Toronto Crypto Company CEO Kidnapped, Held For $1 Million Ransom Before Being Released

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CBC News: The head of a company specializing in cryptocurrency was kidnapped and held for ransom in downtown Toronto during rush hour Wednesday. Police were called about a kidnapping in the area of University Avenue and Richmond Street W. just before 6 p.m., says a spokesperson with the Toronto Police Service. The suspects forced the victim into a vehicle and made a demand for money, the spokesperson said. The man was later located in Centennial Park in Etobicoke uninjured.

CBC Toronto has learned the victim is Dean Skurka, the president and CEO of Toronto-based financial firm WonderFi. He was released after a ransom of $1 million was paid electronically, a source close to the investigation said. Police say the investigation is ongoing and have not released any further details. [...] The alleged kidnapping happened the same day WonderFi released its third quarter earnings results, showing a 153 per cent increase compared to its third quarter in 2023.

He kidnapped himself

[50000BTU_barbecue]

Easy way to launder a quick million

Re:

[awwshit]

I hope he beat himself with a $5 wrench before giving up the crypto. Its important to fulfill the entire comic.

Re:

[iAmWaySmarterThanYou]

Beat me to it, This has to be a variant on the rug pull. Just grab some quick easy cash from your customers and investors and get free PR for your shitty crypto company.

Re:

[Baron_Yam]

Given he's in crypto - that was absolutely my first thought. Nobody's getting kidnapped, in downtown Toronto, mid rush-hour. The guy's seen too many movies and came up with a stupid story.

This is in Toronto

[Latent Heat]

Did the kidnapper's voice sound like Mike Meyers demanding, "One mill-yuhn doh-lars!"

Re: He kidnapped himself

[50000BTU_barbecue]

More like money blundering amirite

Re:

[TheRealMindChild]

How exactly does that work? Paying your own ransom doesn't make the money clean. And now you have a million dollar that you have to hide...

Obvious solution

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Pay the ransom in crypto.

Oh wait... The kidnappers probably prefer real money.

Lesson to all CEOs

[sunderland56]

Be nice to your employees. Otherwise they may not pay your ransom.

Re:

[sjames]

Accidental Red Chief scenario. They refuse to pay but he's so obnoxious the kidnappers send him back anyway.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Employees have nothing to do with whether the CEO's ransom is paid. He's a decision for members of the board, and CEOs are usually nice to them.

The grand master plan of crypto

[Anonymous Coward]

The plan for all cryptocurrencies isn't what they want to make you think it is. It's more sinister than the egalitarian image the crypto boys portray for it.

After the 2008 financial meltdown, cryptocurrencies were born out of it, declared to be the means by which people could be freed from banks/governments, and promised to avoid any such future meltdowns from happening ever again.

But the crypto boys watched closely the result of that meltdown, and formulated their plan: create a new form of currency, and

Re:

[Narcocide]

All quite believable, despite being a re-post, but it could just simply be an elaborate plan to make ransoms easier to pay.

Is this uncouth to say?

[i kan reed]

lol

and/or

lmao

One Million Dollars!

[JoeyRox]

Muuuhhaaahhh (Dr Evil Laught)

Unsurprising

[ebcdic]

Cryptocurency is organized crime, this is just typical gangster stuff.

I'm sure it's traceable

[TheMiddleRoad]

There's no way, NO WAY, that somehow they will get away with the money. No! Not a chance. The blockchain will ensure that the criminals are caught. Thank Jesus for defi. Trump 2028!

Crypto is only good for criminals, either gun-toting or scamming.

Cryptocurrency ripe target for theft: expert

[braden87]

"Cryptocurrency ripe target for theft: expert " - how is this different than cash?