Suspects in Attack on Sandbox Co-Founder's Spouse Apprehended After Ordering Rideshare
A security firm noted this month that physical cryptocurrency theft operations typically involve teams of three to five individuals who are frequently inexperienced, with the organizers directing from foreign locations.
Half a dozen individuals charged with plotting to abduct the spouse of Sébastien Borget, who co-founded The Sandbox, saw two of their members detained following their decision to summon an Uber for their getaway, local news outlets have confirmed.
According to Thursday's reporting by Le Journal du Dimanche, one member of the group posed as someone making a delivery and successfully persuaded Borget's spouse to unlock the entrance gate of their residence located in the Île-de-France area in the northern part of France. Following this, five additional masked individuals stormed into the property's courtyard and attempted to force her into a waiting automobile.
The assault was interrupted when nearby residents stepped in, compelling the perpetrators to abandon their operation. While four members escaped using the vehicle, the remaining two fled by foot and subsequently requested an Uber ride, which law enforcement from the Meaux Anti-Crime Brigade later stopped, Le Journal du Dimanche stated. Authorities allegedly discovered the two individuals in possession of a fake firearm, zip ties and ski masks.
Initial law enforcement inquiries have connected the incident to cryptocurrency. The attack occurs during a period of increasing crypto wrench attacks starting in 2025, with Web3 security firm CertiK identifying Europe as a major area of concern in their recent monthly report, noting that France has experienced the highest number of such incidents.
CertiK further noted that the majority of these criminal operations involve "complete amateurs" who are recruited via messaging platforms such as Telegram or Snapchat, while those orchestrating the attacks remain based in foreign nations.
Four suspects still on the run
According to reports, Borget's spouse sustained no injuries during the incident, while the remaining four individuals involved in the criminal group continue to evade capture.
TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence firm, indicated in a May report from the previous year that such physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders have been increasing due to several factors: the mistaken belief that crypto transactions are truly anonymous, the public nature of displayed wealth in the cryptocurrency space, and how simple it has become for criminals to collect personal information through online sources.
The company additionally noted that it has become increasingly prevalent for criminals to focus their attacks on relatives of cryptocurrency holders. In May of the previous year, four individuals attempted to kidnap both the daughter and grandchild of Pierre Noizat, a French exchange executive, in Paris. During that same month, French law enforcement successfully rescued the abducted father of a cryptocurrency business owner who was being held and ransomed.
According to Jameson Lopp, who serves as chief security officer at Casa, his documented list of such incidents spanning from 2014 shows that 38 crypto-wrench attacks have been recorded in the current year alone.