Masked Robbers Use Violence to Steal Crypto from Pregnant UK Couple

A shocking incident of crypto-related violence has been reported in the UK, where a couple was brutally attacked by masked intruders in their own home. The attackers, who were guided by a remote accomplice via FaceTime, demanded that the couple hand over their cryptocurrency funds under threat of violence against the pregnant wife and unborn child.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, described the harrowing experience to the BBC. The husband, referred to as James, explained that the attackers forced their way into their residence in Solihull, southeast of Birmingham, and subjected him to physical violence, including being hit with hammers.

The attackers then pinned the pregnant wife to the sofa and suffocated her with a pillow, with James hearing her scream 'I can't breathe.' The remote accomplice guided the attackers, directing them to search for cryptocurrency wallets on the husband's phone. When they found a wallet containing a significant amount of funds, the attackers escalated their demands, threatening to stab the wife in the stomach and kill the baby if the funds were not transferred immediately.

James eventually handed over hundreds of thousands of pounds to the attackers, who then took only £10,000 in cash, leaving the rest for their remote accomplice. This incident highlights the growing trend of 'wrench attacks,' where criminals target known cryptocurrency holders, using physical violence and coercion to steal their funds. This has been seen in recent cases, including a fatal robbery in Mexico, where a victim's acquaintances sought a hardware wallet allegedly containing $1.5 million worth of Bitcoin.