TechFlow, July 3 — According to Decrypt, Australian cryptocurrency billionaire Tim Heath successfully escaped an elaborate attempted kidnapping by biting off an attacker's finger. During a court hearing in Estonia last week, it was revealed that the attackers had posed as painters and used GPS trackers and burner phones to monitor Heath's movements. Since the incident, Heath has spent approximately 2.7 million euros enhancing his personal security.
Such "wrench attacks" (physical violence threats) targeting cryptocurrency holders are on the rise, including the case in January this year when David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, was kidnapped and had his finger severed. Experts warn that regulatory measures such as the FATF Travel Rule may inadvertently increase risks by requiring the linking of cryptocurrency wallets to real-world identities.
