A classic scam, now aimed at Bitcoin holders

Recently, I came across several articles in the French press — including 20 Minutes and local outlets in Occitanie — describing people who received an SMS, a phone call, or an email supposedly from Bitstack. If you don't know it, Bitstack is a handy service that rounds up your card payments and turns that spare change into Bitcoin.

The story is always similar: someone contacts you and says there has been a strange operation on your account. They claim you need to follow a small procedure to unblock and secure it. Often, they introduce themselves as your Bitstack adviser. But here's the thing: Bitstack has no telephone advisers. This is the classic fake-banker scam, except now it targets Bitcoin transfers. The 'secure account' they ask you to send funds to is simply the drain through which your money leaves.

The Bitcoin difference: no undo button

With a traditional bank, a fraudulent transfer can sometimes be frozen or reversed if you act quickly. With Bitcoin, once a transaction is confirmed, it cannot be cancelled. That is one of Bitcoin's great strengths — no central authority can reverse your payment. But in a scam, it becomes a brutal weakness.

In recent days, there have already been several cases. You can file a police report, but the police often cannot do much to recover the funds. The calls also seem to fall somewhat at random. I don't know where the data leak comes from — France has had many database leaks lately — but the targeting doesn't feel very precise. That means anyone, including you, could be touched.

What Bitstack will never do

I looked into what I could find. Bitstack's help page is clear: they have no telephone switchboard, and they will never call you. If someone calls claiming to be from the team, hang up. Even if it sounds important, it's not them.

By default, an exchange, a company like this, or a bank will never ask for your identifiers. They will never ask you to make a transfer — and Bitstack will never ask you to transfer your Bitcoin. If someone asks for a code, that's always suspicious. If you want to verify that everything is fine, hang up, close the email, and go to the real source: the chat inside the Bitstack app. Open your profile, tap help, and send a message. Or email the official address: [email protected]. Then ask what's going on.

Scammers will tell you it's urgent, that there is no time to hang up, no time to log into the app, no time to call or email. That's done on purpose. Hang up and take your time. There is never a real life-or-death emergency when it comes to something like this. You always have the right to five minutes to open the app.

How to respond in the moment

Not every email with the Bitstack logo is fake, but the sender address can be modified to look official. You can usually tell it's a scam when the message asks for your password, a code, remote access, or a link you must click to connect. If you see that, always treat it as fraud.

For SMS, don't open the link. Open the app instead. If there is real information, it will be in your notifications. In the moment, the rules are simple:

  • Don't transfer any funds to 'secure' your balance.
  • Don't pay anything to unlock your account.
  • Don't call back or click on links from the message.
  • Don't give out passwords, codes, or remote access.
  • Open the official app and check your notifications.

After the attempt: clean up and report

If these people contacted you, they probably already have your phone number, email, or even physical address. Moving house isn't easy, but you can log into your account and change your password, email, and phone number. That way, any future scam attempts will hit your old details, and you'll quickly filter what's real and what isn't.

I also recommend filing a police report, talking about it on social networks, and keeping copies of all evidence. This can push the company to react — so far, I haven't seen an official announcement from Bitstack about this wave of thefts, unless I missed it. France unfortunately has many database leaks and a justice system that can be slow to respond to these scams. Crypto holders are increasingly targeted, and we've already talked about physical attacks like wrench attacks and kidnappings. The more we share, the more pressure there is for companies and authorities to take responsibility.

Why we need to talk about this loudly

A small note in a local newspaper or a free paper at the metro exit isn't enough. Bitstack hasn't issued an official warning that I've seen, and that's exactly why I made this video. Someone has to warn you.

As a community, we need to communicate heavily about these scams. Share the news, share videos, tweet, post on whatever social network you use. If you've had a similar experience, speak up. We need to stick together so that companies take their responsibility for public announcements when there are multiple victims, so that the justice system takes its responsibility, and so that the work of tracking down criminals and scammers actually moves forward.

Since companies and authorities don't always do what they should, we can only really count on ourselves. That means continuing to learn, developing good reflexes and good practices, and sharing information with the people we love — and even those we like a little less, because we're all in the same boat.

Stay cold, stay safe

The Bitstack scam spreading in France is the old fake-banker trick with a crypto upgrade. Bitstack will never call you, will never ask for your credentials, and will never ask you to move your Bitcoin. If someone contacts you with an urgent story, hang up, close the message, and open the app. Check the official channels before doing anything.

Bitcoin's irreversibility is a feature, not a bug — but it means you have to be your own first line of defence. Change your details after an attempt, report it, and tell others. The scammers rely on silence and panic; we beat them by staying calm, staying informed, and sharing what we learn.