Okay, so six men, in what can only be described as a totally bizarre attempt at cryptocurrency heists, decided to, wait for it, kidnap a family and their nanny in Chicago. Why? Well, apparently they wanted $15 million in crypto. Because that’s a totally standard thing to ask for, right? Who needs cash when you can just ask for Bitcoin?
According to the Chicago Tribune (you know, the reliable source for news), these lovely kidnappers knocked on the victim’s door in October 2024, pretending they’d accidentally destroyed the garage door. What an unfortunate mix-up. But plot twist! They weren’t here for carpentry; they were armed and ready to invade the home. Talk about bad first impressions.
Then, they forced the victims into a van—which sounds like the start of a terrible movie plot—and drove them around for a bit. First stop? Airbnb. The kidnappers treated them to a luxury one-night stay, and the next day? Another random house, because why not? All of this for a ransom demand in crypto. Not exactly what you’d expect from a vacation rental, huh?
The ransom? A cool $15 million in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and whatever other cryptos they could think of. They even threatened to kill the family if they didn’t cough it up. Ah, modern problems. 2024, everybody!
Fast forward to November 1, 2024, and the victims were released, probably relieved that their Airbnb experience was over. The suspects were officially charged in December, but surprise, only one of them, Zehuan Wei, was caught. Guess what? He crossed the border from Mexico in January 2025. The others? They’re presumably lounging somewhere in China, trying to forget their failed kidnapping vacation.
In the grand finale, US officials are scrambling through surveillance footage from Airbnb, sifting through crypto wallets, and examining the contents of the Ford van. Oh, and out of the promised $15 million in crypto, only $6 million has been accounted for. Just another day in the life of crime!
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2025-02-13 13:25