France sees an average of one crypto kidnapping every 2.5 days—authorities have finally had enough.
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France sees an average of one crypto kidnapping every 2.5 days—authorities have finally had enough.
France is preparing new measures to protect cryptocurrency holders.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Cointelegraph
Translated and edited by TechFlow
TechFlow Intro: Since 2026, France has witnessed an average of one kidnapping targeting cryptocurrency holders every 2.5 days—totaling 41 cases to date—making it a global hotspot for such crimes. In the latest incident, the wife and 11-year-old child of a crypto entrepreneur were kidnapped, with a ransom demand of €400,000. France’s Deputy Minister of the Interior finally pledged at Paris Blockchain Week to unveil a “more serious” protection plan within weeks—but for holders, this response appears to have come too late.
Jean-Didier Berger, France’s Deputy Minister of the Interior, stated that authorities are taking measures to protect cryptocurrency investors from the growing threat of crypto-related kidnappings and “wrench attacks” in the country.
Berger said, during Paris Blockchain Week, that his office has implemented “preventive measures” against crypto wrench attacks—including launching a prevention platform that has attracted thousands of registrations. He added that he is collaborating with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to roll out what he calls a “more serious” plan in the coming weeks.
Just days earlier, another crypto-related kidnapping was reported in France this week. On Monday, a mother and her 11-year-old child were abducted in Burgundy by four suspects, who demanded a €400,000 (approximately $471,000) ransom from the child’s father—a crypto entrepreneur. According to France 24, citing the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, authorities apprehended the suspects and rescued the victims on Tuesday morning.
France has become one of the most prominent global centers for so-called “wrench attacks,” in which victims are threatened or physically assaulted to force them to transfer digital assets. The French government now faces mounting pressure to respond.
Alarming Surge in Wrench Attacks in France
According to local news outlet RTL, reporting on Wednesday, France has recorded 41 crypto-related kidnappings since the start of this year—meaning an average of one such attack every 2.5 days in 2026.
Data from cybersecurity platform CertiK shows that globally verified wrench attacks rose by 75% in 2025, reaching 72 confirmed cases. France experienced the highest number of such incidents in 2025, with 19 confirmed wrench attacks, while Europe accounted for roughly 40% of all global cases.
In another incident, a French couple in their fifties was robbed of $1 million worth of Bitcoin by criminals posing as police officers. Cointelegraph reported this case on March 10.
Earlier, in February, French police arrested six individuals involved in the kidnapping of a judge and his mother—a crypto ransom attack targeting the judge’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur.
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