A Melbourne man is currently facing extortion charges after allegedly threatening to start a bushfire if a significant amount of cryptocurrency was not transferred to him within three days.
The 27-year-old was arrested yesterday over a message sent to Queensland Emergency Services in October 2022. In October 2022, Queensland Emergency Services reported an online message from an unknown source demanding that $5 be transferred million AUD within three days or a forest fire will be burning
The arrest comes after an extensive investigation.
The emergency service reported the ultimatum to the police before any cryptocurrency was exchanged and investigations were taken over by Victoria Police shortly after. However, the threat was not carried out, as no forest fire was ignited even after the perpetrator’s demands were not met.
Shortly thereafter, detectives established that the message came from an address in Bundoora. After extensive research, a search warrant he was executed at home last week, leading to the recovery of a phone and two computers.
The man was arrested and is now facing various charges, including threat to damage property, withholding of information under a court order, possession, and threat to endanger life. The defendant will appear in the trial courts on August 1 after obtaining bail.
Cryptocurrency blackmail on the rise
Blackmail operations are now taking various forms thanks to blockchain technology. The anonymity of these transactions makes it easy for scammers to get away with it.
Several wealthy men in the US have also been receiving bitcoin ransom demandswhose non-compliance would lead to revelations about their past lives or their fidelity status.
Patrick Wyman, an FBI agent, suggests caution when sharing personal data and any information about your family to protect yourself from these scams.
