France Charges 88 Suspects in 12 Crypto Wrench Attacks, Prosecutors Say

French authorities have charged 88 people in connection with a wave of violent crypto “wrench attacks,” prosecutors said as part of 12 active judicial investigations.

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Vanessa Perrée, identified in multiple reports as France’s national prosecutor for organized crime, said the cases involve kidnapping, unlawful confinement, extortion, and money laundering carried out by organized gangs.

CoinCentral

In the Decrypt account, Perrée said Friday that “75 of those charged have been placed in pre-trial detention across 12 judicial investigations handled by specialized magistrates at the Paris Judicial Court.”

Cointelegraph similarly frames the action as a response to a rise in cases, noting that “There have been five recorded wrench attacks so far in April,” and that crypto holders and their relatives should avoid “overexposure on social networks that could make them targets.”

The Crypto Times report likewise ties the prosecutions to a statement from Perrée on April 24, describing “88 suspects, more than 10 of whom are minors” and warning of “rapidly evolving criminal phenomena.”

Across the coverage, prosecutors describe the crimes as physical coercion aimed at forcing victims to surrender digital assets or wallet access, rather than cyber theft alone.

The crackdown is presented as the latest response to a sharp rise in crypto-linked violent incidents recorded by French prosecutors and investigators.

Decrypt reports that French law enforcement has recorded 135 crypto-related incidents since 2023, including 18 in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 already in 2026, describing the pattern as the result of “structured criminal networks.”

Coinpaper

CoinCentral and Cointelegraph both repeat the same year-by-year counts, with CoinCentral stating that prosecutors counted “18 crypto-linked kidnapping or extortion cases in 2024, 67 in 2025 and 47 more so far in 2026.”

Cryptonews.net similarly reports that PNACO has recorded 18 incidents in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 so far in 2026, and it links the surge to the way wrench attacks are carried out through physical force.

The Crypto Times adds that authorities have recorded “135 total cryptocurrency-related kidnapping incidents since 2023,” and says the number rose from 18 in 2024 to 67 in 2025 with 47 incidents already reported in 2026.

Cointelegraph also places the case within a shorter-term acceleration, saying “There have been five recorded wrench attacks so far in April,” and it ties that to the need for vigilance.

Prosecutors and investigators describe wrench attacks as organized, repeat-linked crimes that target crypto holders through coercion and forced transfers.

“French authorities have charged at least 88 people, including 10 minors, in connection with a series of crypto-related kidnappings, extortion attempts and violent coercion cases targeting digital asset holders”

CoinCentral

Decrypt says investigators identified “structured criminal networks by tracing repeat offenders across 135 incidents recorded since 2023,” and it describes the charged offenses as kidnapping, unlawful confinement, extortion, and money laundering.

Cryptonews.net quotes Perrée describing the legal seriousness of the acts, stating that “The acts in question, particularly under the legal classifications of arrest, abduction, organized group sequestration, extortion, and attempts of organized group extortion, are of particular seriousness, both due to the harm caused to individuals and the methods used to obtain transfers of crypto-assets under duress.”

Coinpaper and CoinCentral both emphasize that prosecutors believe the cases point to networks rather than standalone attacks, with CoinCentral saying prosecutors signaled that “links found across several files point to structured criminal networks rather than standalone attacks.”

The Crypto Times similarly quotes Perrée’s framing of network discovery, including “The identification of individuals repeatedly involved in several cases… reveals the existence of structured networks.”

Across the accounts, the operational picture is reinforced by the way investigators merge cases after finding repeated involvement by some suspects, with Cryptonews.net stating that “These consolidations were made possible notably through the identification of individuals recurrently involved in multiple cases.”

The reporting includes multiple voices explaining why wrench attacks are rising and how criminals identify targets.

Decrypt and Cointelegraph both attribute to Vanessa Perrée warnings aimed at crypto holders, with Cointelegraph saying Perrée warned about “overexposure on social networks that could make them targets” and about scammers posing as an investigative service or judicial institution to obtain information.

crypto.news

Decrypt adds that Perrée warned crypto holders to limit exposure and stay alert to impersonation attempts after PNACO flagged a surge in phishing calls and emails targeting cryptocurrency holders.

CertiK’s Jonathan Riss is quoted in Decrypt as saying “The masterminds are often based abroad, outside the EU and out of immediate reach of authorities, operating through local middlemen and young executors,” and he links the problem to personal data exposure and underreporting.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov is quoted in Cointelegraph as suggesting the rise in attacks in France was due to the alleged misuse of crypto investors’ tax data by a former tax official, and he warns with the line: “More data => More leaks => More victims.”

The Crypto Times also reports that on X, Durov said “41 kidnappings were recorded in just the first three and a half months of 2026,” tying the acceleration to data leaks and exposure.

The sources portray the prosecutions as part of an ongoing effort to identify organizers, recruitment channels, and money flows behind wrench attacks, while also pushing behavioral warnings for crypto holders.

“There have been five recorded wrench attacks so far in April”

Cointelegraph

Decrypt says the charges reflect “the full scale of a crisis” and that investigators are tracing networks behind the attacks, with PNACO describing the cases as a sweeping crackdown on organized gangs targeting crypto holders.

Cryptonews.net

Coinpaper and Cryptonews.net both say prosecutors are still identifying all participants and tracing financial channels, with Cryptonews.net stating “Investigations are actively ongoing, under the authority of investigating magistrates, to identify all perpetrators and instigators, clarify financial channels and dismantle the networks involved.”

Cointelegraph adds that the rise in cases is tied to perceived pseudonymity, public visibility of wealth, and the ease with which bad actors can gather personal data online, citing TRM Labs.

The Block’s report emphasizes that French prosecutors urged crypto holders to remain vigilant and avoid extensive exposure on social media platforms that could make them targets, and it quotes Perrée’s statement about the gravity of the offenses.

Even as the legal process moves forward, the sources keep returning to the same practical warning: Perrée urged users and relatives to avoid “overexposure on social media,” and to be wary of contacts from people posing as officials seeking information about a holder’s physical whereabouts.