Kidnapped WonderFi CEO released after paying $720k ransom

• Dean
  Skurka
  is
  the
  president
  and
  CEO
  of
  WonderFi,
  a
  Canadian
  crypto
  company
• Skurka
  was
  forced
  into
  a
  vehicle
  in
  downtown
  Toronto
  during
  rush
  hour
• He
  said
  that
  client
  funds
  and
  data
  remain
  safe
  and
  weren’t
  impacted
  by
  the
  kidnapping

The
kidnapped
CEO
of
Canadian
cryptocurrency
company
WonderFi
has
returned
safely
after
electronically
transferring
CAD$1
million
($720,000)
to
his
captors.

On
Wednesday,
at
around
6
p.m.
during
rush
hour,
Dean
Skurka,
the
president
and
CEO
of
WonderFi,
was
forced
into
a
vehicle
in
the
area
of
University
Avenue
and
Richmond
Street
W.
in
downtown
Toronto,
reports

CBC.

Skurka
was
ordered
to
pay
the
ransom
demand
of
CAD$1
million.
He
was
later
released
in
Centennial
Park
in
Etobicoke,
according
to
a
source
close
to
the
investigation.
Speaking
about
the
kidnapping,
Skurka
said:

“The
safety
and
security
of
all
of
WonderFi’s
employees
are
paramount.
Client
funds
and
data
remain
safe,
and
were
not
impacted
by
this
incident.”

According
to
Jameson
Lopp,
co-founder
and
chief
security
officer
of
Casa,
a
security
firm
focused
on
protecting
crypto
users,
Skurka’s
kidnapping
is
the
171st
case
where
violence
has
been
used
to
target
crypto
holders.

Lopp
said:

“As
the
[Bitcoin]
price
goes
up,
more
awareness
of
the
space
permeates
throughout
society
and
as
a
result,
more
criminally
minded
people
decide
they
want
to
try
to
figure
out
what
the
ROI
of
executing
a
physical
attack
against
a
known
crypto
holder
is.”

The
kidnapping
comes
at
a
time
when
Bitcoin
is
going
through
a
price
rise.

Yesterday,
Bitcoin
achieved
a

new
all-time
high
of
$76,677
on
major
crypto
exchanges.
The
new
price
came
amid
the
US
Federal
Reserve
announcing
a
25
basis
points
interest
rate
cut.

Earlier
in
the
week,
Bitcoin
broke
a

new
all-time
high
of
$75,317
as
voting
results
signalled
a
Donald
Trump
win
for
the
White
House.