Cryptocurrency investors are increasingly vulnerable to physical security threats as criminals use violence, kidnapping, burglary, and intimidation to steal digital assets This article explores criminals crypto appears. . These incidents, known as "wrench attacks," bypass technical safeguards by targeting the person who controls a wallet rather than the wallet itself.
The term comes from the idea that strong encryption cannot protect victims who are physically forced to reveal passwords, seed phrases, or approve transactions. For criminals, crypto appears appealing due to its rapid, cross-border transfers and difficulty in reversing assets once they reach new wallets or cash-out services. Attackers can identify targets through social media posts, public business profiles, leaked data, peer-to-peer trading activity, or links to crypto companies.
Crypto Wrench Attacks Surge in France In January 2025, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner were kidnapped from their home in central France. The attackers demanded a EUR 10 million ransom. One significant case involved suspects tracking individuals believed to possess substantial cryptocurrencies for physical theft, including a hardware wallet stolen during a home burglary.
Public wallet addresses, social media posts, luxury purchases, conference appearances, company biographies, or online discussions about earnings can help criminals create profiles of potential victims. By cutting through security operations (SOC) investigation blind spots and containing threats earlier, ANY.RUN offers a solution to reduce response costs and business disruptions.
