Bitcoin’s tendency to be stolen by hackers is one of the cryptocurrency’s biggest flaws but its not exactly the kind of thing you’d expect a common thief to steal at knifepoint off of your person, which is exactly what happened in New York. A firefighter went down to Brooklyn to meet up with someone who wanted to do a cash exchange for bitcoin but mugged and stabbed instead.
Most of the Bitcoin-related crime you hear about has to do with shady internet dealings or virtual stashes of the cryptocurrency being stolen from online repositories. But a good old-fashioned stick-up? That’s a new one. Apparently there have been a spate of such crimes in New York that have left police with few, if any leads. The most recent Bitcoin robbery reported to police is typical for this new breed of crime. New York City firefighter Dwayne Richards headed to Brooklyn to meet up with someone who apparently wanted to exchange Bitcoins for cash. Instead he was mugged and stabbed, but survived and is recovering well. The thief made off with the Bitcoins and it’s unlikely they will be seen again.