A fake police home invasion occurred in France, forcing the victim to transfer bitcoin worth $1 million.
BlockBeats reported on April 21 that French police are investigating a violent cryptocurrency "wrench attack" case. On April 21, three criminals disguised as police officers broke into a residence near Paris, threatened and subdued a couple in their 50s at knifepoint, and forced the husband to transfer around 1 million US dollars worth of Bitcoin. Both victims were injured, the husband was tied up, and the perpetrators fled by car after the robbery.
This case highlights that cryptocurrency security threats are shifting from digital attacks to physical coercion against holders. Criminals impersonate police, create a sense of emergency and fear, and force victims to authorize transactions, thereby completely bypassing all technical defenses such as wallet encryption.
Data shows that such "wrench attack" cases increased significantly in 2025, up 75% compared to 2024, with France being one of the hardest-hit regions. Financial losses from these incidents reached 40.9 million US dollars in 2025, an increase of 44% year-on-year. Besides kidnappings, cases of physical assault surged 250%.
Security experts suggest that cryptocurrency holders should avoid publicly discussing the size of their assets, separate on-chain identities from real-life identities, use multi-signature wallets, and diversify key management.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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