South Koreans Paid in Crypto for 'Revenge' Attacks Involving Human Waste, Say Police: Report
In South Korea, individuals have used cryptocurrency to pay for intimidation and vandalism attacks, organized via the messaging app Telegram. Perpetrators received $337–$675 in crypto to carry out actions such as vandalizing front doors, distributing threatening leaflets, and spreading human waste. Recent police arrests in Suwon District involved two suspects who vandalized homes and left menacing messages. Authorities believe the crimes were directed by a Telegram-based private revenge group and are investigating connections to similar attacks, including a December incident with analogous methods and payments. The incidents underscore rising crypto-related crime in South Korea, which recently included an attempted poisoning over a Bitcoin dispute. Separately, the country faces scrutiny over high-profile crypto mishaps: Bithumb, a major exchange, mistakenly credited customers with $43 billion in Bitcoin before quickly reversing most of the error; Gangnam police lost access to $1.4 million in Bitcoin; and the tax agency accidentally published its $4.8 million crypto wallet passwords.
