Part of the CustodyStress archive of observed Bitcoin custody incidents
CS-01144
Criminals in Richmond, British Columbia, posed as police officers to gain entry to
BlockedCase description
In early 2023, criminals in Richmond, British Columbia, posed as police officers to gain entry to a victim's home, stealing approximately CAD $10 million in cryptocurrency. In a separate incident in nearby Burnaby, a known crypto investor was tied up and robbed at gunpoint. Both incidents were documented by TRM Labs as part of a pattern of sophisticated crypto-targeted home invasions in Canada, with attackers using prior research to identify victims and law enforcement impersonation to bypass initial resistance.
Custody context
| Stress condition | Physical coercion |
| Custody system | Hardware wallet (single key) |
| Outcome | Blocked |
| Documentation | Unknown |
| Year observed | 2023 |
| Country | Canada |
Structural dependencies observed
What this illustrates
Access required in-person verification that couldn't be arranged under the circumstances. Access was not recoverable.
Outcome interpretation
Access was not possible under the reported conditions.
Source
Publicly Reported
Evidence type
News article
Related cases involving physical coercion
105 cases involve physical coercion
274 cases involve hardware wallet (single key)
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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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