Taiwanese crypto influencer set up and kidnapped, $170,000 in cryptocurrency stolen! Community uncovers history of promoting Ponzi schemes

A former gaming streamer who reinvented himself as a “forex trader” influencer reported being kidnapped, with approximately $170,000 in cash and cryptocurrency transferred out of his exchange account. Two suspects have been arrested, while one remains at large. However, some netizens have exposed the influencer’s shady past: three years ago, he promoted a “90% monthly return” investment scheme, which later turned out to be a scam with the project team absconding with the funds.

Crypto influencer set up and kidnapped, $170,000 in crypto transferred

The crypto influencer shared his kidnapping experience on Instagram. He stated that the perpetrator was a long-time viewer who approached him under the pretense of wanting to exchange trading insights. They met at a Starbucks near his home for nearly an hour, and the atmosphere seemed friendly. Unbeknownst to him, the meeting was premeditated. The perpetrator used a gift supposedly brought from Japan as an excuse to lure him to the parking lot, where two accomplices jumped out from the bushes, struck him on the head, sprayed him with pepper spray, and forcibly pushed him into a car.

He said the kidnappers tied his hands with zip ties, blindfolded him with tape, and took him to the outskirts, where they forced him to sell all his holdings on the exchange, convert them to USDT, and transfer them to their account. The kidnappers later abandoned him at Taoyuan Airport. The victim immediately retained a lawyer and reported the incident to the police that day, seeking assistance from a local legislator.

According to domestic media reports, after the victim was forced to transfer NT$90,000 and about 170,000 USDT in virtual currency, two suspects were arrested and brought to justice within 24 hours of the crime, with one still at large.

Netizens uncover influencer’s past of promoting a Ponzi scheme with a “90% monthly return” promise

Unexpectedly, netizens revealed that the kidnapped influencer had previously promoted a Ponzi scheme. He initially gained fame as a gaming streamer, playing games like Arena of Valor and Slam Dunk, but later shifted to content related to crypto, forex, and Texas Hold’em poker.

At the time, the influencer promoted an investment project claiming that depositing money for 60 days could yield a 90% monthly return. Unsurprisingly, the project team disappeared with investors’ money after a round of fundraising. Another streamer, Huazhiyuan, even alleged that the influencer managed both large and small chat groups, and after noticing issues with the project, he informed the smaller group first, seemingly intending to let the larger group of fans take the loss.

The influencer eventually gave up trying to explain himself, commenting: “It’s nothing, there’s nothing to explain. If you make money, you make money. I played for four months and it was hard not to make money. I never said I got scammed, that would be too lame.” Later, he posted a video admitting that accepting such sponsorship deals was a mistake but also refuted some false accusations.

In June, the influencer revealed in a video that his commission rebate for the month from the exchange was only $250, and that he held about $250,000 in assets on the platform. Perhaps because of his crypto influencer persona and his public profile, he became a target for criminals. This serves as a reminder to everyone: don’t flaunt your wealth, and personal safety should always be your top priority.

( Bitcoin as a reason for kidnapping? Well-known crypto investor imprisoned, tortured an Italian man to extort his password )

Additionally, any ostentatious displays of wealth should be viewed with skepticism. A TikTok financial influencer with over 40,000 followers was recently kidnapped by four people on his way home, but when they accessed his exchange account, they found he was even poorer than the kidnappers, which ultimately saved his life.

( French crypto influencer kidnapped! TikTok KOL forcibly taken and extorted for cryptocurrency )

This article, “Taiwanese Crypto Influencer Set Up and Kidnapped, $170K in Crypto Transferred! Community Uncovers Ponzi Scheme Promotion History,” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.