The reported attempt to kidnap the wife of The Sandbox co-founder Sébastien Borget has shifted attention to the physical side of crypto security.
Summary
- Neighbors stopped the abduction before attackers fled, with two suspects later arrested in an Uber.
- France has recorded dozens of crypto-linked kidnappings, pushing police toward prevention platforms and tighter protocols.
- Security experts urge privacy, family awareness, multi-signature wallets, and stronger physical safeguards against wrench attacks.
The attack took place on May 20 at Borget’s home in Seine-et-Marne, France, according to Le Journal du Dimanche. The report said one suspect arrived dressed as a delivery worker before five masked accomplices entered the courtyard and tried to force Borget’s wife into a car.
Neighbors heard her cries and intervened. Four suspects fled in a vehicle, while two others escaped on foot and later ordered an Uber. Police from the Meaux Anti-Crime Brigade stopped the ride-hail car soon after. Officers allegedly found a fake handgun, cable ties, and balaclavas.
Crypto motive remains under police review
JDD reported that early evidence suggested the attempted kidnapping “would be linked to cryptocurrencies.” That wording leaves the motive under investigation, and authorities have not said the case is closed.
Borget’s wife was not injured, according to the report. Two suspects were taken into custody, while four others remained wanted.
Related coverage noted that French police had recorded 41 crypto-linked abductions since Jan. 1, making France a key center of the latest wrench-attack wave.
France moves from warnings to prevention
The case came as France prepared new measures against crypto kidnappings. An earlier market update said Interior Ministry representative Jean-Didier Berger had announced a prevention platform for digital asset holders and was working with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez on a wider plan.
French authorities have also pursued suspects more aggressively. Prosecutors had charged at least 88 people over alleged wrench attacks by late April, including ten minors. Authorities also warned crypto holders and their relatives to reduce online exposure, which can help criminals identify targets.
Wrench attacks are becoming global
The problem is not limited to France. TRM Labs said recent wrench attacks have appeared in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other markets. The firm said attackers often target crypto executives, traders, and family members because crypto transfers can be fast, hard to reverse, and tied to public wealth signals.
Security firms now advise crypto holders to treat privacy as part of custody. TRM Labs recommends limiting public disclosure of holdings, improving home and travel security, using multi-signature wallets, and educating family members.
Jameson Lopp’s public list of physical Bitcoin and crypto attacks also includes the May 20 Borget case and says the tracker is not complete because many attacks go unreported.