France Crypto Crime: Couple Held at Knifepoint and Forced to Transfer Nearly $1M in Bitcoin

Armed criminals posing as police officers forced a French couple to transfer roughly $980,000 worth of bitcoin during a violent home invasion on Monday in Chesnay, France, in what authorities say is part of a growing wave of crypto-linked kidnappings across the country.

France Investigates €900K Bitcoin Extortion After Home Invasion in Yvelines

French authorities are investigating a violent kidnapping and armed robbery after three suspects forced a couple in their late 50s to transfer approximately €900,000 worth of bitcoin during a home invasion on Monday morning in Chesnay, a suburb west of Paris in the Yvelines department.

According to prosecutors in Versailles, the suspects entered the couple’s residence after presenting themselves as police officers. When the woman, 58, opened the door, the intruders forced their way inside and began threatening the couple, according to law enforcement sources cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and TF1-LCI.

One of the suspects reportedly brandished a knife and threatened the woman with violence unless her husband, 59, transferred cryptocurrency to an account controlled by the attackers. Under duress, the husband executed the transaction, sending the equivalent of €900,000 in bitcoin, authorities said.

After the transfer was completed, the suspects tied the man up and forced both victims to sit on a sofa inside their home. The woman suffered a shoulder injury during the ordeal, according to police sources familiar with the investigation.

The attackers then fled the scene in a white van. The incident ended around 9 a.m. local time when the injured woman managed to free her husband and contact neighbors for assistance.

Prosecutors said the case is being investigated as kidnapping, armed robbery carried out by an organized group, and criminal conspiracy. The investigation is being led by the Brigade de répression du banditisme (BRB), a specialized French police unit that handles organized crime cases.

As of Tuesday, no arrests had been announced.

French authorities say incidents involving cryptocurrency-related kidnappings have increased a great deal since early 2025, coinciding with broader public awareness of digital asset wealth and the growing number of individuals holding large amounts of crypto.

One of the most high-profile cases occurred in January 2025, when David Balland, co-founder of cryptocurrency hardware wallet company Ledger, was kidnapped. French tactical units later rescued Balland during a GIGN assault operation, while his wife was freed in a separate rescue effort by gendarmes.

Another case unfolded on May 1 in central Paris when four masked men abducted the father of a man known to have accumulated significant cryptocurrency wealth. Police ultimately located and freed the victim after the kidnappers demanded several million euros in cryptocurrency as ransom.

Investigators say the cases highlight a troubling trend in which criminals increasingly target individuals believed to control digital assets, attempting to extract cryptocurrency through coercion, kidnapping, or home invasion.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed the destination wallet involved in Monday’s bitcoin transfer, and blockchain analysis firms often assist investigators in tracing illicit crypto flows following crimes of this nature.

FAQ 🔎

• Why are criminals targeting cryptocurrency holders in France?

Authorities say digital assets can be transferred quickly and globally, making them attractive targets for organized crime.

• How much bitcoin was stolen in the Chesnay kidnapping case?

The attackers forced the victim to transfer approximately €900,000 worth of bitcoin, roughly $980,000.

• Have police arrested suspects in the Chesnay crypto robbery?

No arrests had been reported as of the latest update from the Versailles prosecutor’s office.

• Is crypto-related kidnapping increasing in France?

Investigators say several high-profile cases since 2025 suggest criminals are increasingly targeting individuals believed to hold large crypto assets.