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French Police Nab Four in Crypto Extortion Spree Near Marseille
Four suspects arrested near Marseille after a crypto robbery turned kidnapping. French authorities report over 70 such attacks this year, with data breaches at tax platforms feeding criminal targeting.
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Police in Marseille arrested four suspects over the weekend after interrupting what started as a crypto robbery and escalated into a kidnapping. The accused held two women hostage, demanding access to their digital wallets, according to local newspaper La Provence.
The arrests mark the first known case of this kind in the Marseille region. France has seen a sharp acceleration in physical attacks on crypto holders. Authorities confirmed in April that more than 40 kidnappings or attempted abductions linked to cryptocurrency had been recorded since the start of 2026. Reports now put the total near 70 as of mid-June.
The chain of events began around 3 a.m. on Saturday, June 14. The suspects tried to break into a house in Marseille's 13th arrondissement but failed and fled, leaving a license plate number behind. The same group was linked to at least two more attacks that night in the towns of Gardanne and Gignac-la-Nerthe. Police eventually caught the four men holding two women against their will.
The victims targeted during the one-night campaign had records of crypto gains. The 13th arrondissement victims were parents of an investor who had exited his holdings more than a year ago. Investigators believe the attackers acted on outdated information.
Marseille's Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB), the organized crime unit, has taken over the investigation. The license plate captured by the first family may connect the suspects to a broader network.
A recurring pattern: attackers know exactly whom to target