A French tax official, identified only by her first name Ghalia, is facing serious allegations after she was accused of selling sensitive information from the country's internal tax authority databases. According to reports, this sensitive data ultimately fell into the hands of criminals who used it in a violent home assault on a prison guard and his wife.
The tax agent allegedly accessed details on individuals known to be involved with cryptocurrency, potentially putting them at risk of being targeted by thieves seeking to force irreversible transfers of digital assets. This phenomenon, dubbed "physical attacks" or "$5 wrench attacks," has been on the rise, with perpetrators using physical force to coerce victims into transferring their digital assets.
Ghalia recently lost her appeal and was found guilty, stating that she had provided the data but knew nothing about its intended use. She expressed regret for the couple who were attacked and claimed not to have known of any malicious plans. However, prosecutors argued that she abused her position to aid a repeat offender, and also sold information on health inspectors, a judge, and billionaire Vincent Bolloré.
The case highlights a broader issue with data security in the crypto sector, as 2025 marked an all-time record for physical crypto thefts. Many of these attacks have occurred in France, including the abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner, who were held for ransom tied to their crypto assets.
These types of threats are not limited to France, with a recent San Francisco home invasion showcasing how attackers can use fake delivery drivers to coerce victims into transferring large sums of cryptocurrency. The global illicit flows associated with cryptocurrency have also reached $154 billion in transactions to illicit addresses, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
The case serves as a stark reminder that the casual handling of personal information can put individuals at risk when combined with the irreversible nature of digital assets. As more breaches occur and crypto enthusiasts push for greater data security measures, it remains to be seen whether widespread changes will be implemented to prioritize individual control over data storage.
The tax agent allegedly accessed details on individuals known to be involved with cryptocurrency, potentially putting them at risk of being targeted by thieves seeking to force irreversible transfers of digital assets. This phenomenon, dubbed "physical attacks" or "$5 wrench attacks," has been on the rise, with perpetrators using physical force to coerce victims into transferring their digital assets.
Ghalia recently lost her appeal and was found guilty, stating that she had provided the data but knew nothing about its intended use. She expressed regret for the couple who were attacked and claimed not to have known of any malicious plans. However, prosecutors argued that she abused her position to aid a repeat offender, and also sold information on health inspectors, a judge, and billionaire Vincent Bolloré.
The case highlights a broader issue with data security in the crypto sector, as 2025 marked an all-time record for physical crypto thefts. Many of these attacks have occurred in France, including the abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner, who were held for ransom tied to their crypto assets.
These types of threats are not limited to France, with a recent San Francisco home invasion showcasing how attackers can use fake delivery drivers to coerce victims into transferring large sums of cryptocurrency. The global illicit flows associated with cryptocurrency have also reached $154 billion in transactions to illicit addresses, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
The case serves as a stark reminder that the casual handling of personal information can put individuals at risk when combined with the irreversible nature of digital assets. As more breaches occur and crypto enthusiasts push for greater data security measures, it remains to be seen whether widespread changes will be implemented to prioritize individual control over data storage.
this is insane how one person's mistake can lead to real life consequences 
like physical harm on innocent ppl ... and its not just france the whole crypto thing is a mess 
gotta do something about it 
maybe they should just implement 2 factor auth or somethin 
idk
selling sensitive info like that's just insane 
and now a prison guard & his wife got attacked because of it?!
no thanks, the crypto space needs to step up its data security game ASAP! 
especially after this case and all the other breaches happening worldwide 
like that San Francisco home invasion? 
fake delivery drivers are just getting more sneaky by the day! 
anyhooo, can we pls get some real solutions for this instead of just spreading awareness 
, but instead of gold coins, it's filled with personal info like passwords and financial data. The vault is supposed to be locked 
.
. A tax official, Ghalia, was found guilty of selling private info from the country's databases 
, but prosecutors said she abused her power to help a friend 
.
. With more and more people storing their money online, there's a risk of being hacked or coerced into giving up sensitive info 
: as more people store their valuables online, the risk of theft and hacking increases exponentially 
. The question is, what will be done to protect our digital assets? 
. And to think these physical attacks are getting more and more brazen... $5 wrench attacks? Like, what even is that? 
Ghalia needs to lose her job and her freedom, if you ask me. I don't care what she said about not knowing the data was gonna be used for bad stuff - we all know that's just a weak excuse. And 154 billion in illicit crypto transactions? That's insane! We need stricter laws and better security measures ASAP, or people like Ghalia are just gonna keep on selling our info to whoever pays the most 
. We need to step up our game, folks!
i mean like literally the best thing since sliced bread, right? i went there last month and had one for breakfast it was still warm when i took a bite ugh my stomach is growling just thinking about it lol anyway back to this whole crypto security thing... isn't it wild how these hackers can use fake delivery drivers to scam people? like what's next?
i feel bad for the couple that got attacked because of ghalia's actions 
we need stricter data protection laws and better education on online security, especially when it comes to crypto 