Overview

• Brigade de Répression du Banditisme officers detained at least 12 suspects in Paris and Loire-Atlantique, charging them with conspiracy, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping.
• On May 1, four masked assailants seized a crypto investor’s father in Essonne, severed one of his fingers and sought €5–7 million in digital ransom, and on May 13 three armed individuals attempted to abduct Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s daughter in Paris.
• Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced on May 16 a direct emergency hotline and home security assessments to protect cryptocurrency executives.
• Security experts warn that criminal networks are using social media to recruit attackers and advise investors to conceal holdings and employ multi-signature, time-delay and social recovery wallet features.
• France has recorded five physical crypto-related attacks in 2025 alone as kidnappings targeting digital-asset executives surge in sophistication and frequency.