Crypto hard wallet maker Ledger suspends sales in S-E Asia; tampered devices found sold in S’pore
It is unclear how much was lost, but blockchain analysts estimate that about US$86 million in cryptocurrency was stolen.
Paris-based cryptocurrency hardware wallet maker Ledger has suspended sales across South-east Asia following the discovery of tampered devices that could steal users' funds. The incident, which came to light on Oct 9, led to Ledger announcing on Oct 13 that it is asking regional resellers and distributors to remove the hardware wallets from their shelves.
The tampering involved malicious implants that could read information on the wallet's screen and relay it to a third party when users entered their 24-word recovery phrase. Ledger estimates the losses to be over US$86 million (S$110 million), although they have not been able to confirm the number of people affected or the total amount lost.
The affected regions include Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
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