South Korean police are investigating a series of “private revenge” attacks where perpetrators were allegedly paid in cryptocurrency to vandalize property and intimidate individuals. According to a local report, suspects were directed via Telegram and paid between $337 and $675 in crypto for acts including spreading human waste and dropping defamatory leaflets. Authorities have arrested individuals in recent cases but are still searching for the organizers behind the operation.
Police in South Korea say people are using cryptocurrency to pay for intimidation tactics that include vandalizing front doors and spreading human waste, according to a local news report. The so-called “private revenge” attacks were reportedly ordered through Telegram, with alleged perpetrators paid between $337 and $675 worth of cryptocurrency.
In the latest two events, individuals identified as “Mr. Lim” and “Mr. K” were arrested and charged by police. The pair vandalized residences and were accused of dropping defamatory leaflets, some containing the message “I will not leave you alone.”
Mr. Lim, a man in his 20s, also scattered food waste and was accused of spreading human waste on a nearby stairwell. The attacks occurred in the Suwon District of South Korea, outside Seoul.
“Police believe that the individuals arrested this time committed the crimes under the direction of a private revenge organization operating on Telegram, and are tracking down their superiors,” the local report reads. The recent cases are also under investigation for a potential connection to a similar vandalization from December 7.
This crypto crime spree follows a recent Bitcoin dispute in South Korea that led to attempted murder charges. In that case, an individual laced his business partner’s coffee with a toxic insecticide after the colleague allegedly mismanaged his Bitcoin investments.
The country has also seen regulators face scrutiny regarding an internal system flaw at crypto exchange Bithumb. The error led to the erroneous distribution of up to $137 million in Bitcoin to customers, though most funds were clawed back.
Furthermore, police officers from Gangnam Police Station lost access to $1.4 million worth of Bitcoin over four years ago. Separately, the nation’s tax service publicly shared the seed phrase for three crypto wallets that held $4.8 million worth of tokens in a press release.
