Crypto user attacked in France over Ledger hardware wallet — Report

A 23-year-old crypto user was kidnapped in Maisons-Alfort, a suburb of Paris, France, in an attack targeting his Ledger hardware wallet. The perpetrators held him captive for several hours and forced his partner to hand over 5,000 euros in cash along with the private key to the Ledger wallet, which contained an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency.

Violence was reportedly used to coerce the victim into revealing information about his digital assets. The victim was released in the nearby town of Créteil, and as of the latest reports, no arrests have been made. This incident marks the 10th known "wrench attack" in France in 2025, part of a growing trend of violent crimes against crypto holders in the country and worldwide.

These attacks, often called "wrench attacks," involve criminals using physical violence or kidnapping to extort access to victims' crypto wallets. France has seen multiple such cases this year, including the kidnapping and torture of Ledger co-founder David Balland earlier in 2025. The rise in these violent crimes has prompted law enforcement and crypto industry leaders to discuss enhanced security measures for crypto users.

This case highlights the increasing risks faced by cryptocurrency holders from targeted physical attacks aimed at stealing digital assets through coercion and ransom demands.

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