A phishing operation is currently targeting French taxpayers who own cryptocurrencies in order to siphon off their wallets. Beware of websites that claim to offer “simplified online tax returns.” We explain everything.
Crypto phishing campaign targets French taxpayers
Cycles don’t just affect the cryptocurrency market, but also criminals lying in wait to empty their victims’ wallets during recurring annual events, such as tax season.
The tax process is just complex enough to allow for the insertion of seemingly convenient steps, such as a “simplified online tax return.” The problem? These sites, which appear legitimate at first glance, are often used as bait to lure cryptocurrency holders into targeted phishing operations.
This reality was recently brought to light by the digital investigation and cybersecurity site Osgard, as part of an in-depth investigation into an “Inferno Drainer campaign targeting French taxpayers” currently underway.
This report presents a new phishing campaign using Inferno Drainer to specifically target French taxpayers who hold cryptocurrencies, via fake websites imitating the tax portal. The attackers are capitalizing on the recent news about wallet taxation to encourage victims to “declare” their assets by connecting their wallets, turning this administrative step into an operation to drain funds.
A worrying escalation in the exploitation of regulatory news
In fact, this phishing campaign relies on the use of Inferno Drainer software, a ready-to-use Drainer-as-a-Service designed to enable anyone with little scruples to build a turnkey phishing procedure to trap overly credulous victims.
According to estimates by specialists at the Osgard website, the campaign detected—and currently still ongoing—has already involved “more than 30,000 victims and $9 million in losses over the last six months,” in what appears to be “a worrying escalation in the exploitation of regulatory news.”
Criminals are taking advantage of the complexity and current changes in tax regulations to try to deceive taxpayers by offering to connect their crypto wallets to automatically calculate their taxable amounts, which results in the immediate and irreversible siphoning of funds.
Beyond the direct financial risk to users (Inferno Drainer has already caused millions of dollars in losses), this campaign threatens confidence in government online services and demonstrates the ability of threat actors to quickly recycle criminal infrastructure.
Osgard
At present, three sites have been clearly identified by Osgard specialists. The best way to avoid this is to never connect your crypto wallet to a site whose authenticity is unclear, with the best option being to always start from the official tax website.
