Revolut, a British online banking service that gained approval to operate in France in August of last year, recently disclosed that it fell victim to a "sophisticated external identity theft attempt." In this incident, an attacker impersonated a government agency to extract customer information. The bank explained that it was deceived by what it called a "technically valid domain authentication," though it did not elaborate further. A total of 680 customers were identified and contacted by Revolut, with most of them being Swiss or French. The Financial Times suggested that many of these customers were "crypto whales"—individuals holding large amounts of cryptocurrency—but Revolut did not officially confirm this. This incident is part of a growing trend involving cryptocurrency-related extortion and the collection of sensitive information. France has become a focal point for such activities. One example is the hacking of the startup Waltio, which offers accounting and tax management tools specifically for cryptocurrency investors. This breach is believed to have contributed to a surge in crypto-related kidnappings in the country. As a result, Waltio became an attractive target for those seeking to exploit weaknesses in the cryptocurrency sector. Not all information gathering in this context involves digital hacking. A former tax official was placed under investigation at the end of June 2025 for allegedly conducting illegal searches in administrative records, including those of public figures and cryptocurrency investors. This case highlights how both digital and physical methods are being used to target individuals involved in the crypto space. According to France Inter, over 70 kidnappings or abductions linked to cryptocurrency have been recorded in France in 2026. Additionally, the national anti-organized crime prosecutor's office reported that more than 90 people are currently under investigation in these cases. These figures underscore the increasing risks and complexities surrounding the intersection of cryptocurrency and organized crime in France.