Kill the person if you don’t give me coins? American teenagers kidnapped people in the crypto at gunpoint, and all 4 million in crypto assets were stolen

Three American teenagers in late 2024 kidnapped at gunpoint a man who had just finished a crypto event, forcing him to hand over his password and stealing approximately $4 million worth of cryptocurrency and Non-Fungible Tokens. The victim walked over 8 kilometers in the desert before successfully reporting the crime. Two suspects have been arrested, while the third teenage suspect is believed to have fled the United States, with a preliminary hearing expected in June 2025.

November 2024: Just Returned Home and Held at Gunpoint

The incident occurred in November 2024. The victim had just hosted a crypto event in downtown Las Vegas and was preparing to rest at home.

As soon as he entered his home, he was ambushed by three teenagers at gunpoint, forced into a car, and driven to a remote desert area about an hour from the city.

Threatened in the Desert to Hand Over Password: "Your Father is in Our Hands"

After taking the victim to a remote location, the teenagers threatened him, saying: "Hand over the password if you want to live."

They even threatened him, saying: "Your father is in our hands, and we'll kill him if you don't cooperate." A phone was on speakerphone, suggesting a fourth person was remotely directing the operation.

After Crypto Wallet is Emptied, Walking 5 Miles to Seek Help

After the victim handed over the password, approximately $4 million worth of cryptocurrency and Non-Fungible Tokens were instantly stolen from his account. He was then abandoned in the desert and ultimately walked barefoot nearly 8 kilometers, finally reaching a gas station where he contacted a friend and reported the crime.

Two 16-Year-Old Suspects Arrested, One Escaped Abroad

Two 16-year-old teenagers from Florida have been arrested by the police, facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, and extortion. Here is the current status of the three individuals:

• One is currently in custody with a bail set at $4 million.
• Another is under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor.
• The third suspect is believed to have fled the United States, and their whereabouts are being investigated.

All three will be tried as adults, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 2025.

Crypto Robbery Cases Increasing Annually

Digital assets lawyer Sasha Hodder commented on 5/10 that crypto theft has escalated from social engineering attacks or SIM card hijacking to direct offline violent extortion. This is just the tip of the iceberg of global crypto robberies.

According to the tracking list established by Casa crypto security company co-founder Jameson Lopp on GitHub, global offline crypto robbery data is as follows:

• 2021: 32 incidents

• 2023: 17 incidents

• 2024: 28 incidents

• 2025 (to date): 21 incidents

Besides the United States, a kidnapping incident occurred in Paris, France in early May 2025, where a crypto entrepreneur's father was kidnapped for several days until police intervention. The kidnappers demanded $7.8 million. In February 2025, a crypto professional in the UK even jumped from a 9-meter high balcony to escape.

Cold Wallets Can't Save You, "Personal Protection" is the Real Key

Such cases remind all crypto asset holders that cold wallets and seed phrases alone cannot save you.

In the future, when you have accumulated significant wealth, the real risk may come from real-world threats. Therefore, learning how to protect yourself is crucial.