Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-00715
The attacker threatened to send doctored emails to clients falsely claiming the broker
BlockedCase description
A Bitcoin OTC broker was blackmailed in April 2019 by an attacker who had hacked their email and found client correspondence revealing the broker's BTC holdings. The attacker threatened to send doctored emails to clients falsely claiming the broker had defrauded them unless 5 BTC was transferred. The broker paid. A second demand was refused and the broker reported to police.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Physical coercion |
| Custody system | Exchange custody |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2019 |
| Country | Unknown |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
There was only one way in. When that path was gone, so was access. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
Forum post
Evidence link
Related cases involving physical coercion
This archive documents observed custody survivability failures. It does not attempt to document all Bitcoin losses or security incidents.
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Framework references
Where Bitcoin Custody Intersects Legal and Fiduciary Authority
Where custody creates gaps in estate planning, fiduciary duty, and professional responsibility.
Professional Scope Boundary Matrix
What each professional or product covers, what they do not, and where gaps form between them.
The Independent Assessment Layer in Bitcoin Custody
How independent diagnostic layers emerge when multiple parties depend on shared infrastructure.
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