Daily News 19

Tag: Wrench attack

  • Another French Crypto Crime: Family Tied Up at Home

    Another French Crypto Crime: Family Tied Up at Home

    Key Highlights

    • A family of four, including children aged 8 and 12, was tied up and held captive during a home invasion in Vendin-le-Vieil, Pas-de-Calais, on the night of Sept. 19–20, with the father assaulted and forced to transfer approximately €40,000 in cryptocurrency.
    • Four masked suspects remain at large; French prosecutors have opened an investigation for kidnapping and extortion by an organized group, assigning the case to judicial police from Pas-de-Calais and Nord alongside the national anti-cybercrime office (OFAC).
    • The incident marks the latest in a surge of so-called “wrench attacks” targeting cryptocurrency holders in France, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reporting 77 such cases since the beginning of 2026 and roughly 200 arrests.

    Masked Intruders Target Crypto Professional in Northern France

    Four masked individuals broke into a private residence in Vendin-le-Vieil, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, during the overnight hours of Sept. 19–20, according to French media reports. The attackers tied up the entire household—a couple and their two children, aged eight and 12—and held them captive while they ransacked the property.

    The father, identified by sources as a professional working in the cryptocurrency industry, was physically assaulted during the invasion. His 12-year-old daughter was also struck in the face with car keys, a source close to the investigation told BFMTV. The perpetrators threatened the father and compelled him to transfer roughly €40,000 worth of cryptocurrency, according to preliminary findings reported by Le Parisien. The four suspects fled the scene before law enforcement arrived and remained at large as of Sunday.

    Investigation Launched by Specialized Units

    The family was left in shock and received treatment from emergency services following the ordeal. French prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into kidnapping and extortion by an organized group. The case has been entrusted to judicial police units from both Pas-de-Calais and Nord, working in coordination with France’s Office de lutte contre la cybercriminalité (OFAC), the national anti-cybercrime office.

    The deployment of OFAC underscores the digital-asset nexus of the crime. Investigators will likely trace on-chain transactions linked to the forced transfer while pursuing traditional forensic leads from the physical break-in.

    Why This Matters: France’s Escalating Crypto Kidnapping Crisis

    This home invasion is the latest episode in a wave of violent extortion attempts—dubbed “wrench attacks” by the crypto community—that have increasingly plagued France. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated in June that authorities had recorded 77 cases involving kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion, or attempted attacks linked to cryptocurrency since the beginning of 2026, with approximately 200 individuals arrested in connection with such crimes.

    The trend began gaining national attention with the abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner from their home near Vierzon, during which one of Balland’s fingers was severed before he was rescued by French authorities. In May, the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency investor was abducted in Paris’s 14th arrondissement, held for roughly 58 hours, and similarly had a finger cut off before being rescued. In February, a 35-year-old French magistrate and her 66-year-old mother were seized in an apparent attempt to extract cryptocurrency connected to the magistrate’s partner.

    These cases share a pattern: perpetrators conduct surveillance on individuals perceived to hold significant digital assets, then use extreme physical violence to coerce immediate, irreversible crypto transfers. The involvement of OFAC in the Vendin-le-Vieil case signals that authorities are treating these incidents as a distinct category of organized cyber-enabled crime rather than ordinary home invasions.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a “wrench attack” in the context of cryptocurrency?

    A “wrench attack” refers to physical coercion—often involving violence or threats of violence—used to force a cryptocurrency holder to transfer digital assets to an attacker’s wallet. The term originates from a popular webcomic illustrating that no amount of digital security can protect against someone willing to use a wrench (or other weapon) on the key holder.

    Which agencies are investigating the Vendin-le-Vieil case?

    The investigation is being handled by judicial police units from the Pas-de-Calais and Nord departments, together with France’s Office de lutte contre la cybercriminalité (OFAC), the national anti-cybercrime office.

    How many crypto-related kidnapping cases has France recorded recently?

    According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, speaking in June, France had recorded 77 cases involving kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion, or attempted attacks linked to cryptocurrency since the beginning of 2026, with about 200 arrests made in connection with these crimes.

  • Singapore Jails Six Over S$4.9M Crypto Poker Heist

    Singapore Jails Six Over S$4.9M Crypto Poker Heist

    Six Malaysian men have been sentenced to prison for an armed robbery targeting a high-stakes poker game in Singapore, where the group stole approximately S$4.9 million in cryptocurrency, cash, and luxury goods. According to Singapore Law Watch, summarizing High Court proceedings, all six pleaded guilty on September 14 to armed gang robbery and money-laundering charges related to moving stolen property from Singapore into Malaysia. Wong Chi San, 35, and Goh Boon Tong, 30, received the longest terms at 12 years and 11 months each.

    Singapore crypto heist leaves S$3.21 million unrecovered

    The final loss figure presented in court exceeded the amount initially disclosed by authorities. The Singapore Police Force’s original May 2024 statement estimated the robbers took S$4.34 million in cash, cryptocurrency, and luxury watches from 11 victims at a King Albert Park residence. Later court evidence placed the stolen property at around S$4.9 million.

    Lead prosecutor Dillon Kok told the court that police had recovered approximately S$1.69 million, leaving close to S$3.21 million missing. Prosecutors said cryptocurrency accounted for most of the property taken during the April 18, 2024 robbery.

    Court reporting put the cryptocurrency stolen from the hostess at approximately S$3.6 million. The robbers also took S$210,000 in Singapore currency, roughly US$40,000 in cash, S$55,500 worth of Emirati dirham, and a Patek Philippe watch valued above S$500,000 from her. Other victims lost Rolex watches, cash, a Richard Mille watch, and smaller personal items.

    Goh’s lawyer told the court that he helped authorities recover around 800,000 USDT from approximately 1.1 million USDT transferred to him after the robbery. She described the recovery as substantial during mitigation arguments. CNA’s court report identified the USDT transactions but did not publish the wallet addresses involved, preventing the reported transfers from being independently matched to specific public blockchain addresses from the materials released.

    Robbers targeted poker games settled with cryptocurrency

    Court documents said Wong and Goh learned in November 2023 that high-stakes poker games were being hosted at the King Albert Park property. Stakes could reach several hundred thousand dollars, while players sometimes settled payments using cryptocurrency.

    After visiting the property, the pair observed that its gate and wooden door could be left unlocked while games were underway. Wong later proposed robbing the house and, with Goh, recruited Mohd Hamidon Ahmed to obtain additional men for the operation, prosecutors said. Hamidon was promised RM1.5 million, then worth roughly S$467,000, to be divided among his group.

    On the night of April 17, Wong and Goh confirmed that a poker game was taking place. After 2 a.m. on April 18, seven masked men entered the property. Three carried machetes and two had baseball bats, according to the court account.

    The group restrained the 11 people inside, taped their mouths, and searched their phones for cryptocurrency applications. Prosecutors said Wong and Goh found substantial digital-asset balances on the hostess’ phone and directed transfers to a wallet they controlled. The robbers emptied cash from a safe and searched bedrooms for more property.

    Once the robbery was complete, Wong and Goh crossed into Malaysia through Tuas Checkpoint at approximately 2:15 a.m. The remaining members traveled through Woodlands Checkpoint around 25 minutes later. Weapons and clothing used during the crime were discarded during the escape.

    Six prison terms ranged from seven years to nearly 13

    Justice Aidan Xu described the robbery as “audacious and well-planned” and said it had “disrupted the peace and security.” The judge said deterrence and punishment were required because the crime targeted people inside a private home.

    Wong and Goh each received 12 years and 11 months in prison, 24 strokes of the cane, and a S$4,000 fine. Prosecutors treated the pair as carrying the highest culpability because they planned the operation and arranged the target, recruitment, and division of proceeds.

    Hamidon, 49, received 10 years and six months in prison and 24 strokes. Kartik Palaniappan, 34, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34, were each sentenced to seven years and eight months and 24 strokes. Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, received eight years and eight months in prison but could not be caned because of his age.

    Defense lawyers argued that some of the recruited men received much smaller shares of the proceeds. Lawyers for Kartik and Hashim said each received RM100,000, while Tauffiq’s counsel said he had limited knowledge of the detailed plan. Hamidon’s lawyer told the court that his client supplied duct tape and cable ties but refused to provide weapons.

    Following the robbery, Wong transferred roughly 1.1 million USDT to Goh in Kuala Lumpur, the court heard. The pair later found buyers for part of the cryptocurrency and received RM1.49 million in cash for an unspecified quantity of USDT.

    Hamidon eventually kept RM445,000, while Kartik, Hashim, and Tauffiq each received RM100,000. Muhammad Yusuf Kassim kept RM645,000, although court evidence said only RM245,000 was intended as his personal share, with the remainder supposedly held for the group.

    Physical crypto robberies draw more scrutiny in 2026

    The Singapore case involved physical coercion to force cryptocurrency transfers, a crime type blockchain investigators frequently refer to as a wrench attack.

    Chainalysis reported in August that more than $30 million had been successfully stolen through violent crypto attacks worldwide during the first half of 2026. Its dataset recorded 46 known incidents through late June, with home invasions accounting for 37% of cases. The firm cautioned that publicly documented incidents likely understate the actual total.

    As crypto.news reported in its coverage of the Chainalysis data, such attacks include home invasions, kidnappings, and hostage situations in which victims are forced to transfer digital assets. Chainalysis found that public blockchain records can still leave investigative trails after assets are transferred under coercion.

    CertiK counted 52 verified wrench attacks during the first six months of 2026 and placed recorded financial exposure at $124.1 million. Its definition includes stolen assets, ransom demands, frozen funds, and other amounts connected to documented incidents, meaning the figure does not represent confirmed criminal proceeds alone.

    crypto.news reported that CertiK recorded 20 crypto-related home invasions in H1 2026, up from one during the same period of 2025. CertiK said public reporting and law-enforcement records formed part of its verification process.

    Singapore has dealt with separate cryptocurrency theft cases during 2026. As Singapore court sentenced a man to two years in prison in March for involvement in a cryptocurrency theft involving more than $6.9 million in digital assets.

    One suspect remains at large after six arrests

    Singapore police initially arrested two Malaysian suspects in late April 2024 after investigators identified members of the group and obtained arrest warrants. The Royal Malaysia Police arrested the pair on April 27 and April 28 before transferring them to Singapore on April 30, according to the official Singapore Police Force account.

    The six men ultimately prosecuted in Singapore were arrested in Malaysia between April and November 2024. Tauffiq was detained before boarding a flight to Kota Kinabalu, while Goh was arrested at an airport before a planned flight to Japan.

    A seventh suspect, 33-year-old Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, had not been arrested when the sentences were imposed. Court documents cited by CNA and Singapore Law Watch said Yusuf was believed to have left Malaysia for Thailand and remained at large.