88 people charged over 12 crypto wrench attacks in France

At least 88 people, including ten minors, have been indicted in connection with alleged wrench attacks against crypto owners in France, according to Vanessa Perrée, the country’s national prosecutor for organized crime.

Perrée said in a statement on Friday that 75 of the alleged offenders are being held in pre-trial detention, with the arrests related to 12 cases currently under investigation by specialized investigating judges of the Paris Judicial Court and monitored by the National Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (PNACO).

Wrench attacks involve the use of physical force to gain access to a victim’s crypto wallet and have taken the form of home invasions, kidnappings and other extortion attempts.

PNACO has recorded 18 incidents in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 so far in 2026.

Blockchain security company CertiK reported a 75% increase in attacks worldwide in 2025 compared with the previous year.

“The acts in question, particularly under the legal classifications of arrest, abduction, organized group sequestration, extortion, and attempts of organized group extortion, are of particular seriousness, both due to the harm caused to individuals and the methods used to obtain transfers of crypto-assets under duress,” Perrée added.

Structured networks conducting attacks

French law enforcement agencies investigating the incidents have merged several cases after discovering that some of the alleged offenders were involved in multiple incidents.

“These consolidations were made possible notably through the identification of individuals recurrently involved in multiple cases, thus revealing the existence of structured networks,” Perrée said.

“Investigations are actively ongoing, under the authority of investigating magistrates, to identify all perpetrators and instigators, clarify financial channels and dismantle the networks involved,” she added.

Casa chief security officer Jameson Lopp has maintained a list of recorded wrench attacks worldwide dating to 2014 and has recorded 29 so far this year.

There have been five recorded wrench attacks so far in April. Source: GitHub

Crypto users shouldn’t brag about their stash on social media

Perrée said the rise in cases means crypto holders and their relatives should be more vigilant and avoid “overexposure on social networks that could make them targets” while also remaining wary of scammers posing as an investigative service or judicial institution to obtain information.

Blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs reported in May last year that wrench attacks have been on the rise because of the perceived pseudonymity of crypto transactions, the public visibility of wealth, and the ease with which bad actors can gather personal data online.

Meanwhile, Telegram founder Pavel Durov suggested Friday that the rise in attacks in France was due to the alleged misuse of crypto investors’ tax data by a former tax official.

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