France tax data leak affects 678,437 individuals, raising concerns over crypto holder security

ChainCatcher reports that France’s Minister of Finance confirmed that hackers infiltrated the General Directorate of Public Finance at the end of June, stealing personal and corporate taxpayer data. According to FrenchBreaches, a platform tracking cyberattacks in France, the incident affected approximately 678,437 individuals—roughly 1% of France’s population—though the exact number remains under investigation and has not been finalized. The compromised data allegedly includes sensitive information such as names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, tax identification details, and income data. Among those affected, nearly 27,000 individuals reported annual incomes of at least €100,000, 386 exceeded €1 million, and eight exceeded €10 million. Reports indicate that the database has been sold on dark web markets for thousands of euros. The attackers, identifying themselves as ZeroBytes, claimed they extracted the records using an internal search tool before being detected and cut off. The incident has raised concerns within the cryptocurrency industry, as France has seen a marked increase in “wrench attack” robberies targeting crypto holders in recent years. With high-income individuals’ identities, addresses, and contact details exposed, criminals may now have more precise targets.