France has charged 88 suspects, including over ten minors, across 12 judicial investigations targeting organized gangs that perform violent “wrench attacks” to steal cryptocurrency. The crackdown follows 135 incidents recorded since 2023, with six new arrests this month leading to pre-trial detention. Officials link the crisis to structured criminal networks and serious data breaches, including a leak affecting 12 million citizens.
France’s National Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office has charged 88 suspects across 12 active investigations into violent crypto kidnappings and extortion. More than ten of those charged are minors, and 75 individuals are currently in pre-trial detention.
Authorities recorded 135 crypto-related incidents since 2023, with 47 already occurring in 2026. Officials described these as the work of structured criminal networks, tracing repeat offenders across cases.
Six suspects were arrested this month in two separate operations linked to kidnappings in Challes-les-Eaux and Dompierre-sur-Mer. All six have been placed in pre-trial detention on charges including kidnapping, extortion, and money laundering.
Globally, wrench attacks hit a record 72 incidents in 2025, causing over $40.9 million in losses. France led with 19 attacks that year, surpassing the United States, according to data from security firm CertiK.
Jonathan Riss, Blockchain Intelligence Analyst at CertiK, said masterminds are often based abroad and operate through local middlemen and young executors. He cited France’s high rate of personal data breaches as a key enabler, referencing a leak at the national ID agency ANTS that exposed 12 million citizens’ data.
“That commercial layer is compounded by insider state leaks: for a few thousand euros, civil servants have proven willing to resell highly valuable information,” Riss said. He also noted underreporting in some regions and varying legal frameworks for categorizing the crime.
The crackdown follows high-profile attacks, including the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and a home invasion where a couple was forced to transfer roughly $1 million in Bitcoin. A French tax official was allegedly involved in selling crypto owners’ data to criminals.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov warned that state demands for user identification endanger crypto users, writing, “More data => More leaks => More victims.” The prosecutor’s office has advised crypto holders to limit social media exposure and be alert to impersonation attempts.
