Frequent cryptocurrency crimes in Europe: France becomes a high-incidence area for violent cases, with over 14 robberies annually

【CryptoPush】Another Armed Robbery Incident Sounds Alarm on Security. This Monday evening, three masked men broke into a resident’s home in Manosque, France, threatened a woman with a pistol, created a terrifying atmosphere, and then hurriedly fled with a USB drive containing the private keys to her encrypted cryptocurrency holdings. Although the victim was unharmed and managed to escape and report the incident within minutes, local criminal authorities and national police have launched an investigation.

This is not an isolated incident. Jameson Lopp, CTO of security firm Casa, reported in a public database that over 70 violent attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders have been recorded worldwide. Worryingly, France is becoming a hotbed for such crimes in Europe—last year, more than 14 related cases were reported.

Why is France particularly vulnerable to becoming a target? Network crime consultant David Sehyeon pointed out three overlapping factors: first, France itself has a relatively high baseline level of crime; second, local entrepreneurs, traders, and public figures hold a conspicuous amount of digital assets, making them easier targets; third, the widespread knowledge of cryptocurrencies and digital assets has increased the “professionalism” of perpetrators, enabling organized crime groups to see profit opportunities. Under this environment, it is only a matter of time before opportunistic robberies evolve into organized systemic crimes.