TLDR:
- Four suspects reportedly held a crypto worker’s family at home overnight in Vendin-le-Vieil, France.
- The criminals threatened the father to force a 40,000-euro crypto transfer, the Béthune prosecutor said.
- The father and his 12-year-old daughter suffered minor assaults, including a blow with car keys.
- France has recorded 135 crypto-related kidnappings since 2023, nearly 80 percent of Europe’s total.
Crypto kidnapping struck a family in Vendin-le-Vieil, in the Pas-de-Calais, overnight on September 19-20, 2026. Four suspects reportedly entered the home and held and restrained a couple and their two children, aged 8 and 12.
The father of the family works in the cryptocurrency sector. According to BFMTV, the prosecutor of Béthune said the criminals threatened him to force a 40,000-euro crypto transfer. The four suspects fled the scene afterward and remain at large.
Details of the Overnight Attack
BFMTV learned of the case on Sunday from a police source. According to that source, the family was sequestered inside the residence overnight. Reports also indicate the relatives were tied up until the suspects left.
The two children, aged 8 and 12, were inside the home throughout the incident. Reports place the crypto kidnapping between Saturday night and Sunday morning. The father contacted emergency services at around 8:00 a.m. on Sunday.
The father was assaulted during the incident. His 12-year-old daughter was also attacked. According to a source close to the investigation, she was hit in the face with car keys. Reports describe both assaults as minor. No other family member is reported as assaulted.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor of Béthune said the criminals searched the home before making their demand. Another account says the suspects isolated the father to obtain his wallet codes.
That account states they fled after a 40,000-euro transfer. The reports differ on whether the transfer was completed. However, the amount of any loss remains unknown at this stage.
Firefighters took charge of the family after the four criminals left. The relatives were in a state of shock at the time.
Separately, investigators are considering whether the incident was linked to an attempt to obtain cryptocurrency. That line of inquiry remains under review.
Investigation and Crypto Kidnapping Trend in France
The investigation was opened for kidnapping and extortion in an organized gang. This classification reflects both the confinement of the family and the demand for a cryptocurrency transfer. As a result, the file covers two alleged offenses committed by a group.
Several services are handling the case. The interdepartmental judicial police services of Pas-de-Calais and Nord received the file.
In addition, the case was entrusted to the French anti-cybercrime office, known as OFAC. These services are now working on the investigation.
Meanwhile, police are hunting the four suspects, who fled before firefighters reached the family. Investigators are also probing organized networks in connection with the crypto kidnapping. The reports do not name any suspect. Authorities have not reported any arrests so far.
The crypto kidnapping in Vendin-le-Vieil fits a broader pattern in France. Since 2023, the country has recorded 135 crypto-related kidnappings.
That figure represents nearly 80 percent of Europe’s total. The figure places France well ahead of other European countries.
