French Couple Held Hostage in Cryptocurrency Extortion Attempt
A French couple was held hostage in their home for over two hours by masked, armed men who threatened to harm them unless they transferred cryptocurrency. The attackers escaped when police arrived, and the couple's child was present during the ordeal.
The incident is part of a larger trend in France, where there have been around 80 similar attacks since January. In July, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that France had recorded 77 cases of kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion or attempted crimes linked to crypto by the end of June, compared to 45 cases in all of 2025.
The attackers often use stolen data files and accumulated leaks to target individuals who hold cryptocurrency. According to CertiK's H1 2026 wrench-attack report, 33 out of 52 verified cases worldwide were in France, accounting for about 63.5% of the global total.