The Sandbox founder’s wife almost got kidnapped at her doorstep! Focusing on "cryptocurrency wealth" crimes, another incident occurs.

The Sandbox Co-founder and COO Sébastien Borget's wife was targeted in an attempted kidnapping this Tuesday at their home in Seine, France. The suspect disguised himself as a delivery person to trick open the door, then five masked accomplices rushed in attempting to push her into a vehicle. They scattered after neighbors heard her screams and intervened. Both suspects caught are minors.
(Background: A French crypto billionaire received a ransom demand with a "finger-cutting" video from his father, with all seven perpetrators in their twenties.)
(Additional context: France’s interior minister urgently convened crypto billionaires! Chain kidnapping and extortion cases are exploding—don’t wear Web3 clothes or post online.)

Table of Contents

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• Two minors are in custody
• France experiences a crypto-related kidnapping every 2.5 days
• The doorbell doesn’t just ring once
• Frequently Asked Questions

They will come directly to your door to kidnap you!

According to France’s Le Journal du Dimanche, on May 20th, Tuesday afternoon, in the city of Villenoy, Seine, a person dressed in a delivery uniform pressed the doorbell at a residential home. Sébastien Borget’s wife opened the door, and everything happened within seconds.

Behind the delivery person, five masked individuals rushed out from nearby, attempting to push the victimized wife into a car parked on the street.

No one spoke during the incident, only the victim’s screams.

Neighbors heard the shouts, footsteps, and someone peeking out from a window. The masked assailants judged the situation was failing, let go, and fled into the streets. The entire event—from the doorbell ringing to the suspects fleeing—likely took less than two minutes.

Borget’s wife was unharmed but was definitely terrified.

Two minors are in custody

French police later arrested two suspects nearby, who were found with a replica pistol, multiple plastic zip ties, and masks.

They are aged 2009 and 2010, one 16 and the other 15.

This was not an impulsive crime. The zip ties were used to bind wrists, the masks to cover faces, and the replica pistol to intimidate victims from resisting. It was a planned kidnapping operation, only foiled by neighbors’ reactions.

Four other accomplices remain at large. Preliminary investigations suggest this attack is linked to cryptocurrency.

Sébastien Borget, 40, is the co-founder and COO of the metaverse platform The Sandbox. The platform allows users to create and trade digital assets in virtual worlds using NFTs and SAND tokens. His real identity is well known in the crypto community.

France experiences a crypto-related kidnapping every 2.5 days

This is not an isolated incident. According to data from France’s National Judicial Police, since January 1, 2026, there have been 41 cases of crypto-related kidnapping or illegal detention, averaging one every 2.5 days, with 88 people prosecuted.

Earlier this year, a French crypto entrepreneur received a video of his father’s finger being cut off, demanding millions of euros in ransom. All seven perpetrators were in their twenties.

In February, a mother and daughter were held hostage by masked assailants at home, rescued only after a passing neighbor intervened.

In April, a mother and her 10-year-old son were kidnapped for 20 hours, with the kidnappers also extorting hundreds of thousands of euros in cryptocurrency from the father.

The modus operandi is almost identical: targeting victims through KYC data leaked outside exchanges, matching public records to confirm addresses and family members, then attacking not the holder but their most vulnerable relatives—spouses, mothers, or children.

France’s Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, has announced preparations for a new crackdown.

The doorbell doesn’t just ring once

Borget’s wife was fortunate. She encountered minors under the legal age, not the seasoned criminals who earlier this year dared to cut off fingers with real knives. Plus, her neighbors happened to be home and heard the screams.

But in other cases, not everyone is so lucky.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened during the co-founder of The Sandbox’s wife’s kidnapping attempt?

On May 20th, suspects disguised as delivery personnel tricked Borget’s wife into opening the door at their home in Seine-Marne. Five masked accomplices then rushed in, trying to push her into a car. Neighbors heard her screams and intervened, causing the suspects to scatter. Two minors, aged 15 and 16, were arrested with a replica pistol and zip ties.

How serious is France’s crypto kidnapping problem?

Since 2026, France has recorded 41 crypto-related kidnapping cases, averaging one every 2.5 days, with 88 people prosecuted. Perpetrators typically target victims’ family members rather than the victims themselves, using KYC data leaked outside exchanges to identify targets. France’s interior minister has announced preparations for a new crackdown.