Brutal home invasion near Antwerp, criminals targeted crypto stash

This weekend, a 60-year-old woman in Zoersel, near Antwerp, became the victim of a brazen home invasion. The criminals were apparently looking for a hardware wallet that provided access to the cryptocurrency of a family member of hers. It is unclear whether they succeeded.

Robberies like this have occurred in France, South Korea and the United States over the past year, and are becoming increasingly brazen.

Anonimity

A 60-year-old woman from Antwerp, Belgium, was the victim of a violent burglary last weekend. She was attacked in her home, tied up, and then threatened at gunpoint. The perpetrators hoped to steal cryptocurrency from her. This incident is the latest in a very worrying trend where crypto owners and even their family members are increasingly targeted with brutal violence.

January 10, 2026, Zoersel, Belgium 🇧🇪

Gangsters search for crypto coins and tie up a resident (60) in Zoersel, virtual coins are increasingly intended as loothttps://t.co/aohG54gTBf pic.twitter.com/MgXN1TYccQ

— GLOK (@GlokApp) January 12, 2026

In France, last year, the family members of crypto owners were threatened with kidnapping in broad daylight in the heart of Paris. In New York a man was tortured for several days to gain access to his crypto wealth.

The anonymity of cryptocurrencies makes it relatively easy for robbers to trade stolen digital coins on a hardware wallet (USB drive), and thus obtain their money without leaving a trace.