ZachXBT, Binance Freeze $800K of Streamer’s Ransom

Crypto investigator ZachXBT and Binance Security froze roughly $800,000 of a nearly $2 million cryptocurrency ransom paid after the father of French streamer TeufeurS was kidnapped in Sarthe in August 2023.

Attackers posing as delivery workers approached the victim in Sarthe, a department in northwestern France, forced him into a vehicle and filmed him at gunpoint. The captors sent the footage to TeufeurS to demand payment. The streamer paid about $2 million in cryptocurrency to secure his father’s release.

Details of the case were disclosed by ZachXBT in a post on X; he said the matter had been kept private because of its sensitivity. French authorities have arrested six suspects tied to the abduction. Officials first made parts of the investigation public in April 2026.

In his post, ZachXBT described tracing the ransom on the blockchain and coordinating with Binance Security to arrange a freeze of approximately $800,000. The investigator noted that ransom payments are often spread quickly across multiple wallets, which can complicate recovery efforts.

French authorities report more than 40 kidnappings and abductions linked to cryptocurrency since the start of this year, up from 30 cases documented in 2025. Authorities say attackers have used social media and other public indicators of wealth to identify targets.

Separate incidents this year include an attempted February attack on the head of Binance France, David Princay, by three armed suspects, and a March case in which a couple were forced to hand over €900,000 in bitcoin to people impersonating local officials.

The freeze recovered a portion of the ransom while French investigators continue to pursue those arrested in connection with the kidnapping.