From CryptoPotato · By Chayanika Deka
Crypto millionaire and investor Evan Luthra shared harrowing details of an alleged kidnapping in Oxford, England, last November, claiming five masked men forced him to hand over more than $2 million in cryptocurrency within just 30 minutes.
The attackers allegedly punched him, stole his special-edition Richard Mille watch, and used Face ID to unlock his phone before accessing his Binance and Gate accounts.
Oxford Trip Turns Into Nightmare
The incident reportedly took place on November 4, 2025, while Luthra was visiting the UK for Halloween. His trip included receiving an award at the House of Lords and delivering a speech at Oxford University. Luthra was returning to London with four friends after attending the event. Their private driver, who had been taking him around for several days, suddenly turned into a secluded lane lined with trees. According to his account, five masked men then entered the vehicle, punched him and told the others they were only there for him.
He said he quickly realized what was happening and decided not to fight back. The attackers first took his special-edition Richard Mille watch, which police valued at around £450,000 (worth over $6 million). They then used his Face ID to unlock his phone and gain access to his exchange accounts.
Luthra claims the attackers withdrew several crypto assets worth more than $1.5 million from Binance. They also took approximately $600,000 in Ethereum from his Gate account before attempting to access his bank accounts. After around 30 minutes, the men reportedly left with the group’s phones.
Police identified the Five Mile Drive area of north Oxford as the location where the vehicle was abandoned. Luthra believes the attackers already knew who he was. He suspects the person who arranged his driver may have been involved in planning the kidnapping, although he has not provided proof of this.
Wrench Attacks Are Escalating
The Oxford incident comes amid other cases involving criminals targeting people over cryptocurrency. In France, the problem appears to be growing. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez revealed on June 30 that authorities had recorded 77 cryptocurrency-related cases involving kidnappings, extortion and attempted kidnappings since the beginning of the year, up from 45 in 2025.
Speaking to the Association of Digital Asset Holders (ADAN), he said around 200 people had been arrested either after attacks or before they could be carried out. Meanwhile, 724 people working in the industry have registered on government identification platforms, an 11% increase.
The problem is not limited to Europe. In September, two armed brothers allegedly held a Minnesota family hostage for nine hours and forced the father to transfer around $8 million in cryptocurrency.