For one Canadian expatriate the term "Ransomware" has taken a more literal turn. According to The Tico Times Ryan Piercy was allegedly kidnapped and held for roughly a month by attackers who demanded a half million dollar ransom to be paid in Bitcoin. Piercy arrived home Saturday via taxi, so if Piercy was indeed held for ransom it seems incredibly likely the ransom was paid and the scheme worked as advertised.
Category Archives: Costa Rica
Kidnappers Demand Ransom Be Paid With Bitcoin
Costa Rican tabloid Diario Extra reports the kidnapping of Canadian man Piercy Bate Ryan Craig. Craig, who is featured as a Costa Rican importer on the website ImportGenius, is being ransomed for a total of US $500,000 payable in bitcoin.
While it's not evident that the kidnappers are regular readers of the #bitcoin-assets logs, it's clear that this attempt to extort bitcoin in exchange for the release of a prisoner won't be the last and is something sure to grow as would be kidnappers realise the superiority of bitcoin over fiat when demanding ransoms.