A father of two duaghters in Herzliya, a city on Israel’s central Mediterranean coast near Tel Aviv, faced a terrifying home invasion when three men, led by Murad Mahajna, 46, allegedly ambushed him to seize his cryptocurrency and valuables.
The attack unfolded on September 7, when Mahajna and his accomplices waited in the building’s stairwell at 8:10 a.m. before forcing their way into the apartment once the victim arrived.
The ordeal left the man bound, injured, and forced to hand over hundreds of thousands in cryptocurrency.
Mahajna was formally charged on Wednesday by the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office.
Inside the apartment, two of the attackers wore black masks while Mahajna remained unmasked, claiming,
“We came to take money, we are from the Karaja family.”
Initially, they demanded 500 Bitcoin, roughly $61 million, before turning violent when the victim refused to hand over his digital wallet credentials.
One assailant brandished a kitchen knife at the victim’s neck, and after continued resistance, stabbed him twice above the knees.
Bound and in pain, the victim eventually provided access to his wallets, allowing the attackers to transfer $547,260 in Bitcoin and $42,248 in USDT.
In addition to cryptocurrency, the group stole a Rolex valued at approximately $50,000, a Trezor hardware wallet, a laptop, about €5,000 in cash, and several thousand shekels.
Before fleeing, they sprayed disinfectant to remove evidence and left the victim tied up, bruised, and bleeding.
Mahajna reportedly threatened, “If the police are contacted, the family will be harmed,” and called the victim two days later demanding more coins, warning, “Wherever you took the wife and children, we will find them.”
The victim initially hesitated to involve the authorities but eventually confided in family, who persuaded him to report the crime.
Police arrested Mahajna on September 10, relying on security footage, recorded phone calls, voice identification, and technological evidence.
Mahajna faces charges including breaking and entering, aggravated robbery, extortion by threats, obstruction of justice, and making threats.
He has denied the allegations.
Mahajna is a repeat offender with ten prior convictions spanning violent, drug, and weapons-related offences.
Security experts warn the incident is part of a growing global trend of “wrench attacks,” where assailants use violence to steal cryptocurrency.
According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, 35 such attacks occurred worldwide in July 2025, coinciding with Bitcoin reaching over $122,000, before breaking $126,000 later.
Jameson Lopp, who tracks these incidents, noted that 2025 could be an all-time high for such attacks, with the Herzliya case marking the 52nd reported incident this year.
Analysts warn that personal wallets are increasingly targeted as attackers focus on individual users rather than large exchanges.
France has seen at least ten crypto-related kidnappings since January, including the brutal case of Ledger co-founder David Balland, who was kidnapped and had his finger severed by attackers demanding ransom in cryptocurrency.
Coordinated attacks in May targeted multiple crypto executives and their families, leading prosecutors to charge 25 suspects linked to these abduction plots.
Sophisticated tactics are common, including attackers disguising themselves as delivery workers using branded vans.
One incident involved the kidnapping of a poker player’s father in Paris, with attackers filming mutilation to force a €5-7 million transfer.
In August, French elite forces rescued a Swiss hostage held near Valence-TGV station after kidnappers demanded cryptocurrency.
Similar incidents have occurred worldwide.
In the U.S., two brothers in Texas faced federal kidnapping charges for holding a Minnesota family at gunpoint for nine hours to steal $8 million in crypto.
Belgium sentenced three men to 12 years for kidnapping a crypto investor’s wife, while an Australian billionaire narrowly escaped kidnapping in Estonia.
The UK also saw a gang sentenced to 13–20 years for torturing a crypto investor and forcing transfers of approximately $124,000.
Mehow Pospieszalski, CEO of decentralised wallet platform AmericanFortress, highlighted on the weak cooperation with the crypto community, stating,
“Law enforcement [is] not exactly proactive about protecting founders.”
He advised users to obscure physical data and consider defensive measures, though acknowledged options are limited in most regions.
As Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continue to surge in value, analysts warn that physical attacks on holders may escalate, signalling a dangerous new frontier in digital asset crime.
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