• Advertise
  • Submit a Press Release
NewsBTC
Bitcoin & cryptocurrency news today, price & technical analysis
Price & Market
Cap Data from
Nomics Logo
  • News
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Cardano
    • Tezos
    • EOS
    • Chainlink
    • Sponsored
    • Press Releases
  • Analysis
    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Cardano (ADA)
    • Chainlink (LINK)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Tezos (XTZ)
    • Zcash (ZEC)
    • EOS
    • YearnFinance (YFI)
  • Education
    • Accepting Bitcoin payments
    • Using Bitcoin
    • What is Bitcoin Mining
    • How to Trade Bitcoin
    • How to Buy Bitcoin
    • Digital Currency Exchange
    • Proof of Existence
    • Is Bitcoin legal?
    • Bitcoin Books
  • Trading Course
  • Directory
    • Crypto Businesses
    • Bitcoin Brokers
    • Casinos
    • Sportsbooks
  • TradeeToro
  • Gamble +Try
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Cardano
    • Tezos
    • EOS
    • Chainlink
    • Sponsored
    • Press Releases
  • Analysis
    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Cardano (ADA)
    • Chainlink (LINK)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Tezos (XTZ)
    • Zcash (ZEC)
    • EOS
    • YearnFinance (YFI)
  • Education
    • Accepting Bitcoin payments
    • Using Bitcoin
    • What is Bitcoin Mining
    • How to Trade Bitcoin
    • How to Buy Bitcoin
    • Digital Currency Exchange
    • Proof of Existence
    • Is Bitcoin legal?
    • Bitcoin Books
  • Trading Course
  • Directory
    • Crypto Businesses
    • Bitcoin Brokers
    • Casinos
    • Sportsbooks
  • TradeeToro
  • Gamble +Try
No Result
View All Result
NewsBTC
No Result
View All Result
Price & Market
Cap Data from
Nomics Logo
Home Cryptocurrency news Bitcoin

Bitcoin Scam Alert: Criminals Demand BTC Payment to Call Off Hit Man

Rick Delafont by Rick Delafont
2 years ago
in Bitcoin
Reading Time: 4min read
bitcoin
Advertisement

Scam artists have tried just about every trick in the book to relieve people of their Bitcoin in recent years. The latest effort is rather lacking in the sophistication department, however.

A report in Bleeping Computer states that people have been receiving emails that are apparently from the owner of a dark web site offering various illegal services. The emails state that someone has hired a hit man to murder the receiver. Fortunately, the site owner is willing to call the hired gun off – if the receiver pays up first.

Scammers Have Received No Bitcoin So Far

According to the report, the email was sent out yesterday and contains this (or a similar) subject line:

5 BTC + 300 Free Spins for new players & 15 BTC + 35.000 Free Spins every month, only at mBitcasino. Play Now!

“Pretty significant material for you right here 17.12.2018 08:33:00.”

The body of the message is written in sloppy English with poor spelling and grammar – hence the errors in the quotations provided in this article. It states that the sender is the owner of a dark web site. It goes on to list the kind of services offered:

“Ihave got a site that includes all kinds of offerings which I give in dark net.Nearly anything from totally eliminating peoples small business to physical accidental injuries and many others.”

The sender then states that they have been contacted by someone who wants to hire a hit man to dispose of the email’s receiver. This is to be performed in an “instant”, “pain-free” manner.

However, it appears that the sender would rather take a fee without having to get their hands dirty. They are therefore offering the receiver the opportunity to pay for the hit to be called off. In the report in Bleeping Computer, the author seems to suggest that the price demanded is $4,000. From reading the email thoroughly, it appears that this is the amount paid for the hit itself. Despite the poorly worded email, the fee for its cancellation is actually $1,200. Here is the text itself:

“Soon after the purchase is complete, I often remove the hitman as well, therefore i do have a selection, to generate a grand and two hundred coming from you, quite simply with no effort, or to get 4k from the customer, yet to lose my executor.”

A curious deadline of 38 hours is also included. The reason for this particular amount of time is not made clear. However, it could be as simple as the attacker getting confused between the more commonly used time frames of 36 and 48 hours.

Finally, there is a Bitcoin address to which payments should be sent:

“1EzJ4iMPNzZVxgHzD1wz1rcbYiGxAM9RPZ”

A quick look at a blockchain explorer confirms that no one in receipt of one of these supposed threats has so far paid up to call off the most likely imaginary hit. Judging by the scam’s lack of sophistication, it also seems doubtful that anyone will fall for it.

Staying Safe From Bitcoin Scams

As mentioned there are loads of different Bitcoin scams around today. Some involve ransomware, such as the WannaCry attack last year, others involve the targeting of individuals with known connections to the Bitcoin community and extorting funds from them.

Although impossible to make yourself completely immune from such criminal efforts, there are some simple precautions to take that will drastically reduce the likelihood of you becoming a victim yourself:

  • Do not keep any serious amount of Bitcoin in a hot storage solution (desktop, mobile, or online wallet). Always use proper cold storage (paper wallet for those able, hardware wallet for the rest of you) for most of your holdings.
  • Do not go bragging either online or in real life about being involved in digital currency. If you must let people know, downplay the amount of time you have been in the space for and never disclose how much crypto you hold.
  • If something sounds too good to be true (Twitter celebs sending you Bitcoin after you send them a smaller amount), it almost certainly is. Treat all “free lunches” with caution.
  • If selling Bitcoin in person, it is a good idea to use a coin mixing service before meeting the buyer. This will stop them knowing exactly how much you hold in wallets connected to the one you are selling from. Also, meet people in well-lit, public places and take someone trusted with you or at least let someone know where you are going.

Thanks to its properties of pseudonymity and a belief that the value of Bitcoin will continue to increase, scammers are continually devising ways to trick people out of their BTC. Stay up to date with previous scams and always be vigilant. If you hear of any similar Bitcoin-related scams, report them to NewsBTC and we can help spread the word to keep others safe.

Related Reading: Could North Korea Be Harbouring an Army of Crypto-Hackers?

Featured Imagine from Shutterstock.
Tags: bitcoinHit manscam
TweetShare
Nexo Logo
BitStarz Player Lands $2,459,124 Record Win! Could you be next big winner? Win up to $1,000,000 in One Spin at CryptoSlots
Rick Delafont

Rick Delafont

Based in Europe, Rick has written about the cryptocurrency industry since 2016. He was first drawn to Bitcoin as a means of payment but quickly became fascinated by its wider potential implications. His interests lie in the political, economic, and social impact of the unfolding digital asset revolution.

Related Posts

Saylor Sees Bitcoin Regulation as Greenlight For More Institution Inflows

Saylor Sees Bitcoin Regulation as Greenlight For More Institution Inflows

3 hours ago
bitcoin miner btc bullish

Bullish Bitcoin Miners Cease Selling For The First Time Since 2020

8 hours ago
Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, BTCUSD, BTCUSDT

Bitcoin Bulls Go Ballistic On Twitter’s $1.25bn Convertible Note Offering

19 hours ago
Bitcoin Bottoming Out After Its Worst Weekly Drop Since March: Analyst

Bitcoin Bottoming Out After Its Worst Weekly Drop Since March: Analyst

21 hours ago
Bitcoin Analyst Explains Why Traders Should Buy Altcoins All March

Bitcoin Analyst Explains Why Traders Should Buy Altcoins All March

4 days ago
Bitcoin Exchange Suffers Massive Outflow as BTC/USD Drops

Bitcoin Exchange Suffers Massive Outflow as BTC/USD Drops

4 days ago

Premium Partners

Top Brokers

eToro

eToro

Review · Visit
Evolve Markets

Evolve Markets

Review · Visit
ArbiSmart

ArbiSmart

Review · Visit
PrimeXBT

PrimeXBT

Review · Visit
Moneta Markets

Moneta Markets

Review · Visit

Top Casinos

BitStarz

BitStarz

Review · Visit
mBit

mBit

Review · Visit
CryptoGames

CryptoGames

Review · Visit
Bonusfinder DE

Bonusfinder DE

Review · Visit
Bspin

Bspin

Review · Visit
Wolf Bet

Wolf Bet

Review · Visit

Top Sportsbooks

1xBit

1xBit

Review · Visit

Press Releases

Easyfi Network introduces Staked Derivative Assets Money Markets on Layer 2 DeFi

March 1, 2021

Seascape Network Officially Debuts on Binance Smart Chain

March 1, 2021

What Will Happen to Oil Production and Distribution in 2021, and How Can You Make a Profit on It

February 28, 2021

Newsletter Signup


ABOUT US

NewsBTC is a cryptocurrency news service that covers bitcoin news today, technical analysis & forecasts for bitcoin price and other altcoins. Here at NewsBTC, we are dedicated to enlightening everyone about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

We cover BTC news related to bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin mining and price forecasts for various cryptocurrencies.

COMPANY

  • Advertising
  • Comments Policy
  • Privacy Center
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Contact

Technical Analysis

  • Bitcoin (BTC)
  • Ethereum (ETH)
  • Ripple (XRP)
  • Chainlink (LINK)
  • Cardano (ADA)
  • Tezos (XTZ)

LINKS

Auto Trading Software ▸

Cryptocurrency news

  • Bitcoin
  • Ethereum
  • Ripple
  • Chainlink
  • Cardano
  • EOS
  • Tezos

© 2020 NewsBTC. All Rights Reserved.

  • News
    • Bitcoin
    • Ethereum
    • Ripple
    • Cardano
    • Tezos
    • EOS
    • Chainlink
    • Sponsored
    • Press Releases
  • Analysis
    • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Ethereum (ETH)
    • Cardano (ADA)
    • Chainlink (LINK)
    • Litecoin (LTC)
    • Tezos (XTZ)
    • Zcash (ZEC)
    • EOS
    • YearnFinance (YFI)
  • Education
    • Accepting Bitcoin payments
    • Using Bitcoin
    • What is Bitcoin Mining
    • How to Trade Bitcoin
    • How to Buy Bitcoin
    • Digital Currency Exchange
    • Proof of Existence
    • Is Bitcoin legal?
    • Bitcoin Books
  • Trading Course
  • Directory
    • Crypto Businesses
    • Bitcoin Brokers
    • Casinos
    • Sportsbooks
  • Trade
  • Gamble +

© 2020 NewsBTC. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy Center or Cookie Policy.