US$245m bitcoin scam sparks violent ‘wrench attack’ kidnapping

A US$245 million bitcoin social‑engineering scam allegedly run by teenager Veer Chetal — who is accused of tricking a Washington man into handing over 4,100 BTC — led to a brutal kidnapping plot against his parents.

Prosecutors say scammer Adam “The Godfather” Iza, operating from a US$28 million Bel Air mansion, hired six men who rear‑ended the parents’ Lamborghini in Connecticut, beat the father with a baseball bat and abducted both, only to be caught within minutes after an off‑duty FBI agent saw the attack.

With Iza now facing up to 20 years in prison and so‑called “wrench attacks” up about 40%, the case highlights how the “be your own bank” promise of crypto also means there is no fraud department when criminals target people’s bodies instead of the blockchain.