French Cryptocurrency Robbery Reappears: Couple Threatened with Knife by Impersonators Claiming to Be Police, Forced to Transfer Nearly $1 Million in Bitcoin

March 11 News: A violent robbery involving crypto assets occurred in western Paris, France. A couple living in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, Yvelines, was attacked by three assailants who broke into their home. The criminals impersonated police officers to carry out the robbery and forced the victims to transfer approximately €900,000 (about $980,000) worth of Bitcoin. This incident has once again drawn public attention to the phenomenon of “cryptocurrency robberies.”

According to local law enforcement, the incident happened on Monday morning. The three suspects rang the victims’ doorbell and claimed to be police officers. When the female homeowner opened the door, the assailants forcibly entered the residence, threatened her with a knife, and demanded her husband transfer digital assets to a specified wallet address. Under duress, the victims completed a transfer of about €900,000 worth of Bitcoin.

After the transfer, the criminals tied up the husband and briefly injured the wife during the process. The three suspects then quickly fled the scene in a white van. The wife managed to free her husband and contacted neighbors to report the incident, bringing it to an end.

Currently, the Versailles Prosecutor’s Office has launched a criminal investigation into the case, involving charges such as organized armed robbery, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. The case is being handled by the French Anti-Gang Brigade (BRB), and no arrests have been announced so far.

This incident highlights the risks associated with so-called “Wrench Attacks.” Unlike traditional hacking, these crimes involve violence, threats, or kidnapping to force victims to transfer digital assets, bypassing blockchain security measures.

In recent years, France has become one of the regions most affected by such cases. As the prices of Bitcoin and other digital assets continue to rise, crypto investors and their family members have increasingly become targets for criminals. Data shows that since 2025, the number of confirmed “Wrench Attack” cases worldwide has significantly increased, with France accounting for a high proportion.

France has previously experienced multiple similar incidents, including kidnappings of relatives of crypto industry professionals and robberies using violence to force victims to transfer cryptocurrencies. Although some suspects have been arrested, law enforcement officials state that offline crimes targeting digital asset holders continue to occur.

Security experts warn that crypto asset holders should not only enhance the security of their digital wallets but also pay attention to personal information protection and physical safety to reduce the risk of becoming victims of violent crypto robberies.