Wrench Attack

Harry Yeh

2026-08-10 05:18:19

Paraguay probes death of crypto investor Harry Yeh, weighing accident, suicide and homicide

Paraguayan authorities are investigating the death of Harry Chun Tak Yeh, the founder and managing partner of Quantum Fintech Group, after he was found dead outside a luxury apartment building in Asuncion in the early hours of Aug. 7, 2026. Prosecutors are examining three possibilities at the same time — accident, suicide, and homicide — and have not released evidence linking any person to the fall. Yeh was initially identified at the scene after police responded to a 4:30 a.m. call involving the Jade Park building in the Trinidad district. Local investigators found details that have drawn attention inside the crypto industry: Yeh was reportedly naked, covered with a black plastic bag, believed to have fallen from the 30th floor, and his apartment door on that floor was open with the interior ransacked. Yeh had long been a visible figure in crypto markets. He publicly described himself as overseeing more than $2.4 billion in assets, said he first bought BTC with $500 in 2013 when bitcoin traded around $60, and later built Binary Financial into what became Quantum Fintech Group. He also became well known through Fantom and Tomb Finance, where total value locked rose from $2.5 million to a peak of $1.6 billion within four months after he took over the team in 2021. The circumstances of his death have triggered discussion around so-called wrench attacks, though prosecutors have not characterized the case that way. A Chainalysis report published on Aug. 6 said 46 confirmed wrench attacks against crypto holders were recorded globally in the first half of 2026, with losses topping $30 million.

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Bitcoin

2026-08-05 09:52:42

Former LAPD officer sentenced to life plus 15 years over $350,000 Bitcoin home-invasion robbery

A former Los Angeles Police Department officer, Eric Halem, was sentenced Tuesday to life plus 15 years in state prison in connection with a home-invasion robbery that stripped a teenager of $350,000 in Bitcoin, according to the Los Angeles Times. Halem, 38, had been convicted in March on kidnapping and robbery counts after a two-week trial, with jurors reaching a verdict in less than a day. Judge Mildred Escobedo denied a last-minute motion for a new trial and said the evidence showed a defendant willing to use violence out of “sheer and utter greed.” Prosecutors said Halem and three other men entered a Koreatown apartment in the early hours of Dec. 28, 2024, handcuffed two victims, moved funds from their crypto account, and stole cash and jewelry while posing as police. The case also points to a broader rise in violent “wrench attacks” targeting crypto holders. CertiK said it verified 52 such attacks worldwide in the first half of 2026, with losses totaling $124.1 million.

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crypto crime

2026-07-24 01:20:16

Crypto Violence Rises as Wrench Attacks Jump 75% in 2025

CertiK said 72 confirmed wrench attacks hit crypto holders worldwide in 2025, up 75% year over year. Europe made up over 40% of cases, with France reporting 19 incidents.

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The Sandbox

2026-07-23 16:40:15

France Tightens Crypto Kidnapping Defenses After Attempted Abduction Linked to The Sandbox Co-founder’s Family

An attempted kidnapping targeting the wife of The Sandbox co-founder Sébastien Borget has intensified scrutiny of crypto-related wrench attacks in France, where police have recorded 41 such abductions this year and are expanding prevention measures.

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wrench attack

2026-07-23 10:25:15

France Becomes Global Hotspot for Crypto Wrench Attacks: 41 Kidnappings This Year, One Every 2.5 Days

Bitcoin journalist Joe Nakamoto reports France accounts for 70% of reported crypto wrench attacks, with 41 crypto-linked kidnappings in 2026. 88 suspects charged in April raids.

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Bitcoin

2026-07-22 20:25:14

French Couple Forced to Transfer $980K in Bitcoin by Fake Police in Crypto Wrench Attack

Three attackers posing as police robbed a French couple of €900,000 in Bitcoin at knifepoint. The incident adds to a rise in crypto wrench attacks in France.

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Bitcoin

2026-07-22 05:13:15

Fake Police Force Paris-Area Couple to Transfer $1 Million in Bitcoin

A couple in their 50s in France was attacked by three knife-wielding robbers posing as police and forced to transfer roughly €900,000 in Bitcoin. The case highlights the growing threat of physical crypto extortion in France and across Europe.

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Canadian cryp

2026-07-02 17:00:14

Canadian Crypto Millionaire Survives Foiled Kidnapping in Madrid: Zip Ties, Pepper Spray and Sleeping Pills

On the night of July 1, 2026, a Canadian crypto entrepreneur narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt on one of Madrid's busiest nightlife streets. Three assailants used pepper spray, zip ties, and sedative pills to subdue him and forced him into a Ford Transit van, aiming to extract his cryptocurrency passwords and access his digital assets. Police, alerted by witnesses, arrested two Serbian suspects (ages 33 and 45) while a third remains at large. The van, rented specifically for the abduction, featured altered license plates and GPS data pointing to Petrer, Alicante. The incident highlights a rising trend of 'wrench attacks' across Europe, with France reporting 11 similar cases in 2026 alone. The victim freed himself from restraints and sought medical treatment. Authorities continue to investigate potential accomplices and surveillance patterns.

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