Solihull cryptocurrency robbery involves violent hammer attack

A British businessman and his seven-month pregnant wife were victims of a violent 45-minute robbery in Solihull, near Birmingham. Three masked intruders broke into the home and assaulted the man with hammers, striking his face, head, and ribs.

The attackers held the pregnant wife down on a sofa and attempted to suffocate her with a pillow while demanding the transfer of hundreds of thousands of pounds in cryptocurrency. The victims reported that the criminals appeared to be receiving real-time instructions via a live video call to navigate the victim's phone and access his digital assets.

Following the transfer of funds, the perpetrators fled in a vehicle. Crimestoppers is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Experts have identified this as a growing trend of violent crime known as a ‘wrench attack,’ which specifically targets cryptocurrency investors. Similar incidents have been reported in the UK, France, and the US.