Scammer gets scammed in Ledger spy-chip exploit, loses almost $5 million in bitcoin
A scammer who operated a task-based fraud scheme lost 60 BTC after their funds were drained from Ledger wallets. The theft was linked to a security exploit involving hardware implants in devices sold by a Southeast Asian reseller.
Why it matters
Illustrates the risks of supply chain attacks in hardware wallets and the irony of criminal proceeds being targeted by other cybercriminals.
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said Thursday on X that the perpetrator had collected the bitcoin through a so-called task scam, in which people are initially paid to post fake product reviews or boost online sales. Then they are told their accounts have a negative balance and they must deposit their own money before they can withdraw their supposed earnings.
According to Chainalysis, the person behind the operation transferred the proceeds of the illegal activity to three Ledger wallet addresses, which thieves emptied, taking 60 BTC.
The incident adds a twist to the Ledger security breach involving devices sold by Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis. Investigators discovered unauthorized hardware implants capable of transmitting wallet recovery information over a mobile network, giving attackers access to the bitcoin stored on affected devices.
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