In a surprising turn of events, Inferno Drainer, one of the notorious crypto wallet-draining services, has announced its permanent closure. The team behind the infamous kit, responsible for aiding phishing scammers in pilfering almost $70 million worth of crypto throughout the year, shared this decision on Nov. 26 via Telegram.
The announcement conveyed that it’s ‘time for us to move on.’ However, intriguingly, the team mentioned that the essential files and infrastructure for operating the wallet drainer won’t be dismantled. Instead, they will be kept active to facilitate a ‘smooth transition’ for users moving to alternative services.
‘It has been a long ride with all of you, and we’d like to thank you from the heart,’ expressed the Inferno Drainer team in their final message. ‘Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever.’
‘A big thank you to everyone who has worked with us,’ they added. ‘We hope you can remember us as the best drainer that has ever existed and that we succeeded in helping you in the quest of making money.’ — Source: Telegram
Inferno Drainer rose to prominence early in 2023 and gained increased traction following the shutdown of the well-known Monkey Drainer tool. Similar to its counterparts, Inferno provided crypto wallet-draining software, taking a 20% cut from the proceeds stolen by users. Since February, analytics from Web3 anti-scam platform Scam Sniffer indicate that Inferno Drainer managed to loot nearly $70 million from over 100,000 victims. However, the Inferno Drainer team hinted that the actual amount stolen might exceed $80 million.
The team also took the precautionary step of deleting the affiliate Telegram account ‘mr_inferno_drainer’ used for service arrangements. They cautioned users against trusting any other drainers using the Inferno Drainer name in the future.
According to blockchain security firm CertiK, Inferno Drainer stands out as ‘one of the most damaging phishing kits to the community we’ve seen.’ Despite its closure, CertiK pointed out that other active providers, including rivals like Pink Drainer and Angel Drainer (which released an update on Nov. 25), continue to pose threats, helping users drain wallets on multiple blockchains.
Notably, Monkey Drainer, another high-profile crypto drainer that pilfered millions, decided to shut down in March, citing that it was ‘time to move on to something better.’
