A couple in western Paris were forced to hand over nearly 900,000 euros ($980,000) in Bitcoin after three criminals posing as police officers broke into their home in the latest crypto “keyhole” attack.
Conclusion
- Three attackers, posing as police, forced their way into a house in Ivelins, threatened the victims with a knife and demanded the delivery of crypto.
- The husband transferred almost €900,000 worth of bitcoins under duress before the suspects tied him up and fled.
- The attack adds to a surge in crypto-related kidnappings and extortion attempts in France, where criminals are increasingly targeting holders of digital assets.
The attack took place on Monday morning in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt in the Yvelines department, when the suspects rang the doorbell and claimed to be police officers.
When the woman opened the door, the men forced their way in, threatened her with a knife and demanded that her partner transfer cryptocurrency to a wallet under their control.
Under pressure, the husband complied and transferred the equivalent of €900,000 in Bitcoin (BTC). The attackers then tied her up while the woman suffered minor injuries before the gang fled the scene in a white van.
The woman managed to free her husband and alert the neighbors and soon put an end to the ordeal.
Versailles prosecutors have opened an investigation into charges including organized armed robbery, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy. The French anti-piracy brigade (BRB) is in charge of this case, and no arrests have been made yet.
France is seeing an increase in crypto attacks
The incident adds to a growing wave of so-called “key attacks,” in which criminals use physical violence or coercion to force victims to hand over digital assets, rather than attempting technical hacking.
France has emerged as a major hotspot for such crimes. Previous reports indicate that the country has seen dozens of kidnappings and crypto extortion attempts, with investors and their relatives increasingly targeted as the value of digital assets rises.
The number of confirmed keystroke attacks worldwide increased significantly in 2025, with France accounting for a significant proportion of incidents.
Recent incidents include the kidnapping of relatives linked to cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and a series of violent robberies aimed at forcing victims to hand over crypto money. Authorities have made arrests in some investigations, but attacks continue across the country.
