TikTok Crypto Trader After Failed Ransom

TikTok Crypto Influencer Freed After Kidnappers Discover He’s Broke

TikTok Crypto, A young French crypto content creator escaped a kidnapping attempt last weekend. His abductors released him after realizing he couldn’t meet their ransom demand.

French radio station Europe 1 reported that four men kidnapped the 26-year-old on Friday night in Juvisy-sur-Orge, south of Paris. They forced him into a stolen vehicle and demanded €50,000 ($57,000) in crypto.

Trader Couldn’t Pay the Ransom

The attackers beat the influencer while trying to extort him. But when he showed them the low balance in his crypto wallet, they abandoned the plot and let him go the next day.

Authorities granted the victim six days of medical leave for recovery. France’s Organized and Specialized Crime Division has opened an investigation into the case.

Crypto Kidnapping Cases Climb in France

Criminals have increasingly targeted crypto users in France this year. Rising threats prompted the Interior Minister to meet with crypto entrepreneurs to discuss security strategies.

In a separate case from May, kidnappers held the father of a crypto investor hostage. They demanded €7 million ($7.8 million) and cut off one of his fingers to pressure the family.

Police Crack Down on Crypto Crime Rings

French police have made several arrests tied to these crimes. On June 11, they caught multiple suspects connected to the May kidnapping.

They also arrested a key figure behind multiple crypto-related abductions in Morocco on June 4. Just days earlier, on May 31, prosecutors in Paris charged 25 people for planning and executing crypto-focused kidnappings.

Officials say they are stepping up efforts to protect digital asset holders and their families.