Toronto, November 8: Dean Skurka, CEO of Canadian cryptocurrency firm WonderFi, was recently kidnapped and held for ransom. The incident reportedly occurred in Canada on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. The WonderFi CEO, Dean Skurka, was shoved into a vehicle in downtown Toronto during rush hour and was released later when he transferred one million Canadian dollars to the kidnappers.

According to a report by CBC, WondeFi CEO Dean Skurka was a new crypto celebrity who fell victim to the people who attempted a violent robbery. It was highlighted by a security firm that this was the 171st incident that took place involving physical violence against the kidnapee to steal cryptocurrency. The incident took place at 6 PM on Wednesday, and police were called about the kidnapping in the area of University Avenue and Richmond Street W. Australia PM Anthony Albanese Explains Why Government Kept 16 Years As Minimum Age for Children To Access Social Media Platforms (Watch Video).

According to a spokesperson, victim Dean Skurka was forced by the suspects who demanded money. Later, he was located uninjured in Centennial Park in Etobicoke. The report mentioned that the kidnappers released the victim after the payment of one million Canadian dollars. WonderFi CEO Dean Skurka confirmed the incident taking place on Wednesday and assured him he was safe.

In an email, Skurka said he would prioritise the safety and security of all the employees working with the cryptocurrency firm. He also assured that the client's funds and data were not affected by the incident. The police said the investigation was ongoing and did not release any further details to the report. TikTok Ban in Canada: PM Justin Trudeau-Led Government Orders ByteDance-Owned Platform To Shut Operations in Country Amid National Security Fears.

Dean Shurka's kidnapping was observed as the 171st incident of suspects using physical violence to steal the cryptocurrency Bitcoins for a decade, according to Jameson Loop. He is the co-founder and chief security officer at Casa security firm, which protects crypto users and keeps track of any physical thefts to steal digital money. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 08, 2024 01:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).