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Crypto thieves attack man in home and threaten to kill pregnant wife's baby in 'horrific' robbery
Crimestoppers said the attackers forced a transfer of hundreds of thousands of pounds in cryptocurrency and stole several Rolex watches, while police investigate.
- On December 13, 2025, a hammer-wielding masked gang forced entry into a home in Smith's Wood, Solihull, assaulting a man named James and threatening his pregnant wife to coerce a cryptocurrency transfer.
- During a 45-minute ordeal, the gang demanded the couple transfer hundreds of thousands of pounds via instructions from a fourth offender on a video call, then stole several luxury Rolex watches before fleeing in a black BMW X3.
- Crypto investigators at Chainalysis report that violent "wrench attacks" have surged in recent years, with $30m stolen through June 2026, making this year likely the worst on record for such robberies.
- West Midlands Police and Crimestoppers are investigating, offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to arrests, with regional manager Alan Edwards promising that informants will remain completely anonymous and never provide formal statements.
- Home invasions are rising as digital information leaks expose wealthy crypto investors, experts warn, and unlike bank security, self-custody setups leave individuals vulnerable to physical coercion, with France experiencing the largest number of attacks globally.
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18 Articles
18 Articles
Evening Standard+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Reward offered after crypto heist gang threatens to kill victim’s pregnant wife
The couple, who were expecting their third child, were attacked after returning home.
·London, United Kingdom
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MASKED attackers broke into a businessman's home, beat him with hammers and forced him to transfer hundreds of thousands of pounds in cryptocurrency, threatening to kill his pregnant wife.
·Zagreb, Croatia
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources18
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 38%
C 62%
Factuality
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