CRYPTO CRIME | France Takes ‘Preventative Measures’ Following Increased Crypto Wrench Attacks

France’s interior minister is weighing new security measures for cryptocurrency executives and investors following a surge in violent “wrench attacks” and kidnappings targeting the sector.

The move comes after a string of incidents in which attackers have used physical force or abduction to coerce victims into handing over digital assets highlighting a growing security threat tied to crypto ownership. France has emerged as a global hotspot for such crimes, with authorities warning that organized criminal networks are increasingly involved.

The minister is expected to meet with industry participants to discuss ways to improve protection, including potential coordination with law enforcement and enhanced personal security practices.

At the same time, the interior minister’s office had launched a platform to prevent against cyrpto wrench attacks. So far, the platform has reportedly drawn thousands of signups with a more serious plan in the coming weeks.

So-called wrench attacks, where victims are forced to surrender private keys, have risen sharply in recent years with kidnappings becoming a primary tactic in several high-profile cases across the country.

So far in 2026, France has already reported 41 crypto-related kidnappings, as of this writing, which is equal to a kidnapping every 2 and half days. This is an exponential increase, whereas the police had only recorded around twenty kidnappings between 2023 and 2025. 

Here are some recent cases:

• An entire family – grandparents, parents, and grandchildren – in a holiday home in Anglet in April 2026 was kidnapped. Five criminals tied up the mother and children with electrical cable and beat the father and grandfather in an attempt to obtain, unsuccessfully, the contact details of the owner, who held cryptocurrency. 

• In April 2026, a mother and her 11-year-old son in a village in the Yonne region, in front of the father, who was beaten and then tied up with cable ties. The kidnappers initially demanded and received a transfer of 400,000 euros in cryptocurrency before getting arrested.

• A French couple in their late 50s were robbed of $1 million in BTC by criminals posing as police officers.

• In February 2026, a magistrate and her daughter were kidnapped in Isere, France and subjected to violence in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain the crypto of the judge’s partner.

• In December 2025, however, three assailants stole 8 million euros from a crypto investor, who was being held hostage at his home near La Rochelle.

Other recent waves of arrests point to unrestrained violence including cutting off of body parts with scenes of torture filmed and sent to relatives.

The crackdown reflects growing concern among officials that the physical risks of holding digital assets are escalating even as the industry expands.

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