In a recent incident tied to cryptocurrencies, a 26-year-old TikTok content creator was kidnapped in a suburb of Paris for €50,000 in cryptocurrency. The captors released him after discovering his account was nearly empty.
Circumstances of the Abduction
A 26-year-old crypto content creator with approximately 40,000 followers was reportedly kidnapped on Friday in Juvisy-sur-Orge, a suburb of Paris. Four assailants forced him into a stolen car, demanding €50,000 in cryptocurrency. They beat him and demanded access to his digital wallet. However, after checking his balance and realizing it was nearly empty, they released him the following day without receiving the ransom.
The Rising Trend of Crypto Crime
France’s Organized and Specialized Crime Division has taken charge of the case, granting the victim six days of medical leave after the incident. Authorities are growing increasingly concerned about a surge in crypto-motivated kidnappings. Earlier this year, attackers targeted high-profile individuals, including an attempted kidnapping of a crypto-exchange CEO’s daughter and a plot involving a €7 million ransom where a victim suffered severe injuries.
A Warning for Crypto Traders
This strange twist—where zero funds saved the victim—highlights a tense reality: being a public figure in crypto, especially on social platforms like TikTok, carries elevated risk. The trend of crypto kidnappings is escalating, prompting calls for improved safety protocols, both online and offline. Publicly sharing wealth or digital profiles can make traders easy targets. The investigation now seeks to uncover how widespread and coordinated these crimes are.
Incidents of crypto-related kidnappings are becoming more frequent, necessitating increased awareness of safety among traders. Public activity in the crypto space should be accompanied by caution.
