A Norwegian billionaire and owner of a cryptocurrency company, jumped from a second-floor balcony in Oslo, Norway, after an attempt at armed robbery, reports Norway's TV2.

Before the attempted robbery, the victim allegedly boasted of having "made a fortune by investing in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies" online.

The police report says the perpetrator knocked on the door of the victim's apartment, when the door was answered he was immediately held at gunpoint.

The incident is the latest in a series of cases involving criminals with a new target - a wealthy person's private keys.

In 2015, a New York City firefighter was stabbed by thieves who demanded that he hand over his private keys. Two years later, kidnappers in Ukraine got more than a million dollars , after successfully using a ransomware against a cryptocurrency analyst.

Earlier this year, three robbers disguised as police officers entered a victim's house in the Netherlands, and tortured a man with a drill in an attempt to gain access to his crypto. The one-hour torment took place in front of his four-year-old daughter, but in the end was unsuccessful.

 -------
Author: Mark Pippen
London News Desk