How a Finnish millionaire lost $35M worth of Bitcoin in a gamblingscam

[sdsdfbsfsd]

Bangkok Post reports that businessman Aarni Otava Saarimaa was approached by a group who sought to link him up with some hot investments: shares in a few high-profile companies and a cryptocurrency called Dragon Coin.

The story reads almost like a screenplay: a young, tech-savvy international millionaire courted by a Thai criminal syndicate (run by a movie star) for Bitcoin investments – none of which eventuated.

The gang allegedly had convinced Saarimaa and an associate that Dragon Coin was to be accepted by casinos as a legitimate means of payment. The pair was even taken to a casino in Macao to convince them to ‘invest.’

That trip was apparently enough for them to part with 5,564.4 Bitcoin – over $35 million. Suspicions were only raised when Saarimaa saw none of the promised returns; all of the Bitcoin had been immediately sold and distributed amongst the gang.

The police ran investigations for six months before swooping in. Thai movie star Jiratpisit “Boom” Jaravijit was arrested on-set for his connections to the case. Police further allege that his two siblings were also involved – one had fled the country, the other is in talks with authorities, as spotted by CoinDesk.

This isn’t the first time celebrities have been caught up in dodgy cryptocurrency deals. Back in June, several high-profile Bollywood stars were implicated in a $300 million Bitcoin scam. It’s alleged that the celebrities used their influence to convince investors to throw money at a series of Bitcoin-related businesses that posted none of the returns promised.

Celebrities have also been under fire for backing shitty initial coin offerings (ICOs). Floyd Mayweather, DJ Khaled, and footballer Luis Suarezwere all forced to sever ties with cryptocurrency payment platform Centra after its co-founders were arrested and charged with fraud.

thought i would share this with the community

[sheenazbay]

The world of finance is driven by some of the biggest minds out there, but every year we see new faces appearing in the list of the most influential industries.
world figures and celebrities leave an indelible mark on cryptocurrency space for very different reasons. However, their collective efforts have placed them among the elite list of business leaders from around the world.

They have also opened the way for others to follow, challenging young creative thinkers to think of new ways to innovate and change the world - from finance to politics.

[barbaris]

This is a major financial crime. Movie stars are attracted for a small fraction to PR of these coins with their famous name. Criminal syndicates are now also involved in cryptography. After all, wherever there is money and there are criminals who want to get it by any means.

[bankrollhiter]

Wave, it's incredible. At cryptarials, they try to earn everyone who is not lazy and it's great on the one hand)) However, it's a pity for those who lost their savings.