A woman was held captive by masked gunmen in Manosque after robbers targeted her partner’s crypto USB drive. The January 6 incident brought France’s total to 14 recent attacks, leading global statistics according to security researcher Jameson Lopp’s database . Three hooded individuals entered the couple’s home on Chemin Champs de Pruniers around 7:30 p.m., according to Le Parisien . The attackers tied up the woman, threatened her with a handgun, and slapped her while demanding crypto data. After seizing a USB drive, they fled. The victim freed herself and contacted police, emerging physically unharmed. Tax Official Caught Selling Targeting Data to Criminal Gangs The attack comes amid revelations that criminals access government databases to identify crypto holders. We're now learning of a French tax agent who used privileged access to find and target cryptocurrency owners on behalf of an unknown third party. https://t.co/izh8QRxdJZ — Jameson Lopp (@lopp) January 8, 2026 According to Le Parisien , tax official Ghalia C. was imprisoned on June 30, 2025, in Bobigny after using tax software to provide addresses to organized crime. Prosecutors say she searched for files on crypto investors, billionaire Vincent Bolloré, and prison officials before selling the information. “ She refused to give her phone passcode and the name of the person who hired her; that’s criminal behavior, ” the public prosecutor stated. “ This woman abused her position in a completely abnormal manner to serve a hardened criminal. “ Investigators discovered Ghalia accessed “ Mira ” tax software to locate targets for violent robberies. Her searches specifically included crypto investors. One prison officer was attacked on September 26, 2024, when three armed men burst into his Montreuil home after she provided his address. Police found large cash deposits and Western Union transfers in her accounts. She received approximately 800 euros per operation, according to confessions from arrested henchmen. Her lawyer, however, argued, “ the justice system is making a lot of assumptions, ” but prosecutors charged her in a similar Nancy case involving attacks on prison guards’ homes. Physical Attacks Reach Record Levels Physical violence against crypto holders has escalated dramatically, with Lopp’s database documenting 269 total attacks since tracking began. The year 2025 has recorded 65 incidents, averaging more than one per week. Source: Haseebq Criminals successfully steal assets in 2/3 of documented attacks, and 60% of perpetrators are eventually captured. France has emerged as a particular hotspot, with Parisian authorities believing one organized crime ring perpetrates multiple recent kidnappings. Western Europe accounts for 27% of global attacks, followed by North America at 24% and Asia-Pacific at 20%. Source: Haseebq Market Correlation and Evolving Risk Assessment Investor Haseeb Qureshi’s analysis revealed critical insights about attack patterns. His regression found a correlation of 0.67 between crypto market capitalization and attack frequency. “ Simple regression yields an R² of 0.45, meaning 45% of the variance in violence is explained simply by price ,” Qureshi noted. Are rates of physical violence against crypto users increasing? Jameson @lopp has been quietly maintaining a database of "wrench attacks"—violent attacks against crypto users to steal their crypto. It's the closest thing we have to a ground truth of whether holding crypto has… pic.twitter.com/VMmI4ZeC3B — Haseeb ＞|＜ (@hosseeb) January 4, 2026 Normalization analysis provided a nuanced perspective. When adjusting for population growth, Qureshi found that “ crypto was actually more dangerous in 2015 and in 2018, back when crypto was very small. ” During that time, Coinbase’s monthly active users increased 60x from 2 million to 120 million, meaning violence has not grown proportionally. “ There has indeed been a recent uptick in violent events per user, ” Qureshi acknowledged. “ But it’s a moderate increase, roughly in line with 2021 rates of violence, and significantly lower than pre-2019. “ Rising Violence Severity and Criminal Sophistication Attacks have grown substantially more violent. Haseeb’s severity classification shows 51% now classified as “ serious ,” involving armed robbery , kidnapping , or home invasion . Another 21% qualify as “ severe ,” including torture and severed body parts, while fatal outcomes account for 5%. Criminals have adopted sophisticated tactics, with home invasions representing 25% of attacks. Perpetrators often pose as delivery workers to gain entry , while kidnappings involve surveillance. OTC trades have become particularly dangerous, with attackers luring victims to hotel rooms. “ Dubai is actually from a number of different perspectives very risky ,” Lopp noted, though adding that Dubai maintains a 100% success rate in catching criminals before they escape. The UAE’s nine recorded attacks all resulted in arrests, in contrast to jurisdictions where criminals frequently evade capture. Security Recommendations “ Shut up ,” Lopp advised bluntly. “ Stop flaunting your wealth. ” His recommendations include avoiding face-to-face trades, maintaining situational awareness, refusing food or drinks from untrusted sources, and implementing distributed multi-signature setups that make rapid fund movement difficult. Qureshi provided even more practical guidance. He advised to “ stay in a safe city, ideally in a building with 24/7 security. Don’t wear crypto swag in public or signal that you have crypto on you. “ He recommended using services like DeleteMe to remove personal data from brokers, establishing PO boxes for commercial mail, and maintaining separate hot wallets with meaningful amounts that could be surrendered without compromising entire holdings. The Manosque case remains under investigation, with financial losses yet to be assessed. Authorities continue pursuing leads on the three suspects who remain at large. The post Masked Gunmen Steal Crypto USB in France as Tax Official Caught Selling Data to Gangs appeared first on Cryptonews .
