Fake Police Home Invasion Forces French Couple to Transfer €900,000 in Bitcoin as Violent “Wrench Attacks” Surge Worldwide

Armed Intruders Posing as Officers Threaten Couple With Knife in Versailles-Area Robbery

TL;DR

• Armed attackers posing as police forced a French couple to transfer €900,000 in Bitcoin during a violent home invasion near Versailles.
• Investigators say the robbery reflects the rise of “wrench attacks,” physical coercion used to force crypto transfers.
• Security data shows 72 global incidents in 2025, a 75% increase, with France recording 19 attacks and Europe accounting for 40% of cases.

We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!

Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.

Armed criminals posing as police officers forced a French couple to transfer roughly €900,000 worth of Bitcoin during a violent home invasion near Versailles, according to investigators who confirmed the attack on March 10, 2026. Authorities said the robbery occurred in the commune of Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt in the Yvelines department west of Paris, where three suspects arrived at the residence early Monday morning and identified themselves as police officers. The deception persuaded the homeowners to open the door before the suspects forced their way inside, turning what appeared to be a routine visit by law enforcement into a violent cryptocurrency extortion that investigators say targeted the victims’ digital assets.

Once inside the residence, the attackers brandished a knife and threatened to stab the woman unless her partner transferred Bitcoin to a wallet controlled by the criminals, according to details confirmed by investigators and people familiar with the case. The husband complied with the demand under duress and executed a cryptocurrency transaction worth about $1 million. After confirming the transfer, the suspects tied the man up and forced both victims onto a sofa while searching the home. The woman sustained a minor shoulder injury during the encounter while both victims remained restrained inside the residence.

Suspects fled the scene shortly afterward in a white van, prompting police to launch a manhunt for the perpetrators. The woman managed to free herself after the attackers left, untied her partner, and alerted neighbors around 9:00 a.m. local time, allowing authorities to begin an investigation into the robbery. The Versailles prosecutor’s office confirmed that cryptocurrency had been stolen and said the case had been assigned to the Brigade for the Repression of Banditry, a specialized judicial police unit responsible for handling armed robberies and organized crime investigations. Prosecutors said investigators are examining possible charges including kidnapping or unlawful detention, armed robbery by an organized gang, participation in a criminal group and criminal conspiracy.

Investigators say the robbery fits a pattern of violent crimes known within the cryptocurrency community as “wrench attacks,” a term describing situations where attackers use physical threats or violence to force victims to hand over digital assets rather than attempting to hack cryptographic systems. The phrase originates from a cybersecurity joke illustrating that attackers could bypass encryption entirely by hitting someone with a wrench until they reveal a password. Criminals involved in such incidents often force victims to unlock wallets, reveal seed phrases or authorize blockchain transactions under threat, allowing them to move funds instantly once access is obtained.

Security researchers say the irreversible nature of blockchain transfers makes these attacks particularly difficult to reverse once funds have been sent. After a coerced transaction is confirmed on-chain, criminals can quickly move assets across multiple wallets or laundering services, complicating recovery efforts by law enforcement. Experts say the speed and global reach of cryptocurrency transfers mean attackers require only a brief moment of coercion to redirect large sums to wallets under their control.

CertiK data shows the number of verified wrench attacks worldwide climbed sharply during 2025, when researchers recorded 72 confirmed incidents globally, representing a 75% increase compared with the previous year. France registered the highest number of cases during the period, with 19 documented attacks, while Europe accounted for around 40% of incidents worldwide. Researchers tracking violent crypto crime reported that at least 11 such attacks had already been recorded during the first two months of 2026.

France has seen a wave of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings, home invasions and ransom schemes in recent years as digital asset wealth becomes a target for organized criminal groups. Investigations have linked dozens of cases to cryptocurrency holders between 2023 and 2025, including reports indicating around 40 organized crypto-related kidnappings recorded from July 2023 through the end of 2025. Law enforcement officials say some of the operations are coordinated by overseas criminal networks that recruit local operatives to carry out physical attacks on victims believed to hold large amounts of digital assets.

Other incidents cited by authorities include kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and violent home invasions involving crypto executives and their families. Police also arrested 12 suspects during May in connection with investigations tied to cryptocurrency kidnappings. Another case reported during February 2026 involved suspects attempting multiple break-ins at the residence of a senior executive associated with a major cryptocurrency exchange before authorities intervened.

Security analysts say the rise in violent robberies targeting cryptocurrency holders is linked to the growing use of self-custody wallets, which give individuals full control over their assets without relying on banks or financial intermediaries. Experts note that unlike traditional banking transfers, cryptocurrency transactions can be executed instantly by the wallet holder once private keys or account access are obtained, allowing criminals to move funds quickly during a coercive encounter.

Researchers studying physical attacks against cryptocurrency users say the phenomenon demonstrates how human vulnerabilities can undermine even the strongest cryptographic protections. “A natural evolution of criminal behavior,” one expert said while describing how organized crime groups accustomed to traditional violent robberies have shifted toward digital assets as cryptocurrency ownership expands. Investigators say attackers frequently identify targets through social media posts or online discussions that reveal cryptocurrency wealth, gathering personal information such as home addresses, daily routines or family details before attempting extortion or kidnapping.

This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.