On Saturday, December 13, 2025, three men broke into a West Midlands home and forced the residents to move cryptocurrency, while a fourth person guided them through the process over a video call. The UK couple has since been told that anyone with information could receive up to £10,000. The incident happened in Smith’s Wood, Solihull, near Birmingham.
The husband was attacked and sustained serious injuries, according to West Midlands Police. The wife, carrying their third child, was threatened with a knife during the incident. Both were forced to transfer the money into a wallet under the control of the assailants. The men then departed with the cash and several high-value watches, believed to have taken them away in a black BMW X3.
The Attack and the Appeal
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| Around 5.20pm | The couple returned to their home, where three men exited a vehicle waiting close by and followed them inside the front door |
| Wednesday | Crimestoppers issued its call for information |
Crimestoppers, a separate charity that accepts anonymous tips about crime throughout the United Kingdom, laid out the details of the assault. It came nearly nine months after the event, with the charity issuing its call for information on Wednesday.
The appeal states “Our charity is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information following a violent attack on a young couple in their home in Birmingham on 13 December 2025,”.
Around 5.20pm, the couple went back to their home, where three men exited a vehicle waiting close by and followed them inside the front door. The four assailants are believed to all be in their twenties.
The difficulty in identifying people has come from face coverings and hoods, even though one individual was described as a black man with a small diagonal scar beneath his left eyebrow.
The West Midlands’ regional manager for Crimestoppers, Alan Edwards, has described the case as involving several individuals who were fully aware of what took place that night.
“Four people planned this and four people know exactly what happened that evening,” Edwards said. “Others would have been told afterwards or noticed someone suddenly flush with money.”
Home Invasions on the Rise
A security firm that verifies attacks, CertiK, says that home invasions have become the defining form of physical attack on crypto holders. The attack in question fits a broader pattern in crypto crime.
In the first half of 2026, CertiK confirmed 52 attacks, with a documented exposure of $124.1 million. The number of home invasions climbed to 20 cases, making up roughly 41% of all incidents, up from just one publicly reported case the previous year.
The security firm described a layered structure where organizers purchase data and handle logistics while those carrying out the attacks sit beneath them. Here, the fourth participant directing the assailants through video call, from outside the room, fits that model.
So far, France has led the wave of home invasions. A worker in the crypto industry was targeted this week, forced to hand over his cryptocurrency holdings during an attack on his home, with his wife and children held prisoner throughout the ordeal.
What Happens Next
The appeal remains unresolved, with Crimestoppers continuing to gather anonymous information from people across the country.
The attackers remain at large.
Source material: “£10K Reward Offered After UK Couple Attacked in Crypto Home Invasion,” Decrypt.
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