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CASE 463  |  Two French crypto millionaires in their 20s  |  July 12, 2025  |  UK
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DATABASE RECORD
  id                  463
  date                July 12, 2025
  original_date       (null)
  year                2025
  month               7
  quarter             2025-Q3
  victim              Two French crypto millionaires in their 20s
  location            Canning Town, East London
  country             UK
  scenario            Costly Fame
  description         Victims were lured to Shadwell to buy cannabis, ambushed by three masked men with a gun and knife, forced into their rented Mercedes and driven to a flat at Rathbone East in Canning Town where they were held 52 hours.
  kidnappings         1
  violence_torture    1
  drugs_alcohol       (null)
  weapons             1
  theft               1
  life_taken          0
  money_wanted        (null)
  coin_type           (null)
  reports             (null)
  notes               (null)
  has_processed_date  0
  created_at          2026-08-04 16:33:37
  (flag legend: 'kidnappings' is the DETENTION flag — 1 when the victim was held against
   their will at any point, tied, locked in, held at gunpoint or taken away; it is NOT the
   same as the 'Kidnapping' scenario, which means taken away and held. See README, Definitions.)

AI SUMMARY  [generated at bulk import, NOT verified against sources]
  **Victims:** Two French males, both in their 20s, crypto millionaires. Targeted after displaying luxury lifestyle on Instagram. Names not disclosed.
  
  **Attackers:** Six convicted: Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman (conspiracy to blackmail + false imprisonment); William Adebisi, Julius George, Isaac Bakoya, Adel Sineen (false imprisonment). All cleared of kidnap, imitation firearm, and sexual assault. Mastermind: Ibrahim Mohamed ("Nino"/"Fatboy"), directing remotely via WhatsApp and Snapchat.
  
  **Attack Method:** Victims drove from Kensington to Shadwell to buy cannabis, walked into pre-planned ambush. Forced back into their rented black Mercedes at gunpoint. Driven to flat at Rathbone East, Canning Town. A third companion escaped the initial attack and left his phone in the kidnappers' vehicle, enabling police to trace the flat.
  
  **Violence Used:** Stripped naked, bound with tape and cable ties, socks stuffed in mouths. Beaten, burned with cigarettes (one extinguished in victim's mouth), scalded with boiling water. Threatened with genital mutilation. Starved; one victim forced to drink toilet water.
  
  **Crypto Demanded/Stolen:** $150,000 demanded. $30,000 transferred. One victim released; the second was driven away separately and later claimed he believed he had been "sold" to another group seeking further ransom.
  
  **Status:** Flying Squad traced flat via escaped companion's phone + CCTV. Three suspects fled by car, crashed into lamp post during police pursuit (July 14). Six convicted. Ibrahim Mohamed still at large.

LINKED SOURCES
  [url]  https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-jury-convicts-six-crypto-kidnapping-1812152
  [url_2]  https://www.cryptopolitan.com/london-jury-convict-crypto-torture-blackmail/
  [url_3]  https://en.coin-turk.com/five-guilty-of-kidnapping-and-torturing-french-crypto-millionaires-in-london-for-150000-ransom/
  [url_4]  https://crypto-economy.com/five-convicted-in-shocking-52-hour-crypto-kidnapping/

OTHER LINKED SOURCES
  [BLOCKED]  url_2  None — raw request refused; try the WebFetch path, which is a model transcription and must be labelled as such
      https://www.cryptopolitan.com/london-jury-convict-crypto-torture-blackmail/

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  Source     ibtimes.co.uk
  URL        https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-jury-convicts-six-crypto-kidnapping-1812152
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ORIGINAL (unknown, verbatim as retrieved)

French Crypto Millionaires Tortured, Burned and Forced To Pay $30,000 as London Court Convicts Six Men | IBTimes UK

A London jury has convicted six men over the kidnapping, torture and blackmail of two French cryptocurrency millionaires after a 52-hour ordeal in which the victims were stripped naked, beaten, burned with cigarettes, scalded with boiling water and forced to hand over roughly $30,000 in cryptocurrency while captors demanded five times more.

The convictions come as security firm CertiK reports that Europe has become the global centre of so-called 'wrench attacks', violent assaults and kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency holders, with France accounting for the majority of recorded incidents during the first half of 2026. Researchers say criminals are increasingly bypassing digital security by attacking investors directly.

London Jury Convicts Six Over 52-Hour Crypto Kidnapping

The case centred on two unnamed French men in their 20s, described in court as cryptocurrency millionaires, who travelled to London in July 2025. Prosecutors said the pair were targeted after posting their luxury lifestyles on social media.

According to evidence presented at Inner London Crown Court, the victims drove from Kensington to east London intending to buy cannabis before being ambushed by three masked men carrying a firearm and a knife. The attackers forced them into a rented Mercedes before taking them to a flat in Canning Town, where they remained captive for more than two days.

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC described the treatment as 'cold, hard torture'. Jurors heard the men were tied up with tape and cable ties, repeatedly beaten, burned with cigarettes and had boiling water poured over parts of their bodies, including their genitals.

The victims also alleged they were threatened with genital mutilation, sexual violence and harm against family members unless they transferred cryptocurrency. Court evidence showed they ultimately transferred about $30,000 worth of digital assets after captors demanded approximately $150,000.

One victim was later released, while the second told investigators he believed he had been handed over to another criminal group after being 'sold'.

Investigation Led Police to the Captive Victims

The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad tracked the suspects after a companion who escaped during the initial attack left his mobile phone inside the kidnappers' vehicle. Investigators combined mobile phone data with CCTV footage to locate the property where the victims were being held before carrying out a series of arrests.

Three suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle through residential streets before crashing into a lamp post following a police pursuit. Inner London Crown Court convicted Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment.

William Adebisi, Julius George, Isaac Bakoya and Adel Sineen were convicted of false imprisonment. Jurors cleared the defendants of kidnap, possessing an imitation firearm and sexual assault charges.

Sentencing is scheduled for September. Police said the operation had been directed remotely through WhatsApp and Snapchat by Ibrahim Mohamed, also known as 'Nino', who remains overseas and has not been arrested.

Europe Now A Key Hotspot For Crypto 'Wrench Attacks'

The London case reflects a wider pattern identified by blockchain security company CertiK in its latest threat report. The firm's H1 2026 Wrench Attack Report documented 52 verified physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders during the first six months of the year.

Recorded financial exposure reached approximately $124 million, more than ten times higher than during the same period a year earlier. Europe accounted for 39 of those attacks.

France alone represented 33 incidents, making it the largest national hotspot in CertiK's dataset. Researchers also identified an increase in home invasions targeting digital asset investors.

Unlike conventional cyber theft, wrench attacks rely on physical violence or intimidation to force victims to unlock wallets or transfer cryptocurrency, rendering sophisticated digital security measures ineffective once attackers gain physical control of the victim.

Social Media Wealth Displays Highlight New Risks

During the London trial, prosecutors argued the French visitors' public displays of wealth may have attracted organised criminals. Stonecliffe told jurors the victims' lifestyles had been 'widely published on social media' and 'may well have attracted unwanted attention'.

Security specialists increasingly advise cryptocurrency investors to limit public disclosure of their holdings, avoid revealing travel routines and separate wallet access from recovery credentials. CertiK also recommends stronger residential security and emergency planning, noting that physical coercion has become one of the fastest-growing risks facing high-net-worth cryptocurrency holders.

The Metropolitan Police said the convictions demonstrated its determination to pursue organised violent offenders even where victims were unwilling or unable to testify in court because of fear.

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FETCHED ARTICLE 2  [AUTO-TRIMMED — UNREVIEWED]
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  Source     en.coin-turk.com
  URL        https://en.coin-turk.com/five-guilty-of-kidnapping-and-torturing-french-crypto-millionaires-in-london-for-150000-ransom/
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  Caveat     retrieved from a live page on the date above. Unlike text copied
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ORIGINAL (unknown, verbatim as retrieved)

COINTURK NEWS - Bitcoin, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency News and Analysis
 Five guilty of kidnapping and torturing French crypto millionaires in London for $150,000 ransom - COINTURK NEWS

Five men have been convicted by Inner London Crown Court for kidnapping two French cryptocurrency millionaires and holding them for more than two days in an East London flat. Authorities reported that the victims were subjected to violence and extortion, with their captors demanding a $150,000 ransom.

Kidnapping and torture targeting crypto holdersRising trend in wrench attacks on cryptocurrency investors

Kidnapping and torture targeting crypto holders

The victims, both in their twenties, were staying in Kensington when the abduction took place. Prosecuting barrister Heidi Stonecliffe KC stated that their luxurious public image may have drawn the attention of criminals looking for wealthy targets among cryptocurrency investors.

After parking their rented black Mercedes in Shadwell, the two men were confronted by three masked individuals armed with a gun and a knife. The attackers forced them back into the vehicle and drove them to a flat at Rathbone East in Canning Town, where their ordeal began.

The men were tied up with tape and cable ties, assaulted, and gagged with socks. During 52 hours in captivity, their captors poured boiling water over their bodies, extinguished a cigarette in one victim’s mouth, and repeatedly threatened to mutilate them unless they paid $150,000. The victims also reported being deprived of food, with one forced to drink toilet water.

Eventually, the kidnappers received $30,000 in cryptocurrency. One victim was released, while the second was taken away separately and later claimed he believed he had been “sold” to another group seeking further ransom.

The Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad managed to track the gang down using a phone accidentally left in the Mercedes by a friend of the victims, leading officers to the crime scene.

A police pursuit through residential streets reached speeds of up to 70mph before three of the suspects, Julius George, Isaac Bakoya, and Adel Sineen, crashed their vehicle and were detained after attempting to flee on foot. The suspects were found guilty of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment, while three others were convicted of false imprisonment.

The investigation found evidence of intense physical and psychological abuse against the two cryptocurrency holders, including threats of extreme violence and coerced payments to secure their release.

The reported ringleader, known as Ibrahim Mohamed or “Nino,” allegedly directed the operation through WhatsApp and Snapchat, but remains at large. Another convicted member, Yasir Mohamed, had prior convictions for drug offenses and knife possession.

Rising trend in wrench attacks on cryptocurrency investors

Blockchain security company CertiK documented 34 confirmed wrench attacks—incidents where criminals physically coerce victims to surrender cryptocurrency—in the first four months of 2026. This marks a 41% increase over the same period in 2025. In France, authorities have recorded approximately 70 cases of crypto-related kidnapping or extortion attempts since January 2026, resulting in charges against 88 individuals.

Several attacks in France have been connected to a breach at the crypto tax platform Waltio, which reportedly exposed the personal data of around 50,000 users.

Mini dictionary: Waltio is a French crypto tax platform that provides tools for cryptocurrency users to calculate and declare their tax obligations. The company suffered a data breach in early 2026, exposing sensitive information of thousands of clients.

In another high-profile case, four men received sentences of up to six and a half years at St Albans Crown Court for clubbing a City worker in Hertfordshire with a wrench and transferring over £10,000 from his accounts. Meanwhile, a Moroccan court sentenced Mohamed Hamid Bajou to 25 years in prison for orchestrating a string of abductions in France, including the 2025 kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland, during which one of his fingers was severed.

Prosecutors in New York are pursuing two men, William Duplessie and John Woeltz, who are accused of torturing an Italian tourist for three weeks in an attempt to obtain his Bitcoin password.

A series of violent incidents across Europe and the United States has prompted renewed concern about physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency investors who are often perceived as high-value targets due to their digital holdings.

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FETCHED ARTICLE 3  [AUTO-TRIMMED — UNREVIEWED]
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  Source     crypto-economy.com
  URL        https://crypto-economy.com/five-convicted-in-shocking-52-hour-crypto-kidnapping/
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  Caveat     retrieved from a live page on the date above. Unlike text copied
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ORIGINAL (unknown, verbatim as retrieved)

Five Convicted in Shocking 52-Hour Crypto Kidnapping and Extortion Case - Crypto Economy

Five men were convicted after two French crypto millionaires were abducted, restrained and tortured for 52 hours in an east London flat.

The attackers demanded $150,000, received $30,000 in cryptocurrency and released one victim while allegedly transferring the other for further extortion.

Police traced the gang through a forgotten phone, but alleged organizer Ibrahim Mohamed remains free as crypto-related physical attacks continue rising sharply across several jurisdictions worldwide.

Five men have been convicted at Inner London Crown Court after two French cryptocurrency millionaires were held and tortured for 52 hours in an east London flat. The victims, both in their 20s, were abducted after parking a rented Mercedes in Shadwell, where masked attackers carrying a gun and knife forced them back into the vehicle. The case turned visible crypto wealth into the basis for an exceptionally violent ransom operation. Prosecutors said the pair may have attracted attention through publicly extravagant lifestyles, exposing how online displays of success can create dangerous physical targets.

A forgotten phone helps police uncover the detention site

The captors bound the men with tape and cable ties, beat them, stuffed socks into their mouths and demanded $150,000. During the ordeal, boiling water was poured over their bodies, a cigarette was extinguished in one victim’s mouth, and threats of mutilation were made. One victim said he was starved and forced to drink toilet water. The violence was designed to convert fear and physical suffering into immediate cryptocurrency transfers. The gang ultimately received $30,000 in crypto, released one man and drove the other away, allegedly seeking further payment through another group.

Police located the gang after tracing a phone left in the rented Mercedes by a friend traveling with the victims. Officers then pursued a car carrying Julius George, Isaac Bakoya and Adel Sineen at speeds reaching 70 mph through residential streets before it struck a lamppost. A forgotten phone transformed a concealed detention site into a traceable location and triggered the arrests. Jurors convicted two defendants of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment, while three others were found guilty of false imprisonment. All five were cleared of kidnapping, possessing an imitation firearm and sexual assault charges.

The alleged organizer, Ibrahim Mohamed, known as “Nino” and stored as “Fatboy” in one defendant’s phone, remains at large after reportedly directing the operation through WhatsApp and Snapchat. The case arrives amid rising physical attacks on crypto holders, with 34 confirmed wrench attacks recorded during the first four months of 2026, up 41% year over year. The convictions close only part of the case while the alleged coordinator remains beyond police custody. The episode delivers a disturbing warning that digital wealth can create offline exposure when identity, location and lifestyle become publicly connected.

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TL;DR: Two armed home invasions carried out in France during April resulted in the theft of approximately $667,000 in crypto assets. On-chain investigator ZachXBT tied

France’s Massive Tax Data Breach Puts 678,000 People at Risk as Crypto Attacks Soar

TL;DR France’s tax authority suffered a breach reportedly exposing data linked to 678,437 people, including thousands with high declared incomes. The leaked information could make

Chainalysis Says Wrench Attacks Exceed $30M Amid Rising Physical Risks

TL;DR Chainalysis documented 46 physical attacks against cryptocurrency holders in the first half of 2026, with a total of more than $30 million stolen. Only

Polymarket Vows Legal Fight Following Sudden French Decision to Block Access

TL;DR Polymarket plans to challenge France’s website block, arguing it already prohibited French trading since November 2024 and only offered view-only event probabilities. The ANJ

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BFMTV reported that French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez promised to strengthen security for cryptocurrency-sector actors after a surge in violent incidents. Nuñez said 77 cases

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generated from attacks-export-Gart-website.json + reported_K&R  |  case 463
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