Referee and his elderly mother abducted for cryptocurrency ransom., 2026/02/09 13:22:28

French law enforcement has apprehended six individuals, including a minor, on suspicion of abducting a judge and her mother. According to investigators, the suspects demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency and threatened the victims with harm.

The 35-year-old judge and her 67-year-old mother were taken from their home in Lyon during the night and confined in a garage on the opposite side of the city. Subsequently, the kidnappers sent a text message to the judge’s boyfriend, who holds a leadership position in a cryptocurrency startup, demanding a ransom in digital assets. The assailants threatened to inflict injuries on the victims if the payment was not made promptly. The authorities have not disclosed the ransom amount.

After 30 hours, the attackers left the judge and her mother alone, allowing them to free themselves and call for help. The noise attracted a resident from a neighboring house, who broke down the garage door and assisted the women in escaping, law enforcement reported.

Over the past year, the number of attacks on crypto investors has surged by 75%, with the majority of incidents occurring in France: 19 cases were recorded there in 2025. In late January, a 74-year-old retiree was kidnapped and tortured in the same Lyon area, mistakenly believed to be the father of a cryptocurrency millionaire. Once the error was realized, the man was released.

Following several instances of abductions aimed at accessing cryptocurrency wallets, the French police arrested a tax agency employee. The woman is suspected of providing information about significant cryptocurrency holders to criminal organizations. A few weeks later, hackers breached the French tax platform Waltio, where investors report their cryptocurrency transactions.