**French Tax Agent Allegedly Sold Personal Data of Crypto Users to Criminals**
A shocking case of data breach has come to light in France, where a tax agent, identified as Ghalia C., has been accused of selling sensitive information from internal French tax authority databases to criminals. The alleged leak was used to facilitate at least one violent home assault on a prison officer and his wife, stemming from a dispute over smuggled mobile phones in a prison cell.
The tax agent is said to have accessed the databases and queried details on individuals known to be involved with cryptocurrency, potentially setting them up for "wrench attacks," where thieves use physical force to force irreversible transfers of bitcoin, stablecoins, or other digital assets. This raises concerns about the safety of crypto users in France, where traditional hacking and thefts over the internet are increasingly common.
According to reports, Ghalia admitted to providing the data but claimed she was unaware of the buyers' plans. However, prosecutors argued that she abused her role to aid a repeat offender and refused to unlock her phone or name her sponsor during a hearing at France's appellate court. The tax agent will remain in custody after losing an appeal.
The alleged breach is part of a larger trend of physical attacks on crypto users, where transfers are forced under threat or use of violence. In 2025, there was an all-time record of physical crypto thefts, with many occurring in France. For example, the co-founder of Ledger, David Balland, and his partner were abducted and held for ransom tied to their crypto assets.
Similar incidents have also taken place outside of France, such as a San Francisco home invasion last year where an attacker disguised as a delivery driver coerced the transfer of $11 million in crypto. The juxtaposition between crypto's role in illicit flows, which reached $154 billion in transactions to illicit addresses, and the handling of personal data highlights the need for better security measures.
Ghalia allegedly took payments through traditional means via bank cash deposits and Western Union transfers. While there is no direct link to specific crypto thefts in France last year, this case underscores the risks associated with casual handling of personal information and the clash between crypto's irreversible payments and data security.
This incident also serves as a reminder that sensitive data remains vulnerable in centralized databases, despite the benefits of full financial self-custody offered by cryptocurrencies. As Bitcoin advocates and cypherpunks have consistently highlighted, government and institutional personal data processing and storage mandates pose major opsec risks until more breaches lead to a push for individually-controlled data.
**Key Takeaways:**
* A French tax agent allegedly sold sensitive information from internal databases to criminals. * The data was used in at least one violent home assault on a prison officer and his wife. * Crypto users in France are increasingly targeted with physical attacks, where transfers are forced under threat or use of violence. * 2025 saw an all-time record of physical crypto thefts, with many occurring in France. * The case highlights the need for better security measures to protect personal data and prevent misuse.