Hammer-Wielding Crypto Thieves Terrorised Family in Solihull Home Invasion, Threatened to Kill Unborn Baby

A businessman was brutally assaulted with hammers by a gang of masked intruders who stormed into his family home and threatened to murder his seven-months-pregnant wife and her unborn child unless he surrendered hundreds of thousands of pounds in cryptocurrency, the BBC has learned.

The couple, who have asked to remain anonymous to protect their safety, described the ordeal in December last year as "horrific," recounting how they feared for both their lives and the life of their unborn baby during the 45-minute attack at their home in Solihull in the West Midlands.

The victim, whom the BBC is calling James, said three intruders forced their way into the property before launching a sustained assault. "The door gets pushed open, I can see gloves coming in, balaclavas," he recalled, describing the terrifying moment the men burst in.

James attempted to fight off the attackers but was struck repeatedly in the face, head and ribs with hammers, leaving him with multiple major injuries. Home security footage captured the violence, and police have launched an investigation into the robbery.

His wife, who was seven months pregnant at the time, was pinned down on the sofa by one of the criminals. James described how the man placed a pillow over her face and suffocated her as she screamed that she could not breathe. The couple had no idea what the attackers wanted until one of them demanded James unlock his phone and hand it over.

It soon became apparent that the intruders had some knowledge that James owned cryptocurrency, but little understanding of how to access it. Instead, they appeared to be taking instructions from another person connected via a live video call, with the remote adviser directing them through the apps and wallets on the phone.

"I can hear the guy on FaceTime saying: 'Show me everything on his phone. Show me what apps he's got,'" James said. When the caller identified a crypto wallet containing substantial funds, the threats escalated dramatically. James said the man warned that if he did not transfer the money immediately, the gang would stab his wife in the stomach and kill their baby, as well as murder his wife.

The attackers left only after James transferred his savings — hundreds of thousands of pounds in cryptocurrency — to the digital wallet of the man on the video call. They also stole several luxury Rolex watches. Before departing, James heard the man on the call tell his accomplices: "You can have 10 grand each but I am taking the rest."

His wife, who is in her early thirties and was expecting her third child, said she feared James had been killed when she saw him lying unresponsive on the floor. She also worried that the stress of the attack might cause her to lose the baby. The child survived and was born at full term.

Experts describe the incident as an example of a growing form of violent theft known as a "wrench attack," in which criminals target cryptocurrency investors and force them to hand over their digital assets. Unlike money held in a conventional bank account, cryptocurrency is often controlled directly by the owner through digital wallets or physical storage devices, making holders attractive targets for criminals.

The combination of speed, anonymity and irreversibility makes crypto transfers particularly appealing to robbers. Once funds are transferred, recovering them is extremely difficult, and blockchain investigators at Chainalysis say wrench attacks have surged in recent years.

According to research cited by the firm, $30 million (£22.6 million) had already been stolen in violent robberies in the year to June, putting 2026 on track to become the single-worst year for violent crypto attacks on record. The report also found that home invasions are on the rise this year.

The United States, Brazil and Thailand have been identified as hotspots, but France has seen the largest number of attacks by far. Researchers attribute this to a data breach at a tax office that appears to have allowed wealthy crypto holders to be located.

Chainalysis researchers noted that the physical security assumptions that protect traditional wealth, such as bank vaults and armored cars, do not automatically apply in crypto. Holders often keep their assets in comparatively low-security setups, like self-custody wallets, that can be compromised without any institutional gatekeeper standing in the way.

James said he became an amateur crypto investor in 2020 and made enough money to quit his job in 2023 to trade full time. Now he has lost everything and is looking to return to his traditional job. He said he has little hope of recovering the stolen funds, but wants those responsible to be brought to justice.

Police have yet to identify the attackers. The charity Crimestoppers is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to progress in the investigation. Alan Edwards of Crimestoppers said: "These criminals are obviously serious and part of some kind of organised crime gang."

He added that people might be scared to come forward but stressed that the charity is independent of the police and keeps informants completely anonymous. Investigators hope the public may be able to identify the three attackers, the getaway driver who was parked outside without a face covering, or the man on the phone.

The three attackers are all thought to be in their late teens or early twenties, and one of them was a black male with a scar under his left eyebrow. As police continue their inquiries, the case highlights the emerging dangers facing cryptocurrency investors and the increasingly brutal tactics used by organised crime groups to target them.