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ZEC $1,135 Scammer loses about 60 BTC to thieves who drained Ledger wallets
A task-scam operator moved proceeds into three Ledger addresses, and another group emptied them, reports say.
Key takeaways
- About 60 BTC lost. The scammer reportedly lost more than 60 BTC, worth about $4.8 million, to a second group of thieves.
- Three addresses drained. The proceeds went into three Ledger addresses on September 22nd and were emptied on October 9th.
- Wider campaign. Criminals stole approximately $90 million from crypto wallets by tampering with hardware wallets, per the Financial Times.
What happened
A person accused of running an online task scam reportedly lost the proceeds to another group of criminals. Chainalysis said the scammer lost more than 60 BTC, about $4.8 million, and that the funds came from a task scam. Bitcoinist put the loss at roughly 60 BTC, worth around $4.8 million at the time.
Chainalysis described how the scheme worked. People were paid to fake sales and reviews of real items, then a negative balance appeared and they were told to add their own money to get paid. On September 22nd, the operator moved the proceeds into three separate Ledger addresses. Thieves emptied those addresses on October 9th with one transfer each into the same wallet reported as holding stolen funds.
First $84.4KLatest $81.6K-3.3% over the period
Points are daily observations, not closing prices.
Why it matters
The case emerged during a wider hardware-wallet tampering campaign. Criminals stole approximately $90 million in digital assets from crypto wallets by tampering with hardware wallets, the Financial Times reported. Ledger said organized criminals spent several months buying genuine devices, opening them and installing concealed components meant to capture recovery phrases during setup. The tampered devices returned to circulation through resellers in Southeast Asia.
A hardware wallet keeps private keys away from internet-connected equipment. That protection weakens if someone alters the device before the owner receives it. Bitcoinist reported that the investigation did not prove Ledger's own manufacturing systems were compromised, and that the company separated affected reseller channels from devices supplied through official channels.
What is still unclear
- The reports do not name the scammer or say whether anyone has been charged over either theft.
- The reports do not state how many victims the task scam had or how much they lost in total.
Questions readers ask
How much Bitcoin did the scammer lose?
Chainalysis said the scammer lost more than 60 BTC, about $4.8 million. Bitcoinist reported roughly 60 BTC, worth around $4.8 million at the time.
How were the Ledger wallets drained?
The scammer moved proceeds into three Ledger addresses on September 22nd. Thieves emptied them on October 9th with one transfer each into the same wallet reported as holding stolen funds.
Which reseller sold the affected devices?
All affected devices were sold by CryptoBilis, a Malaysia-based reseller, according to the Daily Hodl.
Was Ledger's own manufacturing compromised?
Bitcoinist reported that the investigation did not prove Ledger's own manufacturing systems were compromised. The company distinguished affected reseller channels from devices supplied through official channels.
