Tigran Gambaryan, an employee of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, was detained by the Nigerian government, heralding a dispute that has spurred international attention. Accused of financial crimes, Gambaryan, a former IRS criminal investigator with an extensive background in significant cryptocurrency-related criminal cases, has faced malaria and pneumonia while in custody. The incident has strained diplomatic relations, with U.S. officials and Congress members actively seeking his release and deeming his detention a means of extortion by the Nigerian government. The ongoing detention and the health issues it has engendered, as well as the growing political pressure, highlight the risks associated with cryptocurrency exchanges operating internationally.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/tigran-gambaryan-us-congress-resolution-hostage-nigeria/
TPRM report: https://scoringcyber.rankiteo.com/company/binance
"id": "bin000071324",
"linkid": "binance",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "7/2024",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Finance',
'location': 'International',
'name': 'Binance',
'type': 'Cryptocurrency Exchange'}],
'description': 'Tigran Gambaryan, an employee of cryptocurrency exchange '
'Binance, was detained by the Nigerian government, accused of '
'financial crimes. The incident has strained diplomatic '
'relations and highlighted the risks associated with '
'cryptocurrency exchanges operating internationally.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['Strained diplomatic relations',
'International attention']},
'motivation': 'Extortion',
'response': {'third_party_assistance': ['U.S. officials', 'Congress members']},
'threat_actor': 'Nigerian Government',
'title': 'Detention of Binance Employee Tigran Gambaryan by Nigerian '
'Government',
'type': 'Detention and Extortion'}