A 23-year-old financial adviser is being actively sought by the Venezuelan authorities. He ran away with more than a million dollars in Bitcoin (BTC) after emptying the tills of its customers. And, to conceal his strategy, he faked his own kidnapping, according to police.
Hernandez, the fund manager
Today, Venezuela is one of the world leaders in the field of cryptocurrencies according to recent data. However, the country could also be considered a nest of criminals of all kinds, very focused on the theft of Bitcoin (BTC).
A few days ago, Andres Jesus Dos Santos Hernandez, a 23-year-old financial advisor, would have simulated his own abduction in order to run away with over $ 1 million in BTC. These funds belonged to clients whose finances he controlled.
The information was revealed by Douglas Rico, head of Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas Penales y Criminalísticas (CICPC) of Venezuela. The CICPC is the equivalent of the FBI in the United States. In a post on Instagram, Mr. Rico posted a photo of Hernandez with a wanted notice.
Douglas Rico explains that Hernandez worked as a fund manager for several clients. With this status, he managed to empty wallets from accounts Binance of its customers and to pocket the flirtatious sum of 1 150 000 $. Then he claimed that he was the victim of a kidnapping and that it was his captors who forced him to proceed with the withdrawal of funds. Now, Mr. Hernandez is on the run, emphasizes the CICPC.
A case that is not isolated
Although unusual, the case of the scam set up by Hernandez is unfortunately not isolated. In Venezuela, users of Bitcoin (BTC) must increase vigilance against criminals. The difficult traceability of cryptocurrency transactions helps them to operate without being worried and being out of sight.
Recall that three weeks ago, Gustavo Torres Gonzalez, a Venezuelan businessman, was abducted by unidentified persons and then his captors shot him. According to the police investigation, this situation occurred because Mr. Gonzalez did not reach pay the 1.5 BTC demanded by the kidnappers.
In Venezuela, cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used by criminals to commit serious acts, such as murder or scam. After the murder of Mr. Gonzalez three weeks ago, it was the turn of Hernandez – a fund manager-to run away with over $ 1 million in Bitcoin (BTC) stolen from its customers. Once his forfeiture was committed, he fled by faking his own kidnapping.
DISCLAIMER
The words and opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and should not be considered as investment advice. Conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.
