France Sees Surge in Fake Crypto Support Calls Amid Data Leaks

A recent surge in fake crypto support calls has been linked to massive data leaks affecting French citizens. The rise in scam attempts, where threat actors impersonate customer service representatives of legit crypto platforms, was reported by Owen Simonin, known as Hasheur. According to Simonin, the scams are a direct result of the recent data leaks that have exposed millions of French citizens' personal information.

The scammers use a familiar playbook: they falsely warn users that their accounts are compromised and trick them into sending crypto to thieves. 'If you panic and follow through, that's where your money will go, to their address,' Simonin warned.

Simonin explained that the uptick in scams is linked to the recent data leaks, including a breach at France's tax agency, the General Directorate of Public Finances (DGFiP), which exposed 678K taxpayers' data. He also predicted that AI adoption will further fuel these scam attempts as threat actors gain more compute power and automate their tactics.

The rise in crypto crime has been a growing concern in France, with cryptocurrency holders being increasingly targeted in so-called wrench attacks, where attackers use violence to steal crypto funds.