Dad of crypto king mysteriously vanished in LA. Then ‘creepy texts’ from him started to arrive in the family group chat
Suspicious text messages on a family group chat have sparked an investigation into the disappearance of the father of a well-known crypto investor – with relatives fearing he may have been kidnapped.
Naiping Hou, 74, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, was last seen on March 18. His family was alerted after the semi-retired grandpa began dodging phone calls and declining visits to see his grandchildren.
Hou is the father of Wen Hou, a hedge fund and cryptocurrency investor who serves as the chief investment officer at Coincident Capital.
The younger Hou told The Los Angeles Times that his father had become oddly detached on a family group chat since March, but that concerns over his father’s wellbeing came to a head on his birthday on May 3. Naiping Hou had been invited to spend his birthday at his son’s Las Vegas residence, but he declined. After his son sent him a birthday gift of handmade Chinese noodles, whoever was controlling the phone did not answer any calls.
Instead of thanks for the gift, as they expected, a text message was sent reading simply: “Yes I receive it.”
The next morning, the family went to his home and found the noodle package still on the stoop. Inside, they said the furniture was missing and it appeared a new paint job had been done. The cars were missing from the garage, as well.
Naiping Hou was in China at the time. She also received a strange text message from her husband that told her to cancel her flight home and he would join her in Asia.
“We really are devastated, really sad, and we want him back if possible,” Wen Hou told The Times. “We are pretty upset about how this was discovered so late and a bit upset about ourselves that we didn’t find these clues earlier.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, which is now investigating the disappearance, confirmed they believed the elder Hou’s phone was being “used by an unknown individual(s) who impersonated him to communicate with family members.”
According to police, who investigated the home on May 4, evidence was found that “indicated Naiping may have been kidnapped.”
“There has been unexplained and suspicious activity with Naiping’s financial accounts and property; Draining of his accounts, unauthorized sales of his vehicles, gifting of items and the attempted renting of his home,” the sheriff’s office said.
The office added that evidence also suggested that individuals connected to the crime may have ties to both the Los Angeles area and the Inland Empire.
“The suspects are believed to be using sophisticated and deceptive tactics and are considered highly dangerous.”
In addition, Wen Hou has offered a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to the safe return of his father, or the identification of those involved. A website – findnaipinghou.com – has also been launched.
“We really are devastated, really sad, and we want him back if possible,” Wen Hou told The Times. “We are pretty upset about how this was discovered so late and a bit upset about ourselves that we didn’t find these clues earlier.”
