Overview
- A family in Vendin-le-Vieil was taken hostage by four masked men early on Sunday, with the father, a crypto industry IT employee, forced to provide access codes.
- The assailants made off with around €40,000, equivalent to $46,000. All suspects are currently at large.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, four masked intruders broke into a home in Vendin-le-Vieil, France, and held a couple and their two children hostage, compelling the father to transfer approximately €40,000 in cryptocurrency, as reported by BFMTV.
According to the Béthune prosecutor's office, the attackers entered around 4 a.m. and bound the family with tape. They remained in the home for over three hours, as noted by a police source who spoke to France Télévisions.
The children, aged eight and twelve, were present during the incident. The father, who is 40 years old, works as an IT specialist in the cryptocurrency sector. The Béthune prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on unlawful detention and extortion.
The assailants searched the house and separated the father, subjecting him to physical intimidation to extract his identification details and access codes. Reports indicate that the twelve-year-old daughter was struck in the face with car keys. The criminals fled with around €40,000 ($46,000) before the family managed to free themselves, with firefighters arriving at the scene around 7 a.m.
The family, described as being in shock, has been referred for medical evaluation, and a victim support organization has been assigned to assist them. The case has been classified as kidnapping and extortion by an organized group, now under the jurisdiction of regional judicial police and France's anti-cybercrime unit. All four suspects remain untraceable.
Context of Wrench Attacks in France
France has seen a rise in wrench attacks, which typically target individuals with noticeable wealth. Notable victims have included the father of a crypto millionaire who suffered severe injuries, the spouse of a Sandbox co-founder, and the CEO of Binance France. This particular incident is distinct, as the victim is a salaried IT professional and the amount stolen was relatively modest compared to other cases.
France has emerged as the country most affected by these crimes, with the national anti-organized crime prosecutor's office recording over 70 kidnappings and unlawful detentions associated with cryptocurrency in the first eight months of 2026. Earlier this year, authorities charged 88 individuals, including minors, in a crackdown on such crimes.
On a global scale, Chainalysis reported that wrench attacks resulted in approximately $30 million in losses during 2026, while CertiK estimated that victims suffered losses totaling $124 million over a six-month period, marking a twelvefold increase.