mother but couldn’t completely free herself from the zip ties. She ran to a friend on the street, who helped her escape and called 911.
Ultimately, $1.6 million in crypto was stolen in this “wrench attack” - a term for violent attacks aimed at obtaining cryptocurrency.
How Did the Attackers Know He Had Crypto? #
The family’s father had shared information about his success with crypto investments within the Chinese community of British Columbia. This led the perpetrators to initially demand 200 Bitcoin. They later reduced the demand to 100 Bitcoin. They eventually escaped with much less loot. They emptied the victims’ crypto accounts and left with approximately $1.6 million (€1.4 million) in crypto.
One of the attackers, TSZ Wing Boaz Chan, was sentenced to 7 years in prison earlier this month for his role. Prosecutors are now seeking an 8-year sentence.
The Lopp Files #
Jameson Lopp of crypto wallet platform Casa has compiled a collection of similar attacks on GitHub. It has become a very extensive list. Notably, the number of incidents grows each year. In 2025 alone, 60 incidents have been reported in these documents.
This is all the more reason to be discreet if you hold significant crypto assets. You never know who might be watching.