A "crypto billionaire" was kidnapped in London, but it turned out that he only had $9 in his account
Date: 2025-07-25 Author: Henry Casey Categories: IN WORLD
The scandalous incident occurred back in May last year, but the case only went to court now. The victim turned out to be a Belgian man named Quentin Chepelyak, who works as a hairdresser. He met a girl named Davina Raymakers, to whom he told that he was engaged in crypto trading and allegedly owned significant capital.
The girl invited Chepelyak to spend the weekend in London, promising to stay in one of the apartments of her "parents". When the guest arrived in the Shepherd's Bush area, he was met not by luxurious surroundings, but by three accomplices, including Davina's boyfriend. The man was thrown to the floor, his phone, expensive Cartier glasses and Louis Vuitton wallet were taken away. Immediately after this, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of half a million pounds.
The victim was threatened with a knife and a machete, beaten, trying to knock out a large sum. But, to their surprise, instead of the promised millions, Chepelyak showed his crypto wallet, which turned out to have only about six pounds. The disappointed gang lowered the demand to 50,000 pounds, and then to 2,000 pounds.
Not having such money, Chepelyak was forced to contact a friend in Belgium and ask him to transfer the funds. Fortunately, the friend did not lose his head and reported the kidnapping to the local police, who promptly contacted Scotland Yard.
After nine hours of captivity, the victim was taken to St. Pancras station, where he was already met by police. The man helped law enforcement officers get to the apartment where he was being held. Interestingly, the criminals rented accommodation through Airbnb, without bothering to hide their data, which played a key role in their capture.
All four kidnappers have been detained. At the moment, they have admitted to blackmail, but categorically deny the charges of kidnapping and illegal imprisonment. Until the sentencing, scheduled for early September, they will remain in custody.
This case has become another example of the so-called wrench attack - when crypto investors are forced to disclose access to assets using physical violence. According to Fortune, two dozen such stories have been recorded in 2024 alone, and their number is growing. Recently, a similar case was reported in New York, where an investor was kept locked up for several weeks, demanding the password to his crypto wallet.
The digital asset market continues to attract not only legal investors, but also criminals who are capable of taking extreme measures to access other people's funds.
