Inputs.io Phishing Attack

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Inputs.io Logo/Homepage

Inputs.io operated a centralized wallet service out of Australia. In August 2013, there was a reported phishing attack against users of the platform. Some users of the platform reportedly received an email requesting them to log into a phishing website. It is unclear if private information of platform users was breached and used to target the email. It is also unclear if any funds were lost in the attack.

About Inputs.io

"In Early 2013 Inputs.io was launched; a free online Bitcoin wallet and anonymous Bitcoin transfer network: featuring instant off chain Bitcoin transfers and embedded automatic untraceable 'mixing' of all Bitcoin transactions. Featuring truly instant, anonymous and highly secure Bitcoin transactions, the inputs.io platform brings a plethora of key innovations to the table, setting a new benchmark for online Bitcoin wallet services. Anyone worldwide can open an inputs.io online wallet in 30 seconds or less."

"TradeFortress created a free online bitcoin wallet (Inputs.io)." "Inputs.io was a free Bitcoin web wallet that leveraged its own off chain payment network. Inputs implemented numerous security measures, and featured instant, fee-less offchain confirmations with an easy to implement developer API." "Inputs.io is a new bitcoin payment processor leveraging an offchain payment network."

"Send bitcoins instantly to an email address - no waiting for confirmations, no fees and no double spending." "Inputs.io Enables Anyone To Send Bitcoin Instantly And Securely" "It's easy and free. We made Bitcoin easy while powerful. Get your secure wallet in 30 seconds. Bitcoin transactions take a hour to confirm. Inputs.io makes it instant with no fees. The most secure wallet ever created. Automatic free mixing for your privacy." "Bitcoin made easy - shave 8 GB of the blockchain off your hard drive, and make a wallet in 30 seconds. Works everywhere - your desktop to mobile." "Off chain transactions are also easier to use. The average user does not want to remember addresses - they want to use Bitcoin like PayPal instead of seeing a "Waiting for 0/6 confirmations"... Zzz."

The Reality

Users need to ensure that they are always interacting with the websites which they expect to be interacting.

What Happened

There were reports of phishing attacks on the inputs.io platform.

Key Event Timeline - Inputs.io Phishing Attack

Date	Event	Description
August 24th, 2013 9:45:15 AM MDT	TradeFortress Reports Phishing	TradeFortress posts a response on the BitcoinTalk thread for inputs.io to announce the phishing attack which has been observed.

Total Amount Lost

The total amount lost is unknown.

Immediate Reactions

"Some people have received [a phishing] email."

"ALERT: Phishing Site." "Please make sure to check you are on https://inputs.io every time you try to sign in."

Ultimate Outcome

"Your account is limited as we suspect that someone has gained unauthorized access to your account. This is a final reminder to activate your account to continue using our services. Else your account will me permanently blocked with all the funds in it. To activate your account please follow the link below and fill in the details."

Total Amount Recovered

There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.

Ongoing Developments

The inputs.io platform has been closed down.

Individual Prevention Policies

Individuals always need to be on their guard when any emails are received, and triple check the source. Contact the service via multiple official communication channels if there are any concerns.

Set up separate email addresses for each service, and avoid providing your phone number whenever possible. Any received emails or phone calls must be viewed with scrutiny, especially if unsolicited. Interact with companies only through their official websites and confirm anything with the company directly via multiple official sources, especially if it promises a significant incentive to take an action or threatens access to your funds if an action is not taken. It would be recommended to also establish a network of multiple trusted individuals who use the same services and have a strong level of security knowledge.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.

Platform Prevention Policies

Never take for granted the limited knowledge of users of your service and their tendency to skip past provided information. It is recommended to design a simple tutorial and quiz for new users which explains the basics of seed phrases, strong password generation, secure two-factor authentication, common fraud schemes, how ponzi schemes work, as well as other risks which are unique to the cryptocurrency space. This tutorial and quiz should ensure their understanding and be a standard part of the sign-up or download process which is difficult or impossible to skip.

Work with other industry platforms to set up a multi-signature wallet with private keys held separately by delegate signatories from seven prominent platforms and services within the industry. Establish requirements for contributions by all platforms and services, designed to be affordable for small platforms yet large enough to cover anticipated breach events. Any breach event can be brought forth by a member platform or a petition of 100 signatures for consideration by the delegate signatories. A vote of 4 or more delegate signatures is required to release any funds, which could partially or fully restore lost funds based on their assessment.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.

Regulatory Prevention Policies

Create a standard tutorial and quiz for all new cryptocurrency participants, which is required to be completed once per participant. This tutorial and quiz should cover the basics of proper seed phrase protection, strong password generation, secure two-factor authentication, common fraud schemes, how to detect and guard against phishing attacks, how ponzi schemes work, as well as other risks which are unique to the cryptocurrency space.

Set up a multi-signature wallet with private keys held separately by delegate signatories from seven prominent platforms and services within the industry. Establish requirements for contributions by all platforms and services within the country, designed to be affordable for small platforms yet large enough to cover anticipated breach events. Any breach event can be brought forth by a member platform or a petition of 100 signatures for consideration by the delegate signatories. A vote of 4 or more delegate signatures is required to release any funds, which could partially or fully restore lost funds based on their assessment.

For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.