Unusual victim in the attack on the apartment of a famous Internet entrepreneur in Spain: according to the victim, the criminals fled with “several dozen million euros in bitcoin”, the media reported on Wednesday, citing police.
According to their own statements, the thieves tortured the man for four hours to reveal the passwords for his digital assets.
Four to five masked men rang the doorbell and when he opened the door, he suspected no evil. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are mostly stolen by hackers.
The victim has been living in Spain since the late 1990s
Spanish police confirmed media reports upon request. Because of the process, one suspects it may be a gang from Eastern Europe. But no one excludes any possibility and probes in all directions, a spokesperson insisted.
The attack took place on Tuesday afternoon in a luxurious apartment building near the Prado Museum in the heart of the Spanish capital. The victim is an American who has been living in Spain since the late 1990s.
carried with laptop, tablet and cell phone
At the time of the attack, the 38-year-old man’s apartment in Santa Barbara, California, had two other men — a friend and a craftsman. Both were tied and strangled. The criminals attacked him with a taser, scratched his chest with a knife and sprayed his eyes. They must have taken laptops, tablets and cell phones with them.
According to the media, there are also witnesses: a neighbor of the American testified, for example, that he saw a group of masked people leave the house with several large bags, it was said. (sda)