Five people in the UK sentenced for “wrench attacks” against cryptocurrency holders, victims forced to transfer crypto assets

UK police announced that five individuals have been sentenced in a “wrench attack” case targeting cryptocurrency holders. The suspects met the victim at a Shoreditch pub in London in July 2025 and forcibly took him to his home, where they used violence and threats—including coercing facial recognition verification—to compel him to access his bank and cryptocurrency accounts, stealing over £10,000 in cash, cryptocurrency, and watches. During the investigation, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase reported suspicious activity on the victim’s account to the police, who subsequently identified and arrested the suspects. The court sentenced four principal offenders to prison terms ranging from three-and-a-half to six-and-a-half years, while a fifth individual received a community service order for money laundering. Police stated that the incident inflicted long-term psychological trauma on the victim and his family, highlighting the rising risk of offline violent crime targeting cryptocurrency asset holders.