French family held hostage, father works in crypto

In the night of Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 September, four people forced their way into a home in Vendin-le-Vieil, in northern France. They held a family hostage, including two children aged 8 and 12. The father works in the crypto sector, and police seriously believe the perpetrators were targeting his crypto holdings. The four suspects have fled and have not yet been arrested.

In brief:

• Four perpetrators held a family hostage in Vendin-le-Vieil, France, including two young children.
• The father works in the crypto sector; detectives are investigating whether the hostage-taking was aimed at obtaining cryptocurrency.
• The father and his daughter were injured; the four suspects are still at large.

Father and daughter assaulted during home invasion

According to BFMTV, which consulted a police source, the four family members were tied up in their own home. The father was assaulted, and his daughter was struck in the face with a car key.

Around 8 a.m., the father managed to free himself and alerted the emergency services. By that time, the perpetrators had already fled. How much cryptocurrency may have been stolen is not yet known.

Targeted attacks on crypto holders are increasingly common

Targeted robberies of people known to be crypto holders are becoming increasingly common worldwide. Criminals try to pressure victims into giving access to their digital assets. We have previously written about other forms of crime targeting the crypto sector, such as a serious iOS vulnerability that can empty crypto wallets.

The detective branch in Pas-de-Calais is investigating the case. Whether the suspects had specific information about the father’s crypto holdings has not been disclosed.