France hit by 40+ crypto kidnappings as “wrench attacks” surge

France saw 40+ crypto kidnappings since 2023 amid a 75% wrench‑attack surge, driven by overseas‑coordinated gangs targeting visible wealth.

Summary

• French police memo links 40+ kidnappings between Jul 2023–Dec 2025 to crypto motives, with organizers operating from abroad via local recruiters.
• Victims are mostly 20–35‑year‑old male investors, entrepreneurs, or influencers monitored through social media before kidnappings or home invasions.
• CertiK reports 72 wrench attacks in 2025, up 75% YoY, with losses above $40.9m and physical assaults jumping 250%.

More than 40 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings occurred in France between July 2023 and the end of 2025, with evidence pointing to overseas organizers coordinating the crimes, according to French law enforcement authorities.

A confidential report from the Organized Crime Information, Intelligence and Strategic Analysis Service of the Judicial Police (SIRASCO) revealed the findings, French news outlet Franceinfo reported.

The kidnappings are typically orchestrated by organizers based abroad who coordinate with recruiters in France, according to the report. The recruiters connect the organizers with young individuals who have criminal records and carry out online intimidation and physical attacks.

Victims are typically men between the ages of 20 and 35 who are involved with digital assets as investors, entrepreneurs or influencers, the report stated. Many victims display their wealth on social media platforms, enabling kidnappers to monitor their daily routines and those of their family members, who are also targeted.

Physical attacks against cryptocurrency holders now constitute a “structural threat” to digital asset ownership, according to blockchain security firm CertiK. The firm reported earlier this month that “wrench attacks” — incidents in which criminals use violence, intimidation or confinement to force cryptocurrency holders to reveal private keys or passwords — increased by 75% last year.

CertiK documented 71 incidents in 2025 that resulted in significant losses, representing a 44% year-on-year increase, the firm stated.

Kidnapping represents the most common form of wrench attack, according to CertiK. The blockchain security firm also reported that physical assaults rose by 250% last year, indicating what it described as “a clear escalation in brutality.”