Four Masked Men Rob French Crypto Worker in Home Invasion

Four masked men invaded a family home in northern France early Sunday morning, binding a couple and their two children before forcing the father to transfer approximately €40,000 in cryptocurrency, according to prosecutors and police. The attack in the town of VendinleVieil, near Lens, is the latest in a surge of violent "wrench attacks" targeting crypto holders in the country. The break-in occurred at around 4 a.m. on September 20. The intruders, described as hooded and armed, entered the detached house on rue Simone Veil and tied up the four occupants with black tape. The victims were a 40-year-old IT specialist who works in the cryptocurrency sector, his 41-year-old partner, and their children, aged 12 and 8. After searching the home, the attackers separated the father from his family. They assaulted him, demanding his login details and identification codes. A source close to the investigation stated that the 12-year-old daughter was struck in the face with car keys. The men remained in the house for more than three hours before fleeing in a vehicle. The family managed to free themselves, and firefighters arrived at the scene at 7 a.m.