A violent home invasion in Le Chesnay, a suburb west of Paris, left a French couple in their late fifties forced to transfer roughly $1 million in cryptocurrency to armed assailants. The incident unfolded Monday morning when three individuals posing as police officers gained entry to the couple’s residence.
to a source close to the investigation, the woman opened the door and was immediately pushed inside. One attacker brandished a knife, threatening her partner to transfer the equivalent of 900,000 euros in bitcoin. He complied under duress, authorities confirmed.
The attackers tied up the man and left the woman with a minor injury. They then escaped in a white van. The frightening ordeal ended around 9 a.m. when the woman managed to free her husband and call neighbors for help.
The Versailles prosecutor’s office is now investigating the case for kidnapping, armed robbery by an organized gang, and criminal conspiracy. The Brigade for the Repression of Banditry (BRB) is leading the investigation, but so far, no arrests have been made.
This attack represents a new trend in cryptocurrency-related criminal activities, dubbed “wrench attacks.” In this, criminals evade online security systems through physical intimidation. This trend involves criminals targeting known cryptocurrency holders in various parts of Europe, forcing them to make transfers under duress.
In a different case, assailants a wrench attack on David Prinçay, who is the president of Binance France, in France last month, though they did not succeed.
Violent crypto-related attacks are no longer just happening in France. In Hong Kong, a mainland Chinese businessman lost about $680,000 in cryptocurrency and HK$800,000 in silver during a brutal robbery. The forced him to give up account access and also took physical assets.
According to CertiK’s latest , there has been a 75% jump in physical crypto crimes worldwide in 2025. Europe now accounts for over 40% of these incidents. Apart from breaking homes directly, criminals also use “honey pot” schemes, going after spouses or family members to make victims comply. Hence, experts warn that cryptocurrency holders must protect both their digital wallets and their personal safety to stay secure.
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