Authorities say 75 suspects are in pre-trial detention as part of 12 ongoing investigations involving kidnappings, home invasions, intimidation, and forced wallet transfers. Investigators believe some cases are linked to organized criminal networks, while security experts have urged crypto holders to limit public exposure of their wealth online.
France Cracks Down on Violent Attacks
A sharp rise in violent “wrench attacks” targeting crypto owners caused serious concern in France, where authorities say at least 88 people, including 10 minors, have now been indicted in connection with a wave of crimes.
According to Vanessa Perrée, France’s national prosecutor for organized crime, 75 of those charged are currently being held in pre-trial detention. The arrests relate to 12 separate cases under investigation by specialized judges at the Paris Judicial Court and overseen by the National Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
LinkedIn post from France’s national prosecutor for organized crime
Wrench attacks are crimes in which offenders use physical force, intimidation, kidnapping, or home invasions to force victims to hand over access to their cryptocurrency wallets. Unlike cyberattacks that rely on hacking, these crimes target individuals directly, and often include using threats or violence to obtain digital assets.
French prosecutors described the offenses as especially serious due to the severe personal harm inflicted on victims and the organized methods used to extort crypto transfers under duress.
The scale of the problem has escalated a lot. Authorities recorded 18 incidents in 2024, which then rose to 67 in 2025. So far, 47 incidents have already been reported in 2026. This suggests the current year could surpass previous records if the trend continues.
France is not alone in facing the issue. Blockchain security firm CertiK reported a 75% global increase in wrench attacks during 2025 compared with the year before.
Investigators in France say progress has been made by linking several cases together after discovering repeated involvement by some suspects. These findings suggest the presence of structured criminal networks rather than isolated offenders. Prosecutors say investigations are still identifying all participants, tracing financial flows, and dismantling the organizations responsible.
Security experts warned cryptocurrency users to be more cautious about revealing wealth online. Prosecutors advised investors and their families to avoid oversharing on social media, where displays of luxury lifestyles or public discussions of crypto holdings may attract criminals. They also warned against scammers impersonating law enforcement or judicial officials in attempts to gather private information.
Pavel Durov recently claimed that the increase in attacks in France may also be linked to the alleged misuse of crypto investors’ tax data by a former tax official.
Source: https://coinpaper.com/16606/france-indicts-88-suspects-in-violent-crypto-wrench-attacks
