Four Men Bind Crypto Worker's Children in French Home Raid

Decrypt reported that four masked intruders breached a home in Vendin-le-Vieil around 4am on Sunday, binding a couple and their two young children.

The Béthune prosecutor's office stated that the attackers forced the father, who is a salaried 40-year-old IT specialist working in the crypto sector, to "communicate his identification information and codes" before they escaped with approximately €40,000, or $46,000, in digital assets.

The intruders stayed for more than three hours, during which time the eight and twelve-year-olds were held captive. France Télévisions referenced a police source who said the criminals searched the house and separated the father from his family. Emergency responders reached the scene at 7am.

The prosecutor's office opened an investigation into kidnapping and extortion by an organized gang. The four suspects have not yet been caught.

French authorities recorded over 70 cases of crypto-related kidnapping and unlawful detention in the first eight months of 2026, in addition to 88 indictments from a previous enforcement drive. Chainalysis estimated that $30 million was taken via wrench attacks in 2026, while CertiK calculated the six-month loss at $124 million, representing a twelvefold rise.