Attackers keep hitting the wrong house in rural France after crypto millionaire moved: report

A couple in France’s Somme department has been repeatedly targeted by home invaders seeking roughly €1 million in cryptocurrency they do not own, after purchasing a small village house previously occupied by crypto millionaires whose tax details and address were leaked on the dark web, according to local reporting.

On Monday, the Amiens criminal court sentenced two men, aged 20 and 21 from the Île-de-France region, in connection with the third attempted break-in at the property, the report said.

The news comes amid a rising wave of so-called crypto wrench-attacks. According to several security firms, last year saw the highest number of reported crypto-jackings on record, where attackers physically assault their victims to gain access to their crypto holdings.

These attacks are fueled by data leaks and corporate breaches that result in sensitive personal information like names, wallet addresses, and residences ending up on the dark web available for sale.

In the case of the recent Somme attack, criminals are now even mistakenly targeting addresses after would-be targets have moved. Attackers are also increasingly targeting family members or acquaintances rather than holders directly.

The victims

The victims, described as a farmer and a bank executive in their late twenties, reportedly endured three intrusions in less than a month. On June 24, dogs deterred the first group. Two days later, another team entered, restrained one resident, assaulted the other, and streamed the attack on Snapchat before realizing the occupants did not match the expected wealthy crypto holders and fleeing.

An alarm system installed afterward scared off a third crew on July 17, which included the two defendants and at least two other unnamed and unapprehended individuals.

According to the report, one of the attackers was hired via Telegram for up to €30,000 to force entry, while the other was a rideshare driver hired for €300 to transport the team and tools that included a crowbar, balaclavas and cable ties. The individual offering payment via Telegram was unnamed in the report.

One perpetrator received three years in prison and the other 18 months, with both facing three-year bans from the Somme and from contacting each other.

The homeowners are looking to sell the house.

France surge

According to experts, there were an estimated 52 wrench attacks in the first half of 2026, with the number of kidnappings and home invasions both rising. Chainalysis found that at least 30 attacks occurred in France, though the true number may be higher.

In June, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said authorities had documented more than 70 crypto-related violent incidents.

France has emerged as an epicenter of wrench attacks, Chainalysis said, following a 2024 data breach involving a tax official who stole and sold dossiers on high-net-worth crypto holders. Later leaks and public disclosures put names, addresses and holdings on the dark web for criminals to use.

Last year, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife were kidnapped while the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat, all based in France, were attacked in two high-profile assaults.

It’s worth noting that many crypto-related physical assaults are unreported or documented as traditional attacks.