Thousands have their personal data leaked by a crypto-based phishing scam.

Fraudulent websites successfully have stolen the personal records of a number of individuals from the U.K., Australia, South Africa, the U.S., Singapore, Malaysia, Spain, and more. The attack was executed as a targeted multi-stage Bitcoin (BTC) scam propagated by a number of fraudulent websites.

According to the Singapore-based intelligence company, Group-IB, the attack exposed personal data for thousands of people.

Impersonating recognized media outlets and personalities

Victim's phone numbers, which in most cases came with names and emails, were contained in personalized URLs used to redirect people to websites. These sites posed as local news outlets, even going so far as to include fabricated comments from prominent local personalities.

Analysis conducted on the leaked numbers allowed Group-IB to establish where the majority of the data had leaked from. They discovered that the U.K. was the most affected location with 147,610 personal records.

The report details that victims commonly received a text message, or SMS, which mentioned the name of the recipient. This was followed by a phishing message that was meant to impersonate a recognized media outlet.

Ilia Rozhnov, head of Group-IB's Brand Protection team in the Asia Pacific, told Cointelegraph:

Fraudulent schemes have become more complicated. They now involve several stages, complex distributed infrastructure, and abuse of personal and corporate brands that is hard to track down and block using traditional detection methods. Companies and celebrities whose names were hijacked by fraudsters suffer reputational damage and face diminished customer trust."

Different names for the same fraudulent investment platform

Researchers spotted six active domains featuring the same Bitcoin investment platform. Each operated under a different name. Some of these include Crypto Cash, Bitcoin Rejoin, Bitcoin Supreme and Banking on Blockchain.

Group-IB adds:

Further analysis of the URLs revealed that a short link takes a victim to another URL which already demonstrates their personal data, such as the phone number, first or/and last name, and sometimes an email address, and used for redirects to fake websites masquerading as a local media outlet. (...) The experts believe that the personal information info could have been obtained by fraudsters through a separate fraudulent scheme or simply bought from a third party.

The Group-IB team has analyzed the exposed info using a number of data breach repositories. They have also analyzed several underground marketplaces for the presence of this data. So far, they have not found any traces of the exposed info.

As of press time, the source of the leak has not been established. The team has reported the study’s findings to the proper authorities in each affected country.

Cryptocurrencies forensics experts from Xrplorer warned on June 15 that hackers were trying to steal XRP users’ secret keys by claiming that Ripple was giving away tokens.


Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers.

Recommended content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

Mantle Price Forecast: MNT eyes 200-day EMA breakout for further gains 

Mantle Price Forecast: MNT eyes 200-day EMA breakout for further gains 

Mantle (MNT) edges lower by over 1% at press time on Tuesday after three consecutive days of gains, while the optimism holds in the derivatives market, reflected by heightened Open Interest.

Bonk Price Forecast: BONK rallies as OI hits yearly high, LetsBonk.fun tops Solana launchpad revenue

Bonk Price Forecast: BONK rallies as OI hits yearly high, LetsBonk.fun tops Solana launchpad revenue

Bonk (BONK) continues its bullish momentum, extending gains, trading around $0.000027 on Tuesday after rallying almost 20% the previous week.

Fed, OCC, FDIC issue joint guideline for banks safekeeping crypto assets for customers

Fed, OCC, FDIC issue joint guideline for banks safekeeping crypto assets for customers

The Federal Reserve (Fed), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a joint statement on Monday aiming to guide banks seeking to offer crypto safekeeping services to customers.

Top Crypto Gainers: XCN, PENGU, SUI – Hold momentum while Bitcoin slips under $119,000

Top Crypto Gainers: XCN, PENGU, SUI – Hold momentum while Bitcoin slips under $119,000

Bitcoin (BTC) takes a breather after hitting a record high of $123,218 on Monday, resulting in a pullback under $119,000 at press time on Tuesday.

Bitcoin: BTC hits new all-time high and enters price discovery mode

Bitcoin: BTC hits new all-time high and enters price discovery mode

Bitcoin price prints a new all-time high near $118,900 on Friday, entering uncharted territory as bullish momentum accelerates. The surge in BTC was supported by rising corporate and institutional demand, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording a total of $1.69 billion this week as of Thursday. 

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD

SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.

BTC

ETH

XRP