Hack Alert: 50,000 French Crypto Users Targeted in Massive Breach

According to a recent report by prominent French media outlet Le Parisien, "Shiny Hunters", the infamous hacker group, contacted the management team of tax firm Waltio earlier this week with a ransom demand. 

To prove their access, the group provided samples of the stolen database, which includes email addresses and detailed cryptocurrency balance information for the 2024 fiscal year.

Banking details, tax filings, and administrative ID data were not compromised as a result of the attack. However, it is still a critical "OpSec" failure for French investors.

"Shiny hunters"

Waltio, which is headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, serves approximately 150,000 users. The platform is used for calculating capital gains taxes and tracking real-time portfolio performance. The breach affects roughly one-third of this user base.

Romain Chilly, the company's legal counsel, filed an immediate complaint with the J3 section of the Paris prosecutor's office, which is a specialized division dedicated to combating cybercrime. 

The charges include attempted extortion and unauthorized access to an automated data processing system.

From digital hacks to physical violence 

There is still a strong level of anxiety within France's cryptocurrency community, and the recent breach does not help to quell it. 

The report says that the National Cyber Unit of the Gendarmerie is in the process of investigating a disturbing spike in violent crimes that are specifically targeting digital asset holders.

Over the past year, France has witnessed a series of "crypto-kidnappings" and home invasions. The high-profile abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland near Vierzon was the most prominent, but there were also plenty of other cases. 

In recent weeks alone, police have recorded approximately ten separate home invasions targeting "unassuming" individuals who displayed no outward signs of wealth. There is a concern among investigators that breaches of the likes of the Waltio incident and these physical attacks could be linked.