WuBlockchain
Evan Luthra publicly disclosed that five masked men kidnapped him in Oxford, UK, in November 2025, assaulted him and forced his way into a private vehicle. The attackers used his Face ID to unlock his phone and transferred more than $1.5M in crypto from his Binance account plus approximately $600K in ETH from his Gate account within about 30 minutes.
Why it matters
The theft combined physical coercion with immediate access to a victim's phone, turning device security into an attack vector for draining crypto. The rapid transfers showed that attackers can move assets across platforms before victims and exchanges have time to respond.
Market impact
Binance and MEXC helped freeze and recover some of the stolen funds. Binance returned about $370K, bringing total recoveries to nearly $1M. Several suspects have been arrested, and Luthra's trial has been postponed to November 2027.
Frequently asked questions
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How much crypto did the Oxford attackers steal?
They transferred more than $1.5M from Luthra's Binance account and approximately $600K in ETH from his Gate account within about 30 minutes.
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How did the attackers gain access to Luthra's crypto?
Luthra said the attackers assaulted him, used Face ID to unlock his phone and transferred the assets directly from his Binance and Gate accounts.
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How much of the stolen crypto was recovered?
Binance returned about $370K, while Binance and MEXC helped freeze and recover other funds. Total recoveries reached nearly $1M.
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What happened to the suspects in the kidnapping?
Several suspects have been arrested. Luthra's trial has been postponed to November 2027.
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What else did the Oxford attackers take?
The attackers also stole a Richard Mille watch valued at around £450K, in addition to the crypto transferred from Luthra's accounts.
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