Crypto scammer loses 4.8 million dollars to tampered Ledger wallets

A scammer lost 60 Bitcoin worth approximately 4.8 million dollars after storing stolen funds on tampered hardware wallets, according to Cointelegraph. Blockchain monitoring firm Chainalysis reported that the scammer purchased three new Ledger hardware devices containing spyware that recorded seed phrases. Supply chain attackers subsequently drained the funds from all three wallets. [1][2]

The loss occurred as part of a broader supply chain attack against hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger. Cointelegraph reported that thieves stole more than 103.4 million dollars from 530 addresses using tampered devices inserted into the distribution network. Consequently, Ledger was forced to suspend its reseller network across Southeast Asia. [1][2]

As FTMQ Crypto reported earlier, Ledger had requested resellers across six Southeast Asian nations and Hong Kong to halt hardware wallet sales due to spyware concerns. Initial thefts were linked to devices sold on October 9 by reseller CryptoBilis, with Ledger stating that confirmed tampering remained contained to the region. [6]

Bitcoin is the first decentralized cryptocurrency, which relies on pseudonymous addresses that have attracted scrutiny from global regulators, while Apple operates the App Store marketplace for mobile and desktop applications. [4][5]

In additional regional developments, Cointelegraph reported that Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds launched trading in Thailand. At the same time, authorities in South Korea blocked 27 cryptocurrency exchanges. [1][2]