In brief
- Attackers allegedly posed as police officers to enter a home near Versailles.
- A couple were threatened at knifepoint and forced to transfer about €900,000 ($1 million) in Bitcoin.
- French authorities have confirmed the crypto loss and launched a manhunt.
Authorities in the Versailles area are searching for three suspects after a home invasion in which attackers allegedly posed as police and stole crypto.
A couple in their late 50s were forced to transfer roughly €900,000 (about $1 million) in Bitcoin after three men posing as police entered their home in Le Chesnay, near Versailles, according to French broadcaster TF1.
The suspects allegedly gained entry by identifying themselves as police officers before pulling a knife and threatening to stab the woman unless her partner sent Bitcoin to a wallet they controlled, TF1 reported, citing sources close to the investigation.
The Versailles public prosecutor’s office has confirmed the crypto theft, according to local reporting, and said the case is being handled by France’s Brigade for the Repression of Banditry (BRB). No arrests had been announced at time of publication, with potential charges reportedly including kidnapping, armed robbery, organized crime, and criminal conspiracy.
Wrench attacks in France
The robbery fits an expanding pattern of “$5 wrench attacks,” where criminals use physical coercion rather than technical compromise to seize digital assets. These cases have become a growing security concern for crypto holders as victims are targeted at home, often after criminals have identified likely victims through public signals, leaks, or social engineering.
France has become a hotbed of “wrench attacks,” which have included violent home invasions targeting crypto executives, crypto ransom demands and the abduction and mutilation of Ledger CEO David Balland. Last May, French police arrested 12 suspects linked to crypto kidnapping probes—but the crime wave shows no signs of stopping.