In a troubling development, Russian actor Pasha Tkachenko fell victim to a cryptocurrency scam that cost him over 7.5 bitcoin, worth approximately $262,000 at the time.
According to a report published on Monday, September 25th 2023 by the Russian news agency Baza, Tkachenko was introduced to entrepreneur Grigory Muluzyan in late 2021 by a colleague. Lured by the prospect of easy profits, Tkachenko deposited 7.5 BTC into Muluzyan’s wallet and granted him full access to trade cryptocurrencies on his behalf.
Initially, Tkachenko received steady monthly returns of around 10% on his investment, supposedly from Muluzyan’s crypto trading activities. However, the profits soon dried up. The first red flag came while Tkachenko was filming in Crimea – he suddenly lost access to the account and 10 BTC were frozen. Muluzyan claimed this was due to restrictions on Crimean users, and demanded Tkachenko deposit an additional 0.5 BTC to regain access.
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In the summer of 2022, Tkachenko and a friend were presented with an opportunity to buy shares in Muluzyan’s crypto business for $150,000. But as bitcoin prices plummeted in the coming months, Muluzyan advised Tkachenko to sell his coins. It eventually dawned on Tkachenko that his investments had vanished, the promised crypto business didn’t exist, and he had been deceived out of $262,000.
Frustrated, the 41-year-old actor reported the scam to the police. While celebrities often promote dubious crypto projects, Tkachenko found himself on the wrong end of a deception that has cost him dearly. His experience serves as a cautionary tale on the risks of FOMO investing in the volatile world of cryptocurrency.