ALBAWABA - A gang of masked robbers broke into a family’s home in France, not to steal valuables, but to force the father – who worked in tech – to transfer them $46,000 worth of cryptocurrency, a local prosecutor said Sunday.
The couple with their two children aged 8 and 12 live in Vendin le Vieil, a village on the outskirts of the northern city of Lens; they were treated for shock but no other serious injuries as the robbers broke into their homes and threatened them overnight.
🚨 FAMILY TIED UP FOR 3 HOURS IN €40K CRYPTO HOME INVASIONFour masked men broke into the home of a crypto-sector worker in France and tied up him, his partner and their 8- and 12-year-old children for more than three hours.The father was assaulted and forced to hand over… pic.twitter.com/ZRsLOmbBkW
France has been suffering a wave of crypto robberies in recent years as the currency, being stored digitally, leaves it difficult or impossible to trace its transfers; in the first half of 2026, 77 such robberies were recorded in France.
Police were hunting the gang of four criminals, prosecutor Etienne Thieffry said as Interior Minister Laurent Nunez vowed to boost security for people working in the crypto sector.
Pshemaf Choiaqo is a digital marketer with a passion for media, style, and presentation.
He enjoys researching unorthodox and nonconventional subjects almost as much as he enjoys writing about them.
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