French Man Becomes Victim in Cryptocurrency Extortion Plot Gone Wrong

A devastating case of mistaken identity left a 74-year-old French man from Isère subjected to 16 hours of horrific abuse. According to Foresight News, the victim was abducted on January 25 and transported to a bar located in the Drôme region, where his captors inflicted severe physical harm, including facial lacerations and the amputation of a finger.

Cryptocurrency Ransom Demand Behind the Kidnapping

The perpetrators operated under a false premise: they believed the victim’s son was a wealthy cryptocurrency millionaire. Leveraging this mistaken assumption, they issued an extortion demand of 3 million euros in digital currency. To pressure the family into compliance, the kidnappers recorded videos documenting the abuse and transmitted them through encrypted messaging channels, creating a coordinated intimidation campaign.

Arrests and Investigation

Law enforcement responded swiftly, apprehending three suspects in their twenties across the Rhône Valley area. The individuals now face serious criminal charges, including organized kidnapping, torture, and acts of extreme violence. Ongoing investigations have revealed a troubling development: evidence suggests the perpetrators may have been operating under instructions from a third party, indicating a potentially larger criminal network behind this coordinated kidnapping operation.

This case underscores the growing intersection between cryptocurrency wealth and organized crime, highlighting how misidentification and targeting errors can lead to tragic consequences for innocent victims.