Crypto thieves attack man in home and threaten to kill pregnant wife’s baby in ‘horrific’ robbery

A businessman in Solihull and his heavily pregnant wife were attacked by three masked intruders who beat him with hammers during a 45-minute home invasion in December, threatening to kill his wife and unborn baby unless he transferred his cryptocurrency holdings. The attackers, receiving instructions via FaceTime from an unknown coordinator, forced him to hand over hundreds of thousands of pounds before fleeing in a getaway car. This attack exemplifies a growing global trend of violent "wrench attacks" targeting cryptocurrency investors, who are becoming increasingly attractive targets for criminals exploiting the speed and irreversibility of digital asset transfers.

The attackers also stole several luxury Rolex watches, with their online coordinator telling the on-site men to keep £10,000 each whilst claiming the rest of the cryptocurrency. Despite the ordeal's trauma, the man's wife gave birth to a healthy baby at full term, and Crimestoppers is offering a £10,000 reward for information. According to Chainalysis, £22.6 million was stolen in violent crypto robberies in the first half of 2026, making this year likely to become the worst on record for such attacks, with home invasions rising across hotspots including the US, Brazil, Thailand and France.