The incredible method of a group of crooks to steal more than a million euros in Bitcoins

After almost a year and a half of investigation, the Central Office for the Repression of Major Financial Crime (ORCGDF) has put an end to the scheme of five thugs, reveals LCI. Four men and a woman, “rip-dealers” specializing in “transaction scams” who did not hesitate to play with very wealthy clients. The most notable case dates back to July 2020. During a transaction in a Monegasque palace, the crooks will get their hands on a USB key that contained more than one million euros of Bitcoins.

Two of the five “rip-dealers” indeed meet a Swiss client, described LCI. The man, who sells real estate, has been in negotiations with them for several weeks. The two crooks present, a man and a woman, claim to be notaries, and as intermediaries, they want to earn a commission. They would have found a buyer for the apartment of the Swiss man estimated at 20 million euros. For this, they therefore claim 1.2 million euros in commission.

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Not the right USB stick

The deal appears to be done, but scammers need proof that the commission will be paid. The Swiss businessman therefore came with his famous USB key which includes the sum. Codes allow access to the digital safe which contains the cryptocurrencies. The two fake intermediaries verify the account and put the key back in an envelope which will be left in a hotel safe. According to LCI, the Swiss man and the hotel staff each had a key.

Everything seemed to have worked, but the next day the man realizes that his funds have disappeared without his permission. He goes back to the safe for his USB drive, but it’s not the right one. The crooks, via an invisible sleight of hand, had managed to steal the sum during the interview. Monday, December 6, after months of investigation, the five people from eastern countries were found but without the money. According to our colleagues, they could also be involved in a jewelry theft, this time in the Netherlands. Obviously with the same method.

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