Crypto Kidnappings in France: A Question of Data Theft

Pavel Durov, the person behind Telegram, has claimed that French tax officials are handing over personal information about people who own cryptocurrencies to criminals. He says these data leaks have helped thieves target wealthy crypto owners for ransom attacks. The accusations come after France recorded more than forty kidnapping or hostage incidents linked to crypto since the start of the year. The victims were usually rich investors and their families. A French tax employee, Ghalia C. , was recently charged for using government software to find crypto addresses and then selling that data to organized crime groups. Separate reports show that France’s government portal suffered a security breach earlier this month, possibly exposing private and professional account details. The Ministry of Finance and Economy has not yet responded to these claims.

The wave of kidnappings has unsettled the French crypto community. For example, co‑founder David Balland of Ledger was abducted in 2025 but later released. These events raise questions about how well the country protects its digital assets. Durov himself has had run‑ins with French authorities. In August 2024, he was detained over allegations that Telegram failed to moderate content that could facilitate criminal activity. He has denied these charges and accused French intelligence of pressuring him to silence political voices in exchange for a lighter sentence. The situation highlights the tension between privacy, law enforcement and digital freedom. Whether the allegations are true remains unclear, but they underscore the need for stronger data protection and clearer rules on how governments handle crypto‑related information.

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