{"id":2356,"date":"2024-11-08T18:33:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T18:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=2356"},"modified":"2024-11-08T18:33:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T18:33:10","slug":"crypto-ceo-held-hostage-in-toronto-freed-after-1-million-ransom-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/?p=2356","title":{"rendered":"Crypto CEO Held Hostage In Toronto, Freed After $1 Million Ransom Payment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Dean Skurka, CEO of blockchain and crypto firm WonderFi, was kidnapped<\/a>, held for ransom, and was subsequently released after paying $1 million<\/a>. According to CBC and other sources, Skurka was reportedly abducted in downtown Toronto around 6 p.m., Thursday.<\/p>\n

Skurka was later released and found safe at the Centennial Park. Police reports indicate that the kidnappers demanded ransom, which was paid electronically.<\/p>\n

Police Immediately Responded To The Reported Kidnapping<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Toronto police immediately responded to a call about a kidnapping incident in Richmond Street W. and University Avenue during the rush hour. According to some witnesses, Skurka was forced into the vehicle before making a random demand.<\/p>\n

The police spokesperson identified the victim as Dean Skurka, the CEO and President of WonderFi<\/a>. WonderFi is a Toronto-based company that owns one of Canada\u2019s biggest crypto exchanges and invests in blockchain projects.<\/p>\n

Toronto police are currently continuing their investigation and did not share any details about the kidnapping suspects or other leads.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Customers And Investors\u2019 Crypto Safe: Skurka<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In an email to CBC last Thursday, Skurka shared that he was involved in an incident and is now safe. He also reassured his clients that their data and funds remain secure.<\/p>\n

Skurka\u2019s kidnapping is the latest in a list of digital currency celebrities to fall victim to robberies. According to one firm, the Toronto kidnapping<\/a> was the 171st incident of violence against crypto personalities.<\/p>\n

This latest kidnapping is similar to a Malaysian case last July, where two individuals were kidnapped and were released for $1.2 million in virtual currency.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Last year, ransomware gangs and other hackers extorted over $1 billion in cryptocurrency payments, a record high. According to Chainalysis, the amount extorted reflected a 10% increase from 2021, suggesting that ransomware is now a serious concern for the industry.<\/p>\n

WonderFi Reports $41 Million CAD In Revenues For 3Q<\/strong><\/p>\n

Skurka\u2019s kidnapping happened just a day after his company reported its third-quarter earnings. Toronto-based WonderFi reported $41 million in revenue for its operations in the last nine months. The company\u2019s performance coincides with Bitcoin\u2019s market rally, which now trades above $76k.<\/p>\n

WonderFi is a Toronto-based publicly listed company that invests in and operates blockchain projects and digital assets. Kevin O\u2019Leary, also known as \u201cMr. Wonderful\u201d from Shark Tank, and who has generally been pro-crypto, is one of its key people.<\/p>\n

Just last year, the company shared that it holds significant ownership in a few regulated crypto exchanges in Canada.<\/p>\n

Featured image from Telangana Today, chart from TradingView<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dean Skurka, CEO of blockchain and crypto firm WonderFi, was kidnapped, held for ransom, and was subsequently released after paying $1 million. According to CBC and other sources, Skurka was reportedly abducted in downtown Toronto around 6 p.m., Thursday. Skurka was later released and found safe at the Centennial Park. Police reports indicate that the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3,4,5],"class_list":["post-2356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-crypto","tag-doge","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2356\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dogewisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}