French Crypto Theft Victim Calls for Severe Punishment

• Crypto theft victim asks the French authorities to deliver severe punishment to criminals.
• France leads other parts of the world in cases involving forced cryptocurrency extortion.
• ZachXBT pledges to prioritize tracking victims’ crypto assets as soon as he gets reports.

A crypto extortion victim in France has called for more severe penalties against the perpetrators of the crime, roughly three years after the incident. The victim responded to a report on a similar attack that happened recently, where a family was held captive for several hours before being extorted of 700,000 euros in cryptocurrency.

Crypto Theft Victims’ Ordeal

The latest incident occurred on Monday, April 20, 2026, when armed individuals broke into the victim’s house, held the occupants hostage, and demanded their digital asset wallet credentials under the explicit threat of mutilation. This approach is consistent with a crypto robbery pattern that has become rampant in France.

In the meantime, the previous victim of crypto extortion, who called upon the French government to step up in tackling these issues, has his trial coming up soon. Even though it has been about three years since it happened, he acknowledged the efforts of blockchain tracker ZachXBT, who helped in recovering approximately $800,000, being part of the $2 million ransom paid.

ZachXBT is renowned for assisting crypto hack and extortion victims in tracking stolen funds, and oftentimes, recovering all or part of the money, with the help of other crypto platforms. In the case of this victim, ZachXBT cooperated with the Binance security team to freeze the funds and identify the culprits, leading to the arrest of six suspects who are currently facing trial.

A Disturbing Trend in France

The situation in France has raised significant concerns, considering the frequency of crypto extortion incidents that have happened recently. About two months ago, a Binance France executive was targeted in a coordinated home invasion, but was confirmed safe after the criminals didn’t find him at home. However, they stole two mobile phones from his home and fled.

Meanwhile, France recorded 19 verified wrench attacks in 2025, a figure that reflects more than double the cases reported in the US. It also accounts for over a quarter of the documented cases worldwide.

Although the victim has called for increased efforts by the French authorities, ZachXBT also advised victims of such cases to reach out to him quickly. He promised to continue prioritizing crypto robbery cases reported to him as part of efforts to tackle the growing trend of bad actors operating within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Related: Binance France Executive Targeted in Violent Home Invasion as Wrench Attacks Rise