In the capital of the United Kingdom, four individuals were taken into custody following the kidnapping of a Belgian citizen, whom they believed to be a wealthy crypto investor. The incident, which occurred in May 2024, has only now come to light as the case is being heard in court.
This is reported by Finway
How the Kidnapping Unfolded
The victim of the crime was Quentin Chepelak, a hairdresser from Belgium. A few months before the incident, he had met a girl named Davina Rameykers, to whom he introduced himself as a successful crypto trader with substantial wealth. The girl invited Chepelak to spend the weekend in London, claiming to come from a wealthy family. At one of the houses in the Shepherd’s Bush area, where she took him, Chepelak was attacked by a group of three individuals, including the girl’s boyfriend.
The assailants took Chepelak’s phone, Cartier glasses, and Louis Vuitton wallet, and then began demanding a ransom of £500,000 (approximately $677,000). Chepelak was threatened with a knife and a machete, and physical violence was also used. However, when he showed that his crypto wallet contained only about £6 (around $9), the ransom amount gradually decreased first to £50,000, and then to £2,000.
“The victim was also forced to call a friend in Belgium to have him transfer more money. The friend contacted the local police, who in turn reached out to Scotland Yard.”
Crime Disclosure and Court Proceedings
Ultimately, Chepelak was held in an apartment rented through Airbnb for about nine hours. The kidnappers used their own personal information to rent the accommodation, which allowed the police to quickly identify them. Chepelak was released at St Pancras station, where he was met by law enforcement, and he assisted them in locating the apartment where he had been held hostage.
The suspects admitted to extortion but deny the charges of kidnapping and unlawful confinement. The court has kept them in custody until the sentencing, which is scheduled for September 5, 2025. The perpetrators face lengthy prison terms.
Such criminal schemes are referred to as wrench attacks, where fraudsters use physical violence to seize the crypto assets of their victims. According to data, 24 similar incidents were recorded in 2024, and their number is on the rise. For example, in May 2025, a crypto investor was held for several weeks in New York, forced to surrender the password to his wallet.