Crystal hosted this webinar in direct response to a rising threat of crypto kidnappings globally—an alarming trend we explored in detail in our recent news article, Crypto Kidnappings: The New Crypto Crime Wave. The uptick in these crimes underscored the urgent need for education, awareness, and preparedness across the industry. With the threat evolving rapidly, the webinar was designed to provide practical guidance to crypto professionals and investors navigating this new and dangerous frontier.
From the polls conducted during the session, none of the attendees reported being fully prepared for a crypto kidnapping scenario. Alarmingly, 30% of respondents said they were totally unprepared, while 83% expressed that they were now considering changes to their security protocols. These findings make one thing clear: the crypto industry is waking up to a growing physical threat that many are not ready to face.
To unpack this complex issue, Crystal’s Chief Intelligence Officer, Nick Smart, and veteran security consultant and Crystal’s LATAM Senior Researcher, Laura Ambrosio, led a conversation about the disturbing rise of crypto-related kidnappings. Their insights reveal why this trend is intensifying and how individuals and organizations in the crypto space can take actionable steps to protect themselves.
Key webinar poll highlights
- Poll #1: Zero respondents said they were fully prepared; 30% were totally unprepared.
- Poll #2: 80% are concerned about the potential impact of this threat on their business.
- Poll #3: 83% are considering enhancing their security protocols, though urgency levels vary.
Understanding the context of crypto kidnappings
Laura started by emphasizing the increasing convergence between the digital and physical threats to crypto industry participants. Several contributing factors make crypto entrepreneurs and investors especially attractive targets to criminals:
- Public displays of instant wealth: Many social media platforms glamorize quick riches through crypto investments, drawing attention to high-profile individuals.
- Lack of regulation: Many jurisdictions still lack clear regulatory frameworks. This creates opportunities for criminal exploitation, such as kidnappings, and challenges for unprepared regulators and law enforcement agencies. Laura commented that in some territories new to crypto, the environment “operates as if it were 2017.”
- Abundance of public information: Many individuals in the crypto space conflate their personal profiles with their business branding. This makes it easier for would-be abductors to access their personal data, identify who and where they are, and target them for attacks.
She then introduced the kidnapping “Crime Triangle” model, explaining the relationship between the offender, the location, and the victim, as the foundational anatomy of the crime.
Tracking the rise in crypto-related abductions
Nick provided insights into kidnapping trends that reveal the alarming escalation in crypto kidnapping cases, from the first known one in 2015 up to the current status quo:
- The first recorded crypto kidnapping occurred in 2015.
- Since then, 196 known crypto-related attacks have taken place across 46 countries.
- In 2021 alone, 36 cases were reported with 20.6% involving kidnapping.
- As of May 2025, 15 incidents have already been logged this year.
- U.S. leads in reported incidents (20.4% overall).
- Cases have spread worldwide. Europe, where France experienced a spate of incidents in 2025, the Middle East, and Asia have also been impacted.
Many incidents go unreported and are misclassified – for instance being labelled as aggravated robberies. Geographical reporting bias might also skew data about the accurate scale of the problem.
POLL #1
Not a single respondent was fully prepared, while 30% were totally unprepared. However, 70% acknowledge the risk to some extent.
The new crypto kidnappers: where amateurism meets violence
Laure pointed out that a significant variation from traditional abductions is the amateur nature of many new-age crypto kidnappers. Unlike more traditional highly organized crime syndicates, these new-age crypto kidnappers are young, untrained and far more volatile.
- Youth and inexperience: Many perpetrators are incredibly young, even teenagers, often acting independently or in small, loosely organized groups.
- Shorter abduction durations: : Unlike traditional kidnappings, which involve prolonged negotiations over time, crypto-related abductions are fast-paced incidents. Some attackers imitate abductions they’ve seen in movies, which Nick dubbed “Hollywood style” – chaotic and impulsive.
- High levels of violence: Victims are subjected to extreme violence and torture, unlike conventional abductions, where kidnappers are inclined to maintain the victims’ well-being to facilitate negotiations
- Victim-led payments: Unlike traditional kidnappings, the victims often pay their own ransoms, whereas more conventional abductions involve financial negotiations with external parties.
Social media and the danger of digital exposure
Both speakers stressed the danger posed by public displays of wealth, usually on social media. Ostentatious content on social media, whether flaunting luxury items or sharing lavish lifestyles online, can attract criminal attention. Laura highlighted that younger generations, reared on social media culture, often underestimate the risks of high visibility.
Nick cautioned against the so-called ‘Lambo Effect’, often amplified by social media. This effect sees many early crypto millionaires having very public profiles. It encourages figuratively buying and then flashing the iconic luxury car, the Lamborghini (nicknamed ‘Lambo’ here), rather than valuing security and privacy.
He added that public personas, particularly founders and crypto influencers on social media channels, risk inadvertently including sensitive information in public that criminals can use for reconnaissance.
He also cautioned that even reputable and helpful platforms such as LinkedIn carry risks. It forms a public database of company employee profiles, roles, what financial resources they control, and, possibly, where they are physically present. He recommended austerity when managing what to post on it while promoting business.
POLL #2
A remarkable 80% of respondents are concerned to some extent about the impact that this rising threat could have on their businesses.
The five stages of crypto kidnappings
Laura introduced a five-step framework for understanding how kidnappings typically unfold:
- Planning: This is when criminals research and surveil potential victims. This includes identifying high-value targets via social media and publicly available sources and establishing where and when they are most vulnerable.
- Victim Selection: The target is chosen. Criminals research factors such as the potential victim’s security and travel habits, public profile, and the likely value of their crypto wallets.
- Approach: The kidnappers make initial contact with the target. This can include deceiving them, setting up ambush locations, or luring the victim.
- Execution: The abduction is carried out. The victim is detained, and Proof of Life (POL), a piece of information known only to the victim and his inner circle, is extracted if necessary. Ransoms are negotiated and paid, or the crypto is stolen directly from the victim under duress.
- Release and recovery: The victim is released upon payment, manages to escape, or is rescued.
Laura emphasized that in the first three phases of a kidnapping, taking pre-emptive preventative actions can lower the risk of being abducted by as much as 90%
Preventative measures against crypto kidnappings: personal and organizational
While every situation will be unique, if you feel vulnerable to such events, collaborate with your organization to create a response plan that considers both your individual actions and those of the organization should such an incident occur.
In the event of kidnapping, the crisis management team should:
- Secure the victim’s release by coordinating with law enforcement and negotiators.
- Prevent additional crypto outflows and begin tracing any transactions.
- Generate forensic intelligence to aid in the identification and arrest of perpetrators.
Nick summed it up with a stark reminder: “It’s better to have a plan and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
How to assess your kidnapping risk
Nick and Laura both cautioned against going to extremes of anti-kidnap security measures. Nick recommended adopting a customized, scalable threat model based on wealth, professional role and responsibilities, and public visibility.
He used the example of a high-profile CFO in charge of billions worth of crypto taking more extensive precautions. At the same time, an official at a smaller business or a less prominent individual investor may have fewer security needs.
POLL #3
A full 83% of respondents are considering enhancing their security protocols, though with dramatically different levels of urgency.
Final thoughts and what to do next
Laura closed by stressing that the security landscape must evolve alongside global technological and societal changes. Complacency is not an option.
Nick warned that the crypto industry has traditionally been reactive, learning from its mistakes and then adapting, improving security post-failure. This must change. Preventive strategies today could make the difference between safe recoveries and irreversible losses, both personally and professionally.
Key takeaways for responding to crypto kidnappings
- Audit your digital footprint: Regularly assess what you share online.. The harder you can make it for them, the safer you are.
- Establish a crisis management team: Design and implement a crisis response plan tailored to your business’s security requirements.
- Train staff and families: Crisis response literacy is not just for executives. It’s a company-wide concern.
- Engage experts: Consult with professionals in threat modeling, crisis response, and forensic investigation.
Watch the full webinar:
