A couple was held hostage in their home in Le Chesnay, a town in the Yvelines department west of Paris, after three suspects posing as police officers forced their way inside and stole cryptocurrency worth approximately €900,000. Details about the incident also circulated on social media, including a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) discussing the case. The attackers reportedly arrived at the residence pretending to be police officers, prompting the 59-year-old woman to open the door. Once the door was opened, the suspects pushed their way inside the house and confronted the couple.
Knife Threat Forces Bitcoin Transfer
During the home invasion, one of the suspects reportedly pulled out a knife and threatened the woman, warning he would harm her unless her 58-year-old husband transferred cryptocurrency to an account controlled by the attackers. Fearing for his wife’s safety, the husband complied and transferred the equivalent of €900,000 in Bitcoin. After the transfer was completed, the suspects forced the couple onto a couch and tied up the husband before fleeing the scene in a white van shortly before 9:00 a.m.
Victims Seek Help as Investigation Begins
The woman later managed to untie her husband and called for help from neighbors around 9:00 a.m local time (CET) on March 9, 2026. She was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment of a minor shoulder injury sustained during the incident. The Versailles public prosecutor’s office confirmed that the financial loss in the case amounts to approximately €900,000 in cryptocurrency. Prosecutors opened an investigation on charges including sequestration (hostage-taking), theft with a weapon as part of an organized gang, and criminal association. The case has been assigned to the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB), a specialized French police unit responsible for investigating organized banditry and serious crimes. As of the latest reports, no arrests have been made.
Part of Rising Crypto-Targeted Crimes in France
Authorities say the attack is part of a growing trend in France since early 2025 involving kidnappings, home invasions, and sequestrations targeting cryptocurrency holders, often involving ransom demands or forced transfers of digital assets. Notable prior cases include the January 2025 kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, who was abducted along with his wife and later freed following an intervention by the elite police unit GIGN. Another high-profile case occurred in May 2025 in central Paris, where the father of a crypto millionaire was abducted by suspects demanding millions of euros in cryptocurrency as ransom.
A similar violent case was also reported in which a crypto trader lost around $24 million after attackers physically assaulted him to gain access to his digital wallets
Investigation Ongoing
Due to the ongoing investigation, authorities have not released additional details such as the exact Bitcoin amount in BTC, the transaction ID, or the wallet addresses involved. According to TF1 Info, investigators continue to search for the three suspects involved in the attack while the case remains under investigation.
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