A 23-year-old Ukrainian tourist, Viacheslav Leibov, recently lost $250,000 worth of usdt in Thailand after being violently extorted. Leibov was threatened with a hammer and a knife in a hotel room on the resort island of Phuket and forced to transfer the sum to USDT.

Robbery by surprise from a third party

The robbery occurred on Nov. 8 after Leibov was invited by his 18-year-old Ukrainian friend Alfred Chernyshuk to meet at a hotel. Upon arrival, however, Leibov was surprised by a third person, 21-year-old Arman Grigoryan from Armenia. Shortly thereafter, two masked men stormed into the room. Armed with a hammer and a knife, they demanded that Leibov send $250,000 in USDT to their wallet. Fearing for his life, he complied with their demand.

Threats and escape

After he transferred the money, the robbers tied Leibov to the bed and warned him not to report it to the police. Fortunately, he later managed to escape and still reported to Thai authorities.

With the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and USDT, the number of criminal incidents targeting investors in digital currencies is also increasing. While much cryptocurrency crime takes place through online scams and hacks, reports of physical extortion are increasingly surfacing.

Thailand: a risky destination for crypto owners

Thailand, beloved by tourists, also attracts malefactors who target wealthy travelers. This incident is not an isolated one. Earlier this month, Thai police arrested a group of seven people, including six police officers, involved in a USDT 10 million extortion scheme.

Advice for travelers with crypto

A golden tip for crypto owners: be careful who you share that you have crypto with, no matter how tempting it is during the current market. Additionally, consider not always having full access to your crypto while on vacation, so you don't put yourself at unnecessary risk.