## Drainer Phishing Attacks Drop Significantly, But The Trap Is Still There

In 2025, as the new year begins, figures from Scam Sniffer have made the crypto community "breathe a sigh of relief": losses from wallet drainer phishing have plummeted to $83.85 million, an 83% decrease compared to the staggering $494 million in 2024. The number of victims also decreased by 68%, leaving only 106 people across EVM chains. On the surface, it seems like victory is within reach?

Not quite.

## **Hot Market = New Wave of Scammers**

The reality is much harsher. Phishing hasn't disappeared – it just shifts rhythm according to market cycles. Data shows that when Ethereum surged in Q3, drainer attacks caused $31 million in damages, nearly 29% of the total for the year. August hit a peak of $12.17 million, while December dropped to $2.04 million.

The picture becomes clearer: when the market is lively, drainer groups throw parties. New users entering crypto are often inexperienced, and that’s a golden season for cybercriminals.

The largest permit phishing incident occurred in September, totaling $6.5 million – using malicious signatures to take control of assets. Permit and Permit2 approvals account for up to 38% of total losses over $1 million(, because they create a perfect "backdoor": just one click, and hackers can drain everything from a wallet.

## **Ethereum Upgrades Open New Vulnerabilities for Drainers**

When the Pectra update with EIP-7702 was launched, experts began detecting new attacks exploiting account abstraction. August recorded two thefts with a combined value of $2.54 million – demonstrating that these criminal groups adapt faster than the technological changes in the industry itself.

The number of drainer incidents over $1 million) has decreased from 30 cases in 2024 to 11 cases, but that’s not good news. Instead, attack groups have "shifted targets": instead of going after whales with large funds, they now hunt ordinary investors. The average loss per victim is only $790 – a small figure, but multiplied by a large number of victims, the total remains staggering.

“When old drainer groups are wiped out, new ones immediately emerge,” Scam Sniffer warns. It’s a never-ending game of cat and mouse.

## **Difference: Major Hacks Decrease, But Dangers Still Lurk**

Expanding the view across the entire ecosystem, December recorded $76 million in hacks(, a 60% decrease from $194.2 million in November according to PeckShield), with 26 incidents. The attack pace has slowed, but the remaining cases still shock – for example, poisoning attacks worth $50 million( from fake addresses) or $27.3 million from multi-sig key management errors.

Deeper reason: wallet drainer development follows a cycle. When the market rises, phishing increases. With new technological upgrades, they exploit them immediately. The crypto ecosystem always has new "holes," and scammers are always ready to find them.

## **Conclusion: Decrease Doesn’t Mean End**

Losses sharply declined in 2025, which is a positive step. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The phishing wallet drainer monster still lurks beneath the surface, adapting to every change, waiting for the market to surge again.

The only difference is scale: from "whales" to many "small fish." But the risks are always present. Always stay vigilant – otherwise, you might become the next number in this statistical picture.