French Crypto Worker Forced to Transfer €40,000 as Gang Ties Up Family

Four masked men entered a home in Vendin-le-Vieil, Pas‑de‑Calais, early on September 20 and held a family hostage for more than three hours. The father, an IT specialist employed in the crypto industry, was forced to hand over €40,000 worth of cryptocurrency after the attackers obtained his identification details and access codes.

Details of the assault

The intruders bound both parents and their two children, aged 8 and 12, with black tape. According to a source close to the investigation, the 12‑year‑old daughter was struck in the face with a car key. After the forced transfer, the perpetrators left the premises, and firefighters treated the family for shock.

Police response

French prosecutors have opened a case on charges of confinement and extortion by an organized gang. The investigation is being handled by the interdepartmental judicial police of Pas‑de‑Calais and Nord, together with France’s anti‑cybercrime office. No arrests have been made and the four suspects remain at large.

Broader context of crypto‑related crime in France

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that, since January, France has recorded 77 kidnappings, confinements, extortions or attempts linked to the crypto sector. Chainalysis data shows 30 publicly known French incidents through mid‑2026, up from 19 in 2025, with the monthly rate rising from about 1.9 to 4.6 attacks. The increase follows a 2024 breach in which a Paris‑area tax official allegedly stole and sold dossiers on wealthy crypto holders.

Home invasions now account for 37% of global crypto‑related incidents, and in France more than 40% of attacks target a relative rather than the primary holder. Executives have also been targeted, as seen in the February raid on the Binance France office.