Russia Complains That Assassins Are Getting Paid in Cryptocurrencies

A Russian official says that contract killers have moved to the blockchain.

Crypto Hitties

According to Russian state-owned news agency TASS, hired assassins are taking cryptocurrencies as payment for their crimes.

"We are investigating cases of professional perpetrators who are specialists in the IT sphere and feel confident in the cyber environment, who meticulously plan crimes and use the whole possible range of means to maintain their anonymity and be left unpunished, from VPN services to cyber securities," head of Russia's cyber and IT crimes department Konstantin Komarda told TASS.

"For instance, it was identified that a cryptocurrency was used as payment in contract killing cases," he added.

License to Kill

There have long been rumors of hit men who take cryptocurrency as payment, but most are scams.

The complaint is also ironic, since critics of Russian president Vladimir Putin have been known to end up being poisoned or fall out a window.

READ MORE: Contract killers accept cryptocurrencies as payment, Russian agency says [TASS]

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