Two armed attackers burst into a house in the commune of Pludalmézeau in north-west France and took a family hostage.

They demanded a ransom of €700 000 in cryptocurrency and insisted on receiving access to the household’s digital wallet.

Sequence of events

The assailants immediately indicated awareness of the family’s crypto assets and demanded the wallet credentials to transfer the funds.

Under threat, a woman in the house executed a transfer of the requested amount, after which the captors continued to hold the family for several more hours.

Perpetrators’ departure

Following the transfer and several hours of detention, the perpetrators fled the scene, leaving in a vehicle they forcibly took from the property.

On digital custody

Control of a crypto wallet typically requires possession of private keys, which allow immediate movement of digital assets once disclosed or transferred.