New scam service Vanilla Drainer takes $5M in three weeks

Draining volume has dropped from 2024, but a new scam service tool called Vanilla has been turning investigators’ heads with $5 million stolen in three weeks.

A blockchain investigator has attributed at least $5.27 million in crypto stolen over three weeks to a rising scam service known as Vanilla Drainer.

Drainers are entities that provide scam software to fraudsters, often paired with phishing tactics to access victims’ funds. Vanilla is part of a new generation of these groups and has largely flown under the radar, but recent high-value thefts have drawn attention from blockchain sleuths.

Draining scams peaked in 2024, when victims lost almost $500 million to top services, such as Angel, Inferno and Pink, according to Scam Sniffer. Draining still occurs frequently, though volumes have dropped due to new security technologies. However, blockchain investigator Darkbit warns that drainers are adapting.