Authorities suspect a Southern California grandfather who vanished more than a year ago may have been kidnapped in a plot targeting his cryptocurrency fortune.

NaiPing Hou, 74, was last seen on March 16, 2025, in Rancho Cucamonga and was reported missing weeks later on May 4. The FBI has since joined the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in the search.

Signs of foul play

What we know:

Early on, investigators treated the case as a suspicious disappearance. Evidence now points to a possible abduction. Following Hou’s disappearance, his bank accounts were drained of more than $1 million through unauthorized transactions, including the purchase of gold bars and cryptocurrency, according to sheriff’s officials and the…