Toronto police are investigating the kidnapping of Dean Skurka, CEO of WonderFi.
Skurka was kidnapped in downtown Toronto during rush hour on Wednesday, November 6. He was later released after a $1 million ransom was paid electronically, per CBC. The incident happened near University Avenue and Richmond Street West just before 6 p.m
Reports indicate that the suspects forced Skurka into a vehicle and demanded ransom money. He was later found unharmed in Centennial Park in Toronto.
In an emailed statement sent to CBC, Skurka confirmed he was safe and assured clients that WonderFi funds and data remained safe.
In 2023, ransomware gang set a record highextorted more than $1 billion in crypto payments. Chainalysis data shows a 10% increase from 2021, highlighting ransomware as a growing problem over the past few years.
No further details
Police continued their investigation, but no further details about the suspect or leads were revealed.
WonderFi, a Toronto-based financial company specializing in digital assets, announced last year that it holds the majority of regulated cryptocurrency exchanges in Canada.
This case is similar to an incident in Malaysia in July, which involved two people kidnapped in Cyberjaya, and $1.2 million in cryptocurrency was paid as ransom.