Theft, Homejacking, Kidnapping For Ransom: How To Protect Yourself?

Yet another kidnapping attempt in Paris, in broad daylight, targeting a person connected to the cryptocurrency world. Fortunately, it was cut short. This brings to mind the case of David Balland, the co-founder of Ledger, who was held captive with his wife to demand a ransom from his friend Éric Larchevêque. The police finally managed to free them and freeze the funds. This is already the fifth case of this kind in France since the beginning of the year...

Does this type of threat only concern cryptocurrencies? No, of course not. All valuable assets are in the crosshairs of organized crime, especially easily transportable real assets. Demanding a bank transfer obviously makes no sense to kidnappers, who would reveal their details and see the money blocked: the bank regains an advantage here, punctually. On the other hand, a masterpiece, jewels, luxury watches, a Ledger key containing cryptos, or even gold bars can easily be taken during a robbery, or extorted by force in the case of a homejacking. They can also be demanded as ransom payment, especially the last two.

These numerous incidents should be a wake-up call to anyone holding those assets. It is advisable to take certain basic precautions, starting with discretion, by avoiding displaying one's lifestyle in public or on social media. But that's not enough. It is strongly recommended not to store these assets at home. A vault, ideally outside the banking system, offers real protection against theft and homejacking. Goldbroker.com offers such a secure storage solution. Yes, it costs money, but that's the price of security. Keeping important valuables at home is reckless.

There remains the risk of kidnapping with a ransom demand. The first reaction is to immediately alert the police. In this case, gold has an advantage over cryptocurrencies because it is tangible and harder to move, even if the risk is not zero. Bitcoin fascinates criminals, who believe they can transfer money to the other side of the world without leaving any trace behind. It's an illusion: the blockchain is in fact an open digital register, tracing all transactions. So far, no kidnapper has been able to keep their ransom. Hopefully, repeated failures will reduce these attempts.

For cryptos, certain strategies can be implemented (multiple signatures to release funds, minimum delay before transfer), but they are not within the reach of all holders. Gold, stored in a safe outside the home and far away (in Switzerland, as proposed by Goldbroker.com), offers solid, virtually definitive protection against kidnapping for ransom.

Be that as it may, the risk of aggression is increasing, and everyone needs to think about their security — whether it concerns their assets, themselves or their loved ones (taking self-defense classes might be a good idea). These threats are set to become increasingly prevalent: France is on the way to Mexicanization.