A new kidnapping took place near Cholet this Friday. A man was kidnapped for his cryptocurrencies before being released. What do we know about the case?
New kidnapping linked to cryptocurrencies in France
4 days ago, a woman was kidnapped and assaulted in Manosque by attackers targeting her partner’s cryptocurrencies. This Friday, a new attack took place, this time in Cholet, in Maine-et-Loire. Around 8:30 a.m., several people appeared at the victim’s home, wearing hoods. Then they tied him up and took him away by force, according to information reported by Ouest-France.
The man was released quickly in the morning, this time in Basse-Goulaine, a town south of Nantes located around fifty kilometers. We do not know what sums were involved or the amounts that the attackers were able to steal. The victim is 43 years old and works as a software architect engineer.
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The investigation is at this stage led by the Rennes Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction (JIRS). The gendarmes carried out a neighborhood investigation: a neighbor witnessed the scene and heard screams during the kidnapping.
Kidnappings that are increasing
Despite the initiatives taken by the government in 2025, the flow of kidnappings linked to cryptocurrencies does not seem to be stemmed. Crypto investors seem to have become prime targets for organized crime, because they are more accessible than other wealthy people. This Monday, a person was held captive for half an hour and threatened with a handgun in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. In November in Chalon-sur-Saône, 6 men were arrested after 4 attempts on the same victim.
Even more disturbing, we learned last week thata former tax official from Bobigny appeared in court for having transmitted information about taxpayers to mysterious sponsors… Including crypto investors. Faced with the deluge, the government tried to put in place measures to better protect investors, which were clearly insufficient.
🌐 In the news – Cryptocurrency crime explodes in 2025 with increased nation-state activity.
The opening of the new National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office (Pnaco) gave some hope this week. This new organization targets organized crime and has taken over cases linked to crypto kidnappings. But there is a long way to go to stem the flow of attacks, which have become far too numerous since last year.
Source : West France
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Journalist at Cryptoast since 2017, I am passionate about the issues of decentralization, privacy and regulation. I specialize in traditional economics and finance by analyzing how industry news influences the cryptocurrency industry, providing a unique and informed perspective to Cryptoast readers.
Marine Debelloir
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