A couple in western Paris was held hostage and forced to transfer roughly €900,000 ($980,000) in Bitcoin after three criminals posing as police broke into their home — the latest example of a crypto "wrench attack." The attack occurred Monday morning in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, Yvelines. The suspects rang the doorbell claiming to be officers. When the woman opened the door, they forced their way in, threatened her with a knife, and demanded that her partner transfer cryptocurrency to a wallet under their control.
Knife-point robbery and escape
Under duress, the husband complied and transferred the equivalent of €900,000 in Bitcoin (BTC). The attackers then tied him up while the woman suffered minor injuries before the group fled in a white van. The woman later managed to free her husband and alert neighbors. The Versailles prosecutor's office has opened an investigation on charges including organized armed robbery, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy. France's Brigade for the Repression of Banditry (BRB) is handling the case; no arrests have been reported so far.
France's wave of wrench attacks
The incident adds to a surge in so-called "wrench attacks," where criminals use physical coercion rather than technical hacks to force victims to hand over digital assets. France has emerged as a major hotspot: earlier reports show dozens of crypto-linked kidnappings and extortion attempts, with investors and their relatives increasingly targeted as crypto values rise. The number of verified wrench attacks worldwide jumped significantly in 2025, with France accounting for a notable share. Recent cases include the kidnapping of relatives of crypto entrepreneurs and violent robberies aimed at forcing crypto transfers. Authorities have made arrests in some investigations, but attacks continue across the country.