Jean-Didier Berger, France’s minister delegate to the interior minister, said authorities are stepping up efforts to protect crypto investors from a rise in kidnappings and so-called wrench attacks.
Speaking at Paris Blockchain Week, Berger said his office has already introduced “preventative measures,” including a new platform aimed at raising awareness and helping users protect themselves — which has attracted thousands of sign-ups. He added that he is working with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on a more comprehensive plan expected in the coming weeks.
His remarks follow another reported crypto-related abduction in France, where a mother and her 11-year-old child were kidnapped in Burgundy on Monday by four suspects who allegedly demanded a €400,000 ($471,000) ransom from the father, a crypto entrepreneur. Authorities apprehended the suspects and safely rescued the victims on Tuesday morning, according to France24, citing the Paris prosecutor’s office.
France has emerged as a hotspot for wrench attacks — incidents where individuals are threatened or assaulted to force the transfer of digital assets — increasing pressure on the government to take stronger action.
Wrench attacks see alarming surge in France
Crypto-related kidnappings have surged in France, with 41 reported cases so far this year — averaging roughly one incident every 2.5 days in 2026, according to local outlet RTL.
Globally, wrench attacks rose 75% in 2025 to 72 confirmed cases, based on data from cybersecurity firm CertiK. France recorded the highest number of incidents last year, with 19 cases, while Europe accounted for about 40% of the global total.
In a separate case reported on March 10, a French couple in their late 50s was robbed of $1 million worth of Bitcoin after criminals posing as police officers targeted them.
Earlier, in February, French authorities arrested six individuals in connection with the kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother in a crypto-related ransom plot aimed at the magistrate’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur.
