Crypto-rapts: Police Shut Down Reacher, a Stolen Data Engine Run by 3 Teens

A name, a phone number, or an IBAN. That was all it took on Reacher to pull up the file of a stranger. On October 6, police shut down this stolen data search engine and arrested its three administrators. They are 17 years old.

For cryptocurrency holders, this case touches a raw nerve. For months, investigators and associations have pointed to data leaks as the fuel for crypto kidnappings, much more than bitcoin itself.
Key points of this article:

• The police have shut down Reacher, a stolen data search engine, and arrested its young administrators.
• Reacher has been linked to cryptocurrency-related kidnappings, where data leaks serve as fuel.

Reacher: A Search Engine with 730 Million Lines

The National Police detailed the operation this Wednesday, October 14. Created in March 2026, the platform claimed 730 million lines of indexed data and over 3 million searches. Renamed Stryx at the beginning of summer, the Anti-Cybercrime Office (OFAC) took it offline. Police describe it as a first in France for this type of site.

The principle has a name in the field: a "lookup". You type in a name, a number, a license plate, or an IBAN. Then, the site cross-references hundreds of leaks and provides everything it knows about the targeted person. As for access, it was either free or subscription-based, with credits to be purchased to multiply queries.

It all started from a report by the e-Enfance association on May 15. The three minors are being prosecuted, among other things, for possession of fraudulently extracted data in an organized group. They face up to ten years in prison, with a trial scheduled for January 2027.

A platform for reselling stolen data dismantled by the police, three people arrested.

💻 On October 6, OFAC police arrested the three administrators of Reacher, now Stryxx, and took it offline.

Created in March 2026, the platform... pic.twitter.com/j3NnN2XcG1
--- National Police (@PoliceNationale) October 14, 2026

Lookups and Crypto Kidnappings: The Same Chain

At this stage, nothing links Reacher to a specific crypto-related attack. However, the modus operandi of the kidnappers closely matches what these sites were selling.

The Ministry of the Interior has recorded 90 acts of violence related to cryptocurrencies between January 1 and mid-August 2026: kidnappings, sequestrations, extortions. Most importantly, investigators favor one lead: tracking victims based on their personal data. The ministry has shared these figures with Cointelegraph, without publishing them in detail.

The reasoning is simple. A leak at a crypto service reveals who holds digital assets. The Waltio leak in January 2026 exposed about 50,000 users. A lookup like Reacher then provides the address, phone number, and sometimes the vehicle. From there, it’s just a matter of ringing the doorbell.

Reacher Down, Other Lookups Still Running

Caution before declaring victory. According to Police & Réalités, another service called BrixHub claims 11 billion data. Reported to the justice system on October 5, it remains online to this day.

The seized files also contain the data of Reacher's clients. Investigators are analyzing them. Consequently, some users could also end up in front of the courts. For a group of kidnappers who may have paid for search credits, a trace now exists somewhere.

Shutting down Reacher took five months, from the report in May to the arrest in October. During this time, the gendarmerie had to build an entire strategy against crypto kidnappings. On October 5, BrixHub and its 11 billion data joined the pile of reports.

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