French criminals disguised as fake police officers used knives to force a couple in their 50s in Paris to transfer 1 million USD in BTC.

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On the morning of March 9, 2026, a couple in their 50s in France had their home broken into by three individuals disguised as police officers wielding knives. The husband was tied up and forced to transfer approximately 900,000 EUR (about 1 million USD) in Bitcoin on the spot before the perpetrators fled in a white van. (Previous coverage: French crypto mogul receives "severed finger video" of father demanding millions in ransom; all 7 suspects are in their 20s) (Background: French Interior Minister urgently summons crypto moguls! Kidnappings and extortion cases surge; advice: don't wear Web3 apparel or post screenshots online) The risk of crypto assets can arrive at your doorstep. This case involved no phishing links—only a knife, a rope, and three criminals disguised as police. On the morning of Monday, March 9, in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, Yvelines, France—less than two kilometers from the Palace of Versailles—three perpetrators dressed as police officers used their fake law enforcement status to enter a residence occupied by a couple in their 50s. The perpetrators threatened the couple with knives and tied up the husband; both were injured during the ordeal. The husband was forced to access his wallet and transfer approximately 900,000 EUR (nearly 1 million USD) in Bitcoin on the spot. After obtaining the funds, the three fled in a white van. French police are currently investigating, but no arrests have been made after more than a month. This type of robbery is known as a "wrench attack," as a single wrench is enough to threaten a victim into transferring their cryptocurrency. According to the CertiK 2025 Year-End Security Report, a total of 72 verified "physical" coercion cases involving the surrender of cryptocurrency were recorded throughout the year, a 75% increase from 2024, with financial losses reaching 40.9 million USD, a 44% increase. More critically, the probability of victims being injured has surged, with physical assaults jumping from 4 cases in 2024 to 14 in 2025, an increase of 250%. Europe now accounts for over 40% of global incidents (up from just 22% in 2024), with France topping the list at 19 cases in a single year, far exceeding the 8 cases in the US. The most prominent example is the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife in January 2025, where the perpetrators severed one of his fingers to send to his associates, demanding a ransom of up to 10 million EUR. To avoid such attacks, the first step is to refrain from discussing holdings or posting asset screenshots in public. Second, try to isolate your on-chain identity from your real-world identity to minimize publicly linkable information. For instance, using a multi-sig wallet can distribute key control across different locations or even different people. Of course, it is also essential to keep a "small-balance wallet" to hand over to attackers, otherwise, your life might be at risk.

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