The wife of Sébastien Borget, co‑founder of metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox, narrowly escaped a suspected crypto‑related kidnapping at the family’s home in Villenoy, Seine‑et‑Marne, this week, French media report.
According to police sources cited by Le Journal de Dimanche, one person approached the Borget residence posing as a delivery driver with a cardboard box. When Borget’s wife opened the gate, five accomplices stormed into the courtyard and tried to force her into a waiting Citroën C3. Neighbors intervened and the assailants fled. Two teenagers — identified by authorities as Mateo V. (born 2010) and Walid H. (born 2009), both from Pantin in Seine‑Saint‑Denis — were arrested at the scene; police say they were found carrying a fake handgun, zip‑tie restraints and balaclavas. Four other suspects remain at large.
Borget posted a message of thanks on Twitter on May 21, 2026, saying he was “truly touched” by the outpouring of support for his family.
French investigators are treating the case against the backdrop of a sharp rise in so‑called “wrench attacks,” where perpetrators threaten or abduct crypto holders to force access to their wallets. The National Directorate of the Judicial Police has logged 41 crypto‑linked kidnapping attempts so far this year and 135 such incidents since 2023 — nearly 80% of Europe’s total, according to JDD. Authorities say 88 people have been charged across 12 ongoing judicial investigations.
Security experts and officials point to broader vulnerabilities that make these crimes possible. Jonathan Riss, a blockchain intelligence analyst at CertiK, recently told Decrypt that France “ranks among the top three countries worldwide for personal data breaches,” citing a leak at the national ID agency ANTS that exposed data on 12 million citizens.
The Borget incident follows several high‑profile, violent cases targeting crypto figures in France, including the kidnapping and mutilation of Ledger co‑founder David Balland, a reported home invasion attempt against Binance France’s CEO, and the abduction of a magistrate and her mother over crypto demands. In response, French authorities have ramped up measures: during Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Minister Delegate Jean‑Didier Berger announced a dedicated prevention platform and other safeguards, and some prominent crypto entrepreneurs and their families have been assigned enhanced security.
The episode underscores the intensifying security risks facing blockchain executives and crypto holders in France, and the continuing challenge for law enforcement to stay ahead of increasingly brazen, targeted attacks.
Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news
