A mother and her 11-year-old son were rescued in a police raid after being kidnapped by masked men who demanded a cryptocurrency ransom, according to multiple reports. The kidnapping occurred after a botched plot to steal cryptocurrency, with four masked men breaking into the family home, tying the father to a chair, and abducting the mother and son, a witness report stated. The kidnappers demanded a transfer of $400,000 (£295,000) in cryptocurrency, beat the father, and threatened to mutilate him, prosecutors said. They also stole €10,000 (£8,600) in cash, jewelry, silver ingots, and a rifle from the home. The kidnappers abducted the woman and child because they discovered a seven-day wait for the crypto transfer, multiple reports indicate. The father freed himself and alerted a friend, who contacted authorities, and investigators traced the victims to a hotel room in Boissy-Saint-Léger based on videos sent to the father, a report noted. Seven people were arrested after an elite police unit (GIGN) raided an address in Boissy-Saint-Léger, France, according to multiple reports. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez congratulated the gendarmerie and the GIGN for their decisive action which made it possible to free the hostages and arrest the perpetrators. Whether the kidnappers successfully obtained any cryptocurrency before the rescue remains unknown.
This incident reflects a broader trend of crypto-related kidnappings and robberies in France. There have been other crypto-related kidnappings in France, including a couple forced to transfer £800,000 in Bitcoin last month, multiple reports indicate. In May 2025, a 34-year-old woman and her two-year-old child were attacked in Paris by masked men in a delivery van, but the woman's boyfriend, a crypto exchange CEO, fought them off, according to multiple reports. David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, was abducted with his wife last year and held for two days. His kidnappers cut off his finger and sent a video to his business partner demanding money, multiple reports indicate. Six people were arrested last month after a court magistrate and her mother were held captive for 30 hours in a crypto ransom plot in Lyon, multiple reports show. 'Wrench attacks' targeting wealthy crypto users increased by 75% last year to 72 verified cases worldwide, with France having the highest at 19 cases, according to cybersecurity platform CertiK. Incidents involving cryptocurrency-related kidnappings have increased a great deal since early 2025, coinciding with broader public awareness of digital asset wealth and the growing number of individuals holding large amounts of crypto, French authorities reported. The total number of arrests made across all reported crypto-related kidnapping and robbery cases in France and the UK has not been publicly disclosed.
This is an organized campaign targeting crypto figures. People need to be vigilant.
In the UK, a similar case targeted a crypto CEO and his family. Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie, his wife, and their two children were tied up and robbed at knifepoint by thieves demanding cryptocurrency in Maidenhead, Berkshire, on April 2, according to multiple reports. The thieves demanded the keycode to Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie's electronic wallet but left without digital currency, trashing his home and stealing cash, silver, and jewelry, multiple reports indicate. Thames Valley Police said the thieves broke into the home at around 10pm while the homeowners were in the kitchen, with some suspects wearing gloves and face coverings, detectives reported. The suspects were described as a black man in his mid-20s, a black male in his late teens, an Asian man in his late 20s or early 30s, and a black man in his early 30s, multiple reports show. No arrests have been made in the Maidenhead case, and the identity and current status of the suspects remain unknown. Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie is CEO of Greater Things and previously founded BCB Group, multiple reports note. Oliver von Landsberg-Sadie described this as an organized campaign targeting crypto figures, adding that people need to be vigilant, according to Daily Mail - Home.
A detailed account from France illustrates the violent methods used in these crimes. A couple in their late 50s in Yvelines, France, were held at knifepoint by attackers in fake police uniforms and forced to transfer cryptocurrency. The suspects entered the couple’s residence after presenting themselves as police officers, prosecutors in Versailles reported. When the woman, 58, opened the door, the intruders forced their way inside and began threatening the couple, according to law enforcement sources cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and TF1-LCI. One of the suspects brandished a knife and threatened the woman with violence unless her husband, 59, transferred cryptocurrency to an account controlled by the attackers. Under duress, the husband executed the transaction, sending the equivalent of €900,000 in bitcoin, authorities reported. After the transfer was completed, the suspects tied the man up and forced both victims to sit on a sofa inside their home. The attackers beat the couple and tied up the husband with rope before fleeing in a white van. The woman suffered a shoulder injury during the ordeal, police sources familiar with the investigation said. The incident ended around 9 a.m. local time when the injured woman managed to free her husband and contact neighbors for assistance. Contradictions exist regarding the cryptocurrency amount transferred: some sources report approximately £800,000 in Bitcoin, while others cite €900,000 worth of bitcoin, which could reflect currency conversion issues, rounding, or varying details from authorities.
Investigation details and official responses highlight the challenges in combating this crypto crime wave. No arrests have been made in the Yvelines case, and it is being investigated by the Banditry Repression Brigade, prosecutors in Versailles said. The case is being investigated as kidnapping, armed robbery carried out by an organized group, and criminal conspiracy, prosecutors reported. The investigation is being led by the Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB), a specialized French police unit that handles organized crime cases. One of the most high-profile cases occurred in January 2025, when David Balland, co-founder of cryptocurrency hardware wallet company Ledger, was kidnapped. French tactical units later rescued Balland during a GIGN assault operation, while his wife was freed in a separate rescue effort by gendarmes. Another case unfolded on May 1 in central Paris when four masked men abducted the father of a man known to have accumulated significant cryptocurrency wealth. Police ultimately located and freed the victim after the kidnappers demanded several million euros in cryptocurrency as ransom. Investigators say the cases highlight a troubling trend in which criminals increasingly target individuals believed to control digital assets, attempting to extract cryptocurrency through coercion, kidnapping, or home invasion. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the destination wallet involved in Monday’s bitcoin transfer, and blockchain analysis firms often assist investigators in tracing such transactions. Whether the Yvelines home invasion is connected to other crypto-related crimes in France is under investigation.