A multimillionaire jumped from the second-story balcony of his apartment building in Oslo, Norway, to evade an attempted armed robbery.
Attempted Robbery Occurred After Victim Boasted Of Cryptocurrency Fortune
The businessman is a manager and owner of a cryptocurrency business and currently has personal wealth estimated at around NOK 100 million, or about $ 11.21 million.
The Norwegian broadcaster TV12 reported that prior to the incident, the victim boasted about making a fortune from investing in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
The indictment taken by the Oslo Attorney General's Office revealed that the perpetrator knocked on the unnamed victim's apartment door with a shotgun.
When the door opened, the robber told the victim to lie down or he will shoot, but the victim decided to jump from the balcony. It is not known if the man sustained injuries in the fall, but the robber will appear in court next month because of the incident.
The incident occurred on May 14. The court hearing is scheduled on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18.
Criminals Targeting Cryptocurrency Holders
The incident is the latest in a series of cases involving criminals who target people with cryptocurrency holdings.
It only takes a long and complex password known as a private key to transfer funds from one digital wallet to another. The semi-anonymous nature of digital currencies makes it difficult to track transactions and catch criminals.
In 2017, kidnappers in Ukraine made more than $1 million after successfully ransoming a cryptocurrency analyst. Earlier this year, robbers in Drenthe in the Netherlands disguised as police to enter a victim's home tortured the man with a drill in a futile attempt to get access to his bitcoin.
Similar incidents could rise as more people use and invest in cryptocurrency. Facebook is set to launch its own cryptocurrency Libra next year, and China could unveil its new digital currency later this year.
