The daddy of an unnamed crypto entrepreneur was freed by police in Paris, France, throughout a legislation enforcement raid of the property the place the person was held captive for ransom over a number of days.
In keeping with reporting from Le Monde, the Might 3 raid resulted in 5 arrests. Native outlet Le Parisien additionally said the abductors demanded between 5 million and seven million euros, or as much as $7.9 million, to launch the captive man.
Though the small print on the identification of the victims stay scant, doubtless for safety causes, the crypto entrepreneur and his father co-owned a crypto advertising agency primarily based in Malta, French media stories.
This incident options similarities to the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland in France in January 2025. Balland was additionally held for a crypto ransom till he was freed by law enforcement officers in a rescue operation.
Sadly, this newest incident additionally follows a string of comparable ransom makes an attempt all over the world focusing on crypto customers and their family members in an try to extort funds from people perceived to carry a large quantity of wealth.
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Crypto kidnapping makes an attempt sadly turn out to be all too widespread
In November 2024, WonderFi CEO Dean Skurka was kidnapped and compelled to pay a $1 million cryptocurrency ransom to the assailants, who kidnapped him utilizing a automobile in downtown Toronto, Canada.
Six people in Chicago, Illinois had been charged in February 2025 with the kidnapping of a family and their nanny in alternate for a crypto ransom.
In keeping with an FBI report, the abductors compelled their manner contained in the Chicago house by pretending they’d by chance broken the household’s mechanical storage door.
As soon as inside, the suspects compelled the household right into a van and kidnapped the household for 5 days earlier than forcing them to give up $15 million price of cryptocurrencies to safe their launch.
On-line streamer Amouranth was the victim of a home invasion in March 2025 when a number of armed suspects held her at gunpoint and demanded the keys to her cryptocurrency.
Four suspects were charged in connection to the incident and arrested by legislation enforcement officers within the US state of Texas.
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