Whether the market is bullish or bearish, criminal groups targeting cryptocurrency holders don’t seem to worry about such details. Case in point: the four attempted kidnappings carried out in the Chalon-sur-Saône region against a single victim.
Attempted kidnapping of a cryptocurrency holder in Chalon-sur-Saône
The string of incidents continues in France, despite the arrest last June of the alleged mastermind of an organized gang responsible for several such cases since 2023, who was holed up in Morocco. At the heart of the matter: kidnappings involving acts of torture to extort fortunes held in cryptocurrency.
These operations are often meticulously planned and involve several coordinated individuals, as in the recent case revealed yesterday by the Journal de Saône-et-Loire. Indeed, a crypto investor from the Chalon-sur-Saône region—apparently identified as a lucrative target—narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt.
Six men were arrested and taken into custody in Chalon-sur-Saône. They are suspected of attempting to kidnap a man who holds cryptocurrency. This is the fourth such incident.https://t.co/8vt1kh3Jgq
— Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire (@lejsl) November 25, 2025
According to available information, six men—including two minors—are believed to have participated in this criminal operation, which aimed to seize the funds held in their target’s crypto wallet and subsequently demand a “digital ransom” for his release.
The attempted kidnapping was thwarted by the arrival of police at the scene and the arrest of all members of the gang in the act on November 22. They were immediately taken into custody in Chalon-sur-Saône to facilitate an investigation that would reveal a disturbing level of determination.
One arrest after 4 unsuccessful attempts
According to preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation, this foiled kidnapping attempt is reportedly not the first orchestrated by this gang. Even more troubling is that the operation carried out in Chalon-sur-Saône reportedly followed four other unsuccessful attempts… targeted at the same victim.
In fact, the first two operations orchestrated against this cryptocurrency holder apparently ended in failure, while the third was reportedly interrupted by a timely police intervention, though this did not lead to any arrests.
This persistence is troubling, considering that the police intervention during the third attempt should have put an end to this string of misfortunes targeting a single individual. Yet the criminals’ motivation appears to have remained undiminished in their quest to empty his crypto wallets.
This case echoes the recent robbery carried out by the ex-boyfriend of Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, which took place not long ago in the United States and resulted in the theft of $11 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum. It leaves one with the unpleasant impression that criminals are not at all deterred by periods of sharp declines in the crypto market.
