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CASE 114  |  Owen Simonin  |  January 26, 2022  |  France
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DATABASE RECORD
  id                  114
  date                January 26, 2022
  original_date       January 26, 2022
  year                2022
  month               1
  quarter             2022-Q1
  victim              Owen Simonin
  location            France
  country             France
  scenario            Dodged Attack
  description         Fake insurance adjustor attempts armed home invasion, gets pushed and locked out by victim. Victim later recorded a video detailing the ordeal.
  kidnappings         0
  violence_torture    0
  drugs_alcohol       0
  weapons             1
  theft               0
  life_taken          0
  money_wanted        (null)
  coin_type           (null)
  reports             TF1
  notes               a follower of influencer followed him home and tried to invade, armed, to steal crypto from him
  has_processed_date  1
  created_at          2025-11-13 05:44:45

AI SUMMARY  [generated at bulk import, NOT verified against sources]
  **Victim:** Owen Simonin
  
  **Attackers:** Unknown number of perpetrators
  
  **Attack Method:** Dodged Attack
  
  **Violence Used:** Threats/intimidation
  
  **Crypto Stolen:** No theft completed
  
  **Status:** Investigation ongoing

LINKED SOURCES
  [url]  https://www.tf1info.fr/justice-faits-divers/reportage-temoignage-video-il-est-venu-a-mon-domicile-avec-une-arme-un-influenceur-specialise-en-cryptomonnaie-raconte-son-agression-2346584.html

NOTES ON THIS FILE
  * matched to sheet row 115: exact match on victim + year, unique on both sides

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARTICLE 1
  Source   TF1
  URL      https://www.tf1info.fr/justice-faits-divers/reportage-temoignage-video-il-est-venu-a-mon-domicile-avec-une-arme-un-influenceur-specialise-en-cryptomonnaie-raconte-son-agression-2346584.html
  Origin   reported_K&R sheet, row 115, column "Articles"
  Length   3,020 chars
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"Il est venu à mon domicile avec une arme..." : An Influencer Specializing in Cryptocurrency Describes His Assault

By the TF1 editorial team | Report: Elsa ASSALIT and Léa MERLIER

Published on January 24, 2025, at 12:53 PM, updated on May 14, 2025, at 10:59 AM

Kidnappers are now targeting influencers and those who have made fortunes in cryptocurrencies. Once the password to the account is obtained, virtual money is less protected than real currency. Owen Simonin tells TF1's news program how one of his subscribers attacked him. Follow the complete coverage.

Kidnapping attempts are on the rise in the world of cryptocurrencies.

The kidnapping for ransom of business leader David Balland is part of a new context. Now, criminals are targeting influencers and those who have made fortunes in cryptocurrencies. This happened two years ago to Owen Simonin, a cryptocurrency influencer followed by hundreds of thousands of people on social media. He recounts his assault to the JT team in the video above: "One day, one of my subscribers, someone who followed me on the internet, simply managed to get the address of my home at the time. And this subscriber simply followed me for a few days to decide to come to my home with a weapon. And at that moment, he simply tried to extort cryptocurrencies from me."

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The young man manages to fend off his attacker, who will eventually surrender to the police a few days later. But the traumatic experience has led him to move and strengthen his online security. "People have understood that cryptocurrency is like money, it has value," the influencer explains to us.

Obfuscate transactions so that the kidnapper's or criminal organization's address can never be identified

Rémi d'Alise, crypto security expert

Why physically target these cryptocurrency holders? Because to access the money, the attackers need a password. Virtual money is less protected than real currency. There is no bank. And once the password is retrieved, all that's left is to transfer the cryptocurrencies.

"Transactions are much more immediate, we're talking about a matter of a few minutes. They are generally irreversible. Then they will be obscured among dozens and dozens of other transactions, so that the kidnapper's or criminal organization's address can never be identified," explains crypto security expert Rémi d'Alise.


Talking about money on social media attracts greed. Whether it's about travels, clothes, partnerships with prestigious brands, influencers are the new targets of robbers. "The feeling of being burglarized, of someone coming into your home, into your privacy, into your space, it's scary," explains Inoxtag, recently a victim of a burglary.

Generally, to protect oneself from attackers, it is advised not to give your address on the internet and to avoid leaving clues that could help locate your home.

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generated from attacks-export-Gart-website.json + reported_K&R  |  case 114
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