A Colorado man has taken legal action against the parents of two British teenagers who he alleges stole nearly $800,000 worth of Bitcoin from his digital wallet. The theft occurred in January 2018, when cyber-thieves used malware to swipe 16.4 Bitcoin from Andrew Schober as he was transferring his cryptocurrency between virtual wallets.
In an effort to recover his stolen funds, Schober hired private investigators at a cost of approximately $10,000 to identify the culprits. The investigators pinpointed two British youths, Benedict Thompson and Oliver Read, who were minors at the time of the theft, as the individuals responsible for the crime. Schober initially reached out to one of the boys’ parents in December 2019, offering to forgo legal action if the stolen funds were returned. However, receiving no response, Schober proceeded to file a formal complaint against Thompson, Read, and their parents.
In the complaint, Schober alleges that Thompson and Read, both skilled software developers and computer science students, developed and deployed clipboard hijacking malware to steal his Bitcoin. The stolen cryptocurrency represented approximately 95% of Schober’s net wealth at the time, causing significant distress for the past three years.
Schober claims that the parents of the accused cyber-thieves were aware or should have been aware of their children’s involvement in illegal computer activities and crypto-currency theft. He asserts that they failed to take reasonable steps to prevent their sons from engaging in such criminal behavior.
While Thompson and Read have not denied Schober’s allegations, they have argued that the statute of limitations on the theft had expired before the legal claim was filed. The case is ongoing, as Schober seeks to recover his stolen Bitcoin and hold the parents of the accused teenagers accountable for their alleged negligence.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale about the risks associated with storing and transferring cryptocurrency, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity measures to protect digital assets from malicious actors.