A cryptocurrency investor and his heavily pregnant wife were subjected to a brutal home invasion by masked men who used hammers to force a transfer of digital assets. The incident, which took place in Solihull, has drawn renewed attention to the rising threat of physical robberies targeting digital currency holders.
Three intruders breached the property in December, launching a sustained assault that lasted three quarters of an hour. The male victim attempted to defend his home, but the attackers overpowered him, striking him repeatedly in the face, head, and ribs with hammers.
During the assault, another intruder pinned the man's wife to the sofa. The woman, who was seven months pregnant with the couple's third child, had a pillow pressed over her face while she struggled for breath.
The criminals demanded the victim unlock his smartphone and surrender it. Although the intruders appeared to know the resident owned cryptocurrency, they relied on remote instructions provided by an accomplice through a live video call. The voice on the screen directed the men to examine the phone's applications and locate a digital wallet holding substantial funds.
When the remote caller identified the valuable crypto holdings, the threats intensified significantly. The perpetrators warned that they would stab the pregnant woman in the abdomen and end her pregnancy unless the funds were immediately transferred. Faced with these threats, the victim transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cryptocurrency to the remote wallet. Before fleeing in a waiting car, the gang also stole several luxury Rolex watches.
The victims reported that the physical and psychological toll of the ordeal was severe, though the woman ultimately carried the pregnancy to full term and delivered a healthy baby. Authorities and security organizations are actively seeking information regarding the identities of the suspects. Crimestoppers has announced a reward of £10,000 for details that help advance the police investigation.
Security analysts note that incidents of this nature, sometimes referred to as physical crypto robberies or wrench attacks, are increasing globally. Unlike traditional banking assets that benefit from institutional fraud protections and recovery mechanisms, decentralized digital currencies are typically controlled entirely by the individual owner. Because these digital transfers are fast, anonymous, and irreversible, investors are becoming targets for criminals seeking immediate payouts.
Data compiled by blockchain analytics firms indicates that millions of dollars have been stolen globally in violent crypto-related robberies, putting the current year on track to record some of the highest figures for such offenses. Law enforcement agencies across multiple countries continue to investigate these localized physical assaults alongside conventional digital hacks.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
