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ZEC $1,214 Scammer loses $4.8M stored on tampered Ledger wallets
A task scammer became an unlikely victim of the Ledger supply chain breach, losing 60 BTC from compromised hardware wallets.
Key takeaways
- The scale of losses. Thieves stole more than $103.4 million from 530 addresses via tampered Ledgers inserted into the supply chain.
- The victim's loss. A scammer lost 60 Bitcoin, worth about $4.8 million, from three newly purchased Ledgers containing spyware.
- Suspected total. Onchain investigator Specter has traced more than $86 million in suspected thefts, though Ledger has not verified this figure.
What happened
Ledger suspended its reseller network across Southeast Asia after discovering that thieves had inserted spyware-laden devices into the supply chain. The compromised hardware wallets, which record seed phrases during setup and transmit them over LTE, affected 530 addresses across the region. On October 9, the company disclosed the incident after thieves had already drained funds from the infected devices.
Among the victims was a scammer who lost 60 Bitcoin worth approximately $4.8 million. The operator had run a task scam where people were paid to fake sales and reviews of real items until a negative balance appeared in their accounts and they were told to add their own money to get paid. The scammer had moved the scam proceeds into three separate Ledger addresses on September 22, but thieves emptied all three on October 9, transferring the funds into a single wallet.
Ledger asked resellers and distributors in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong to remove devices from sale. The company has said that all confirmed losses involve devices sold through Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis, though the total number of affected users and value lost remain unconfirmed.
First $84.4KLatest $82.3K-2.6% over the period
Points are daily observations, not closing prices.
Why it matters
The breach represents one of the most significant hardware wallet supply chain attacks to date, affecting hundreds of users across a major cryptocurrency custody category. Onchain investigator Specter has traced more than $86 million in suspected thefts, though Ledger has not verified this figure. The incident has prompted Ledger to launch its new Atom device, which the company claims includes protections against the implants used in the Asian thefts and can detect tampering even when powered off.
What is still unclear
- Ledger has not confirmed the total number of affected users or the total value lost, with its investigation ongoing.
- While reports of tampered Ledgers have appeared in Europe forcing MediaMarkt to suspend sales, Ledger insists all confirmed thefts are from Asia.
Questions readers ask
How much money was stolen in the Ledger supply chain breach?
Thieves stole more than $103.4 million from 530 addresses via tampered Ledgers inserted into the supply chain. Onchain investigator Specter has traced more than $86 million in suspected thefts, though Ledger has not verified this figure.
What happened to the scammer who lost money in the Ledger breach?
A scammer lost 60 Bitcoin worth about $4.8 million from three newly purchased Ledgers. The funds came from a task scam where people were paid to fake sales and reviews of real items until they were told to add their own money to get paid.
Which regions were affected by the tampered Ledgers?
Ledger asked resellers in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong to remove devices from sale. The company has said all confirmed losses involve devices sold through Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis.
What is Ledger Atom and when was it released?
Ledger Atom is a $849 device that combines a crypto wallet with Android apps separated from sensitive wallet operations. The company claims it includes protections against the implants used in the Asian thefts and can detect tampering even when switched off.
