In Spain, crypto-related crimes are on the rise. Recent incident involves a stolen Bitcoin ATM located in Barcelona.
Data Shows Crypto Hacks And Fraud In 2021 Are On Track For A New Record| Data Shows Crypto Hacks And Fraud In 2021 Are On Track For A New Record
Bitcoin ATMs can be described as kiosks where you can purchase Bitcoins and other crypto currencies using cash or a debit card. This is what this says SiteSpain is home to the most crypto ATMs across Europe. It has 185 ATMs and is the fourth most in the world.
Bitcoin ATM Theft
According to local news, the Spanish police have launched an investigation into the theft of the Bitcoin ATM. In a raid in the wealthy Barcelona neighbourhood, thieves took the ATM.
The police force of Catalonia, Mossos d’Esquadra, said that the ATM theft happened around 3 a.m. However, the police force of Catalonia, Mossos d’Esquadra did not offer any more information to help with the investigation.
According to police, the ATM was stolen from an ATM shop in Sarria’s Beethoven street. Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) has a branch in the area. GBTC declined to comment and police refused to provide any details about the location.
BTC Trading at $64.16K Source: BTCUSD On TradingView.com| Source: BTCUSD on TradingView.com
Unverified footage showed an SUV colliding into the GBTC shopfront. The ATM was taken by some unidentified, hooded individuals from an additional car.
This is not the first bitcoin-related crime in Spain. Spanish techpreneur, Zaryn Dentzel, reported that he’d been robbed just days before. Zaryn Dentzel, the victim, is the co-founder of Tuenti, a Spanish social network-turned communications firm owned by Telefónica telecommunications company.
According to him, four to five people in hood robbed his Madrid home of cryptocurrency worth millions of euros. They blindfolded him, covered his home’s security cameras, and beat him up. The thieves forced him to reveal the password for an online account that contained his cryptocurrency, which was worth tens to millions of dollars in Bitcoin. The thieves failed to steal any cryptos.
Cryptocrime on the Rise
These attacks are not rare. These attacks are more common than people realize, mostly due to hacks, phishing scams and ransomware.
The $600million Poly Network attack, and Colonial Pipeline ransomware attacks are two of the most well-known this year.
Over $5 Billion In BTC Paid In Top 10 Ransomware Variants, Says U.S. Treasury| Over $5 Billion In BTC Paid In Top 10 Ransomware Variants, Says U.S. Treasury
The U.S. Treasury Department estimates that $590 million was the value of ransomware payments made during the first six months of 2021. In addition, approximately $5.2 billion worth of outgoing Bitcoin payments was tied to top ransomware versions over the last three years.
There have been many Bitcoin-related crimes in Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
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