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In recent months, several major US grocery chains have been targeted by scammers with ransom demands and fake bomb threats.
Often involving cash or gift cards, scammers sometimes request that their victims pay them in bitcoin (BTC).
supermarket scam
As informed of Companies such as Kroger, Walmart, Whole Foods Market have been targeted by scams at various stores in Wisconsin, and scammers have threatened to detonate bombs if they don’t pay, according to the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. Law enforcement is already probing the issue.
In a suburb north of Chicago, a Whole Foods employee received a call claiming that a pipe bomb had been placed in the building and would detonate if $5,000 in BTC was not paid. A Kroger employee in Mexico demanding a wire payment received a similar threat, claiming that a bomb would explode if the employee tried to call the police.
Nevertheless, the employees contacted the authorities and the police helped evacuate each store. In any case, no suspicious objects were found.
According to industry experts, bomb threats demanding ransom from retailers are a new form of extortion that started earlier this year.
“Every day, we worry about safety and take everything extremely seriously,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chief executive. The retailer is already cooperating with local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI said the public should be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Meanwhile, local police in the respective areas are trying to investigate the threat, but are having trouble tracking down the scammer as the callers used hacked phone numbers. Authorities say it is still unclear where the callers are located, or whether they are acting as part of an organized effort.
bitcoin and ransom
Bitcoin has become a popular tool for facilitating ransom payments due to its global nature, relative privacy and immunity to transaction reversal. In May, a Russian man named Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev was accused of conspiring with co-conspirators to extort $200 million in payments in multiple ransomware variants, most of which came via crypto.
In 2022, ransomware payments in crypto will drop significantly compared to 2021 as victims become less willing to make transfers. US Treasury sanctions rules against making such payments make it risky for victims.
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In recent months, several major US grocery chains have been targeted by scammers with ransom demands and fake bomb threats.
Often involving cash or gift cards, scammers sometimes request that their victims pay them in bitcoin (BTC).
supermarket scam
As informed of Companies such as Kroger, Walmart, Whole Foods Market have been targeted by scams at various stores in Wisconsin, and scammers have threatened to detonate bombs if they don’t pay, according to the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. Law enforcement is already probing the issue.
In a suburb north of Chicago, a Whole Foods employee received a call claiming that a pipe bomb had been placed in the building and would detonate if $5,000 in BTC was not paid. A Kroger employee in Mexico demanding a wire payment received a similar threat, claiming that a bomb would explode if the employee tried to call the police.
Nevertheless, the employees contacted the authorities and the police helped evacuate each store. In any case, no suspicious objects were found.
According to industry experts, bomb threats demanding ransom from retailers are a new form of extortion that started earlier this year.
“Every day, we worry about safety and take everything extremely seriously,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chief executive. The retailer is already cooperating with local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI said the public should be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Meanwhile, local police in the respective areas are trying to investigate the threat, but are having trouble tracking down the scammer as the callers used hacked phone numbers. Authorities say it is still unclear where the callers are located, or whether they are acting as part of an organized effort.
bitcoin and ransom
Bitcoin has become a popular tool for facilitating ransom payments due to its global nature, relative privacy and immunity to transaction reversal. In May, a Russian man named Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev was accused of conspiring with co-conspirators to extort $200 million in payments in multiple ransomware variants, most of which came via crypto.
In 2022, ransomware payments in crypto will drop significantly compared to 2021 as victims become less willing to make transfers. US Treasury sanctions rules against making such payments make it risky for victims.
Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and get $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures for the first month. (terms).
PrimeXBT SPECIAL OFFER: Use this link to register and enter the code CRYPTOPOTATO50 to receive up to $7,000 on your deposit.
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