Crypto: France Arrests Six Suspects Over Crypto Ransom Kidnapping Of...
Six people have been detained after a French magistrate and her mother were abducted in a crypto ransom plot, intensifying concerns over a surge in violent “wrench attacks” in France.
French police have reportedly arrested six people, including a minor, over the kidnapping of a 35‑year‑old magistrate and her 67‑year‑old mother in a cryptocurrency‑linked ransom plot targeting the magistrate’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur.
According to a France 24 report, citing the AFP, the magistrate’s partner received a photo of her and a threat to mutilate the hostages if a cryptocurrency payment was not made.
The two women were held for around 30 hours in a garage in the Drôme region before managing to raise the alarm and escape without any ransom being paid.
The case comes amid a broader surge in crypto‑related kidnappings in France. In 2025, French authorities charged 25 suspects, including several minors, over a series of kidnappings and attempted kidnappings of crypto investors and executives, with ransoms allegedly demanded in digital assets.
Related: Wrench attacks against crypto holders are rising and growing ‘more violent’
In that same year, the attempted abduction of the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, co‑founder and CEO of French crypto exchange Paymium, was thwarted after the victim fought back and escaped from her attackers.
Earlier French cases include an assault on a Ledger wallet user near Paris, in which attackers tried to force the victim to transfer crypto, and the kidnapping of Ledger co‑founder David Balland and his partner, during which Balland had part of his finger cut off before being freed.
France has attracted attention from crypto security researchers tracking so‑called “wrench attacks,” physical assaults, home invasions and kidnappings aimed at extracting private keys.
Bitcoin (BTC) security advocate Jameson Lopp said Friday that “8 of the 10 wrench attacks so far this year have been in France.”
Source: CoinTelegraph
