A young man from India has been detained by local police after calling in threats to the Miami airport due to a Bitcoin scam.
An 18-year-old youth in India is finding himself in hot water at the moment. Local law enforcement has detained him for making some serious threats against Miami International Airport. He reportedly threatened violence, using AK-47s, grenades, and a suicide vest. The reason? He was angry over losing $1,000 in a Bitcoin scam and felt that the FBI was ignoring his case.
Bitcoin Scam Leads to Death Threats
The young man is supposedly academically bright. He reportedly met a man online while gaming who promised him a solid return on an investment in Bitcoin. The boy’s father gave him $1,000, but the investment turned out to be a scam as the online seller ran off with the money.
The youth made 50 calls to the FBI to complain. He felt the federal agency wasn’t doing anything about his case, so he decided to ramp up the pressure. The inspector general for the Indian police who detained the youth quoted him as saying:
I wanted to file a complaint with FBI on being defrauded but got no response, after which I made calls, threatening to attack Miami airport.
The youth then allegedly added:
After not getting proper response from FBI, I made calls to Miami airport authorities and threatened an attack. I told them that I would bring AK-47s, grenades and suicide belts, and blow up the airport.
Tracking the Threats Down
The 18-year-old young man made the threats using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). However, the FBI was able to trace the calls back to India, using the IP address, and contacted local law enforcement about the situation.
The UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from the Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh caught up with the boy and detained him. It appears he was released back to his parents and his laptop and phone have been seized. He and his family have been told not to leave the city and to report to the ATS when requested. He is facing multiple charges.
One could say that this young man vastly overreacted to a Bitcoin scam. There’s the question of why contact the FBI at all, unless the scammer was from the USA. In an ironic twist, the FBI was actually looking into the case.
Bitcoin and Explosives
The last few months have seen the subject of explosives mixed with Bitcoin several times. A man who sent a mail bomb to a Bitcoin seller is facing attempted murder charges in Sweden. The mail bomber also made death threats against 21 Swedish government officials.
At least one resident of a Norwegian town is upset at Kryptovault, a cryptocurrency mining company that operates from three locations. Apparently, the noise associated with the mining has driven someone to issue a bomb threat against the company. The mining company received a bomb threat that reads:
This is sabotage. If you are expanding crypto mining and filling the country with noise, then you will be sabotaging the peace. I am threatening to send you some explosives.
Most recently, a number of businesses in Amsterdam found themselves being threatened unless they paid a Bitcoin ransom. If the businesses failed to pay, the extortionist said he would shoot up the place or leave a grenade strapped to their door. The result would be the place being closed down as a local law mandates the closure of a business if a shooting occurs or if explosives are found. So far, the threat has not been carried out.
What do you think should happen to the young man who made the threats against Miami International Airport? Let us know in the comments below.
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