Vanilla Drainer has become a major threat to digital asset security in just three weeks, reportedly stealing at least $5.27 million through sophisticated phishing attacks and advanced evasion tactics. At least five brokerages reported being targeted – AInvestX (formerly Twitter), Phemex and Odaily were the three targeted platforms.
What Is Vanilla Drainer? Vanilla Drainer is a fraud-as-a-service platform, providing fraudsters with tools to siphon funds from crypto users without their knowledge. Since its debut in October 2024, this scam-as-a-service has received widespread publicity due to claims it could bypass Blockaid fraud detection platform and charge between 15%-20% commission of stolen funds taken; although larger thefts typically incur lower commission fees. For example:
On Twitter this service received +7 tweets per hour while Phemex +7 whilst ChainCatcher +7 whilst Binance +5 AInvest +5 ChainCatcher +5
How Does Vanilla Drainer Work? Fraudsters employ Vanilla Drainer’s phishing software to lure victims into divulging their private keys or seed phrases, with stolen funds often converted to Ethereum (ETH) or DAI – two stablecoins resistant to freezing – before being transferred to a fee wallet that currently holds more than $2.23 million (Sources include Cointelegraph, AInvest, Phemex and PANews Lab for instance).
Notable Incidents
One of the most notable thefts occurred on August 5, 2025 when a victim lost $3.09 million worth of stablecoins through Vanilla Drainer, with its operators receiving approximately 17% commission (roughly). Phemex +7 AInvest +7 Bitget = 17% Evasion Tactics
Vanilla Drainer uses various strategies to avoid detection: A. Frequent Domain Switches: Regularly switching domains so as to avoid blacklisting.

Create Custom Smart Contracts for Every Scam: Establishing unique smart contracts for each scam website to avoid patterns. ODaily +2 and Bitget both require unique agreements in order to be effective.
Investigators and security platforms face difficulties tracking down these operations due to these tactics, making it more challenging to stop operations. Cointelegraph provides more details.
Industry Impact
While overall draining volumes have seen a decrease since 2024, Vanilla Drainer’s rapid rise indicates scammers’ adaptation to new security measures. Blockchain investigator Darkbit notes that Vanilla Drainer has taken on many users from previously dismantled services like Inferno Drainer that had to rebrand several times due to new security regulations.
ODAily +10 Cointelegraph +10 AInvest = +10.
Conclusion
Vanilla Drainer’s appearance underscores the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency scams. Its sophisticated methods and rapid adaptation to security measures demonstrate why increased vigilance is necessary among members of the crypto community. Users are advised to implement strong security protocols, such as multifactor authentication and monitoring wallet activities regularly, in order to secure their assets against such threats.