Vendin-le-Vieil family held captive in €40,000 crypto extortion

Four masked individuals broke into a home in Vendin-le-Vieil, Pas-de-Calais, during the early hours of September 20, 2026, holding a family of four captive for several hours. The victims, including a couple and their children aged 8 and 12, were restrained with black tape.

The attackers targeted the father, an IT specialist working in the cryptocurrency sector, forcing him to provide access codes and transfer approximately €40,000 in digital assets. During the ordeal, the father and his 12-year-old daughter sustained minor injuries; reports indicate the daughter was struck in the face with car keys.

The Béthune prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into kidnapping and extortion by an organized gang. The case is being handled by judicial police units from Pas-de-Calais and Nord, alongside France’s Anti-Cybercrime Office (OFAC). The four suspects remain at large.

This incident is part of a rising trend of “wrench attacks” in France, where criminals use physical violence to coerce cryptocurrency holders into immediate transfers. Authorities reported 77 such cases involving kidnapping or extortion linked to crypto in the first eight months of 2026, a significant increase compared to previous years.