A woman was assaulted at her family home in Hauts-de-Seine on Monday by criminals targeting her cryptocurrencies. What do we know about this latest extortion attempt?
New cryptocurrency extortion attempt
According to information shared by BFMTV, a woman who owns cryptocurrencies was attacked at her home in Hauts-de-Seine yesterday. The attackers reportedly entered her home before assaulting her with their fists in front of her husband and children.
The criminals fled, but one of them was arrested.
He was in possession of a meat cleaver at the time of the incident. The victim was taken to hospital after the attack and is in a stable condition. She has filed a complaint and an investigation has been launched into attempted robbery with violence. The man arrested reportedly told police that he knew the couple through social media. The couple had apparently shared content indicating that they owned cryptocurrencies.
A wave of extortion and attempted kidnappings has been taking place in France since the beginning of the year, following the rise in the price of Bitcoin (BTC). The most high-profile kidnapping was that of David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, alongside his wife. He was abducted and had his finger severed. These kidnappings, which were violent in themselves, have sometimes led to the torture of the victims.
In response, a wave of arrests took place in France, ordered by the Minister of the Interior. Unfortunately, new cases have occurred since then.
