A shocking kidnap attempt targeting the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, co-founder and CEO of French cryptocurrency exchange Paymium, was thwarted on May 13 in broad daylight in Paris.
According to reports, three masked attackers ambushed Noizat’s daughter and her male companion while she was walking with her young son in the city’s 11th arrondissement. The assailants tried to force the mother and child into a nearby van. However, their plan was foiled after the woman fought back and managed to disarm one of the attackers during a fierce struggle. She reportedly threw the weapon away while resisting the attackers.
En plein Paris, un homme a été violenté par des individus cagoulés, habillés tout en noir. Ils tentaient de l’enlever. Un homme a surgi, extincteur à la main, pour les faire fuir. →https://t.co/P0qV6PR40v pic.twitter.com/9f4r2Gi7ho
— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro) May 13, 2025
Her companion, who attempted to intervene, was physically assaulted, and all three victims sustained injuries. Passersby who witnessed the altercation stepped in, prompting the attackers to flee the scene. The suspects escaped in the van, which was later discovered by police in the vicinity. All victims were treated at a local hospital.
The case is currently under investigation by France’s Brigade for the Suppression of Banditry, a special unit under the Ministry of the Interior tasked with tackling organized crime.
The incident has reignited concerns about personal security within the crypto industry. Michael Englander, CEO of Polish crypto exchange Plasbit, expressed his alarm on X, warning crypto investors against flaunting their wealth online.
“If you’re in crypto and still flaunting it online, you’re not just stupid, you’re putting your family in danger,”
he stated.
Sasha Hodder, a lawyer specializing in digital assets, also weighed in, noting the increasing physical risk involved in crypto-related crimes.
“Crypto theft is evolving. It’s not just social engineering or SIM swaps anymore,”
she said.
Just this month, Las Vegas police reported a separate crypto-related abduction, where three teenagers allegedly kidnapped a man at gunpoint after a crypto event and stole $4 million worth of digital assets, including NFTs. Additionally, U.S. federal authorities charged six individuals in connection with a kidnapping case in Chicago that netted approximately $15 million in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies.
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