For my own safety, I quit

[Leon_jesus]

I have been in fear for two days straight after I heard that few numbers of people are kidnapped and I happen to know one of the victim, they are asked to pay ransom in Bitcoin, I don't know maybe I should call this stupid or not but I am lost in my thoughts....

As a developing country that I am from, my people don't even have their ways of tracking criminals on the Blockchain, even in other countries that are well developed than mine, wrench attacks still happened and none of them attackers got caught.

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

ANY1 feeling your life is in risk,  feel free to send me a Message i can get you  Gun, just in case your life is in danger or somebody.....

It's best if someone tries to kidnap or extort you, to have a gun ready and riddle them with bullets. Then you just find a good lawyer (I can also recommend a good law firm to you) and act in self-defense, brother.

[EarnOnVictor]

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

This shouldn't surprise you, because cryptocurrency has been the preferred medium of payment for illegal activities in recent times. And it's not about involving in Bitcoin or not, even if the victims' families do not deal in Bitcoin, they must learn it by force and provide it for the ransom payment.

So, this is not about you dealing in Bitcoin. However, if you are a "lone wolf" doing such in the community, it could be risky if the crime rate there is high.

[ndutndut]

If ever I am in your shoe. As soon as the crime rates become rampant that's related to cryptocurrencies near my store area, I'll have it considered my safety and my family too. I'll have the board or that quote of bitcoin acceptance have it removed asap. But once it's too late and the criminals have already seen that, they might target and remember you. So, it's best if you're not confident about it then have your business relocate somewhere or if it's not that worse. Just simply removing that sign will save you.

Yes, it's true. Sometimes we have to assess the situation and conditions in our area, especially where we do business. If it's unsafe and prone to kidnapping or other crimes, it's best not to advertise your business accepting Bitcoin payments, as your safety is more important than anything else.

I understand the situation experienced by the OP some areas have very high crime rates, especially far from cities. This also applies in the area where I live, which is far from the city center. If you run a business like a gold shop or own a swallow's nest, the risk is very high, especially when it comes to Bitcoin. So, it's best to avoid things that attract criminals to harbor malicious intent.

[Faisal2202]

Have two wallets, and keep one with a small deposit in them.  Then tell them that they can have all of that, but you have to cash your coins because you are not rich. In addition, you could install security cameras, and advertise the fact that all visitors are recorded on a remote server.

He accepts crypto, it depends on how much crypto he have on his wallet address he used to take payments from customers. This way, the customer already knows their address. So it won't matter if he moves those funds to another address or not, they will know. What he can do is, he can generate a temporary address for each payment, just like instant exchanges

So all the customers will have different wallet addresses, and then route them back to different wallet address not just one or two but create dozens of addresses. Installing a security camera won't be of great help, they will just create a full hd movie of him getting robbed. That's it.

Also, if someone actually tries to rob him, they are not going to try it at his shop or business place.

[Humblevirus]

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

The fact is that whether you are accepting Bitcoin or not, there can be concrete reasons for kidnappers to come after someone. The people kidnappers are usually looking for are rich individuals people from whom they believe they can get money if they make a demand.So, let me say that before kidnappers decide to pick someone, they make sure they conduct a proper investigation to determine whether the person is rich or not. Most of the information they get comes from people within the community.

My point is that you should not be discouraged from continuing to accept Bitcoin as payment if it is truly helping your business, simply because of the news you heard about kidnappers requesting ransom in Bitcoin. As long as you are not publicly displaying wealth in a way that makes people believe you have a lot of money, I do not think kidnappers will be after you.What you need to understand is this.of all the people who have been kidnapped, how many of them were targeted specifically because of Bitcoin? Kidnapper are always after money.

[Patikno]

I have been in fear for two days straight after I heard that few numbers of people are kidnapped and I happen to know one of the victim, they are asked to pay ransom in Bitcoin, I don't know maybe I should call this stupid or not but I am lost in my thoughts....

As a developing country that I am from, my people don't even have their ways of tracking criminals on the Blockchain, even in other countries that are well developed than mine, wrench attacks still happened and none of them attackers got caught.

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

I still can't fully relate to your feelings, but it sounds like the incident involving the victim you know, has made you fearful of becoming the next victim (and I hope it doesn't happen to you).

Well, I think the problem lies with your environment, and I think you should wait until your area is safe from criminal activity. If it is still not safe, and if you still need to install the Bitcoin payment sign, then I think you should consider finding another location to do it. I haven't thought of any other solutions yet. By the way, I used to own a small business in a high-crime area, and long story short, I was forced to move to another area (due to frequent disturbance). Luckily, I haven't had any more harassment or fear of criminal activity. So, I hope that helps, or it could be a solution for you.

[Alone055]

Have two wallets, and keep one with a small deposit in them.  Then tell them that they can have all of that, but you have to cash your coins because you are not rich. In addition, you could install security cameras, and advertise the fact that all visitors are recorded on a remote server.

I don't think those who rob you, or even worse, kidnap you and ask for money as ransom won't listen to such things. If they have done their homework properly before actually kidnapping the person, they would know how much money on average the person makes from the business, and how much they should be able to afford easily, so showing them an empty wallet won't cut it, in my opinion. 

Talking about security cameras, that thing can only be effective if there is law & order, and in most of the third-world countries, that's not the case. Someone can possibly bribe the authorities and have the freedom to do whatever they want as long as they are not doing it while the authorities are around, it's unfortunate and shameful but it is the reality. So, even if you have actual proof against people who robbed you or stole from your business, that will barely do much in a country with no proper law and order.

[The Cryptovator]

I have been in fear for two days straight after I heard that few numbers of people are kidnapped and I happen to know one of the victim, they are asked to pay ransom in Bitcoin, I don't know maybe I should call this stupid or not but I am lost in my thoughts....

As a developing country that I am from, my people don't even have their ways of tracking criminals on the Blockchain, even in other countries that are well developed than mine, wrench attacks still happened and none of them attackers got caught.

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

That's the reason before sharing with someone regarding Bitcoin we should be careful. Remember, whether it's Bitcoin or physical wealth, people always will be jealous. Before trusting someone, you have to be very careful. When others know about your financial situation, especially about cryptocurrency, then they might target you. They might try to kidnap or blackmail as well.

If you use a Bitcoin-accepted signboard, that means everyone knows you are using Bitcoin and assumes you are holding it as well. So it's pretty risky for you, but it depends on your country's situation. But possibly it's harmful for you. However, you need to secure your crypto very well, and don't share it with anyone else if you are afraid. 

[Johnlomape]

I have been in fear for two days straight after I heard that few numbers of people are kidnapped and I happen to know one of the victim, they are asked to pay ransom in Bitcoin, I don't know maybe I should call this stupid or not but I am lost in my thoughts....

As a developing country that I am from, my people don't even have their ways of tracking criminals on the Blockchain, even in other countries that are well developed than mine, wrench attacks still happened and none of them attackers got caught.

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

You need to use extra tools if you know that you plan to accept payment in Bitcoin so you don't get accused of sponsoring scam when they trace illegal transactions to your wallet. The government may not care about the source of the fund entering your wallet but carr about arresting you if too much illegal transactions had been traced to your wallet. It is when problem surface that is when you will know that the government have sophisticated tools to track criminals and transactions they find suspicious when it is linked to cases like this one.

[Leon_jesus]

I have been in fear for two days straight after I heard that few numbers of people are kidnapped and I happen to know one of the victim, they are asked to pay ransom in Bitcoin, I don't know maybe I should call this stupid or not but I am lost in my thoughts....

As a developing country that I am from, my people don't even have their ways of tracking criminals on the Blockchain, even in other countries that are well developed than mine, wrench attacks still happened and none of them attackers got caught.

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

I still can't fully relate to your feelings, but it sounds like the incident involving the victim you know, has made you fearful of becoming the next victim (and I hope it doesn't happen to you).

Well, I think the problem lies with your environment, and I think you should wait until your area is safe from criminal activity. If it is still not safe, and if you still need to install the Bitcoin payment sign, then I think you should consider finding another location to do it. I haven't thought of any other solutions yet. By the way, I used to own a small business in a high-crime area, and long story short, I was forced to move to another area (due to frequent disturbance). Luckily, I haven't had any more harassment or fear of criminal activity. So, I hope that helps, or it could be a solution for you.

I can help you protect your life. I can get you a handgun, a rifle, a shotgun—anything that might help protect you—and ammunition.
Feel free to message me.
It is an act of self-defense

[Furious 7]

That might be the right decision if the consideration is safety because at least we have tried to guard against the worst but I think for other options you can also lower that but still accept bitcoin payments for certain circumstances.
In business of course we must have several subscriptions and that can also happen to you so in this case for those who are used to paying via bitcoin maybe it can still be used as an exception except for new people because this is to minimize the worst possibility.

It's just that if you really doubt this option, stop temporarily until conditions really become conducive in the area you live in, it is quite understandable because safety must still be a priority and we cannot force it if safety is at stake.

[passwordnow]

If ever I am in your shoe. As soon as the crime rates become rampant that's related to cryptocurrencies near my store area, I'll have it considered my safety and my family too. I'll have the board or that quote of bitcoin acceptance have it removed asap. But once it's too late and the criminals have already seen that, they might target and remember you. So, it's best if you're not confident about it then have your business relocate somewhere or if it's not that worse. Just simply removing that sign will save you.

Yes, it's true. Sometimes we have to assess the situation and conditions in our area, especially where we do business. If it's unsafe and prone to kidnapping or other crimes, it's best not to advertise your business accepting Bitcoin payments, as your safety is more important than anything else.

I understand the situation experienced by the OP some areas have very high crime rates, especially far from cities. This also applies in the area where I live, which is far from the city center. If you run a business like a gold shop or own a swallow's nest, the risk is very high, especially when it comes to Bitcoin. So, it's best to avoid things that attract criminals to harbor malicious intent.

But if they insist, they can hire security detail that will be in his shop if he can afford that. Yet, that also shows how important the business is and its products through those details. The bad guys will have an idea why they do that even if it's just for the safety of the business and the owner. Well, we can't speculate with things related to safety if someone's life is at risk. It's best to do what he thinks should be the best thing to do and not just go around with no one with him at all times when he's probably being remembered by these cons.

[Vaculin]

I would also do the same thing if I were on your shoe, not because I'm guilty that I have significant amount of bitcoin in my wallet, but because that would also harm my family if ever this kidnapping case turns rampant. And for the sake of your own peace, you have to get rid of the thing that scared you the most. Its better to be safe than sorry.

We have to remind ourselves that kidnappers as well do also upgrade and elevate their ransom standards. They have seen how much the value of bitcoin has increased in just a short period of time, so we should be more responsible in securing our wallet and our bitcoin assets 24/7.

[BALIK]

The reason for my fear is the fact that I have "Bitcoin Payment accepted here" displayed on my business signboard, so I think it is time for me to bring it down for my own safety. What would you have done if you are in my shoe? Any better option you have in mind?

The fact is that whether you are accepting Bitcoin or not, there can be concrete reasons for kidnappers to come after someone. The people kidnappers are usually looking for are rich individuals people from whom they believe they can get money if they make a demand.So, let me say that before kidnappers decide to pick someone, they make sure they conduct a proper investigation to determine whether the person is rich or not. Most of the information they get comes from people within the community.

My point is that you should not be discouraged from continuing to accept Bitcoin as payment if it is truly helping your business, simply because of the news you heard about kidnappers requesting ransom in Bitcoin. As long as you are not publicly displaying wealth in a way that makes people believe you have a lot of money, I do not think kidnappers will be after you.What you need to understand is this.of all the people who have been kidnapped, how many of them were targeted specifically because of Bitcoin? Kidnapper are always after money.

The truth is that crime, kidnapping for ransom, existed even before Bitcoin came along, and this evil happens daily in places with lax security. And what the kidnappers were after was people's assets and wealth, not just bitcoin.

You are right, OP's safety has nothing to do with whether or not he invest in or accept bitcoin. If he became a target of kidnappers, it was because he was considered wealthy and what they were after was his assets, not just his bitcoin.

[Peanutswar]

Its like the number of attacks for kidnap for ransom related to bitcoin as a mode of payment or even attacks just to stole their crypto is now recently increasing seen some news and threads before like that if you are still afraid to  have that kind of problem better to avoid using a crypto in the public area such as even the crypto now is widely accepting as a mode of payment but if you feel off and uneasy better to step back for a while is use a fiat currency as a mode of payment until people use it now as a normal thing.

[Zlantann]

That's the reason before sharing with someone regarding Bitcoin we should be careful. Remember, whether it's Bitcoin or physical wealth, people always will be jealous. Before trusting someone, you have to be very careful. When others know about your financial situation, especially about cryptocurrency, then they might target you. They might try to kidnap or blackmail as well.

If you use a Bitcoin-accepted signboard, that means everyone knows you are using Bitcoin and assumes you are holding it as well. So it's pretty risky for you, but it depends on your country's situation. But possibly it's harmful for you. However, you need to secure your crypto very well, and don't share it with anyone else if you are afraid. 

Even in countries that are assumed to be secure, are experiencing a rise in attack of crypto users. After watching the video of how the relatives of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder of the exchange platform Paymium, were kidnapped in broad daylight, I knew that no place is safe anymore. There is also a recent case of a 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother crypto ransom kidnapping case in France.

These days, one would need personal security if they expose their crypto assets to the public. The best option now is to live a modest life and keep your assets secret.   

[Hardyrobust]

Its like the number of attacks for kidnap for ransom related to bitcoin as a mode of payment or even attacks just to stole their crypto is now recently increasing seen some news and threads before like that if you are still afraid to  have that kind of problem better to avoid using a crypto in the public area such as even the crypto now is widely accepting as a mode of payment but if you feel off and uneasy better to step back for a while is use a fiat currency as a mode of payment until people use it now as a normal thing.

crypto currency isn't actually the cost this perpetrators are just looking for a way to cover up there identity so that they can't be traced and be punished by law . So all of this is to avoid the law from catching up with them. They see that crypto currency is the best way there victims can pay without them being known.

[promise444c5]

if you are still afraid to  have that kind of problem better to avoid using a crypto in the public area such as even the crypto now is widely accepting as a mode of payment but if you feel off and uneasy better to step back for a while is use a fiat currency as a mode of payment until people use it now as a normal thing.

If they know you’re rich in fiat they can still kidnap you..

The problem with kidnapping and asking for Bitcoin in some countries is that, they believe anyone who’s into Bitcoin is actually rich. Yeah, probably a few grand mean a lot of money in some countries, for example, a grand in my country is quite a lot of money to  most people.

Just don’t act rich  depending on your neighborhood, there’s nothing to show off other than attracting attention to yourself.

To OP, you can remove the  Bitcoin option and any crypto option from your board but you can still accept it.

[moneystery]

The problem with kidnapping and asking for Bitcoin in some countries is that they believe anyone who’s into Bitcoin is actually rich.

It's undeniable that many criminals assume that people involved with Bitcoin are wealthy after learning about its high price. But they don't realize that not many people actually hold even 1 Bitcoin, especially small-scale merchants, who typically don't hold large amounts. But that's just the way it is, their brain don't reach that point. If they could think smarter, they wouldn't become criminals.

So, for the OP, it would be best to remove the Bitcoin option on his store's door for his safety.

[iBaba]

Its like the number of attacks for kidnap for ransom related to bitcoin as a mode of payment or even attacks just to stole their crypto is now recently increasing seen some news and threads before like that if you are still afraid to  have that kind of problem better to avoid using a crypto in the public area such as even the crypto now is widely accepting as a mode of payment but if you feel off and uneasy better to step back for a while is use a fiat currency as a mode of payment until people use it now as a normal thing.

I guess all of these incidents are recorded in countries with high level of awareness about bitcoin because in countries like where I come from, people are not even this aware of the technology talk more of devising means to of collecting money or ransoms from people through bitcoin.

With the heightened level of insecurity seen in my country, banditry and so many other security threats, if these insecurity actors were to have the idea of collecting ransoms through bitcoin and if for instance the level of adoption of people have reached that level, people will be more endangered to these attacks and harms over here because the security technological advancement and apparatus that can be used to track and arrest them is not even rampant here.