In broad daylight, an attack was carried out on the daughter of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat and her son, marking the latest incident in an increasing series of assaults targeting crypto entrepreneurs and their families.
A bold kidnapping attempt involving the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, co-founder and CEO of the French crypto exchange Paymium, was reportedly thwarted after resistance was put up by the daughter along with nearby witnesses.
On May 13, an attack was carried out by three masked individuals on Pierre Noizat’s daughter and a male companion as she walked with her son in Paris’ 11th district. An attempt was reportedly made by the assailants to forcibly place Noizat’s daughter and her child into a parked van, according to a report published by the French state-owned outlet France24.
The male companion who was present was reportedly attacked when an attempt to intervene was made, but resistance was shown by Noizat’s daughter, who, during the struggle, managed to seize a weapon from one of the attackers and discard it, according to police statements.
Eventually, intervention was made by nearby passersby, prompting the masked attackers to flee in the van, which was later discovered in the vicinity. Injuries were sustained by all three victims, and they were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
According to local outlet Le Parisien, the failed abduction that occurred in broad daylight is being probed by the Brigade for the Suppression of Banditry, a specialized division under the French Ministry of the Interior.
The incident has been described by Michael Englander, co-founder and CEO of the Polish crypto exchange Plasbit, as a warning that should be taken seriously by the wider industry.
In a post shared on X on May 13, it was stated by him that individuals involved in crypto who continue to showcase their wealth online are not only acting recklessly but are also endangering their families.
Rise in Offline Attacks Tied to Crypto Continues
A statement was made by crypto-focused attorney Sasha Hodder on X, noting that “theft within the crypto space is progressing—it no longer relies solely on social engineering or SIM swap tactics.”
In May, it was reported by Las Vegas police that a man returning from a nearby crypto event had allegedly been abducted at gunpoint by three teenagers and was robbed of $4 million in cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
On May 3, the father of a crypto entrepreneur was rescued by Paris police after being held for several days in relation to a kidnapping scheme involving 7 million euros ($7.8 million).
At the beginning of the year, David Balland, the co-founder of crypto hardware wallet maker Ledger, was taken from his residence in central France during the early hours of January 21. He was kept in captivity until his release was secured through a police operation conducted on the night of January 22.
A list documenting numerous offline crypto thefts has been compiled on GitHub by Jameson Lopp, a cypherpunk and co-founder of the self-custodial company Casa, with 22 cases of in-person crypto-related robberies recorded so far this year.
A study conducted by the University of Cambridge in September revealed that these so-called “wrench attacks” are frequently not reported, often due to fears of being revictimized, and are carried out by a wide range of perpetrators, including organized crime syndicates as well as acquaintances and relatives.
