Nearly $600,000 in Bitcoin (BTC) has been stolen from customers who downloaded a faux Ledger Stay software on Microsoft’s app retailer, in accordance to cryptocurrency sleuth ZachXBT.
The on-chain analyst noticed the rip-off, “Ledger Stay Web3” on Nov. 5, which is tricking customers into considering that they’re downloading “Ledger Stay” — a consumer interface for Ledger {hardware} wallets to retailer cryptocurrency offline.
Roughly 16.8 BTC value $588,000 has been acquired by the scammer throughout 38 transactions utilizing pockets deal with, “bc1q….y64q,” in accordance to Blockchain.com. About $115,200 has left the scammer’s pockets throughout two transactions, leaving it with $473,800 or 13.5 BTC.
Group Alert: There may be presently a faux @Ledger Stay app on the official @Microsoft App Retailer which was resulted in 16.8+ BTC ($588K) stolen
Scammer deal with
bc1qg05gw43elzqxqnll8vs8x47ukkhudwyncxy64q pic.twitter.com/rOZ0ZWRWbn— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) November 5, 2023
In a observe up put up, ZachXBT famous that Microsoft could have eliminated the faux Ledger Stay app from its platform.
The primary transaction despatched to the scammer’s pockets deal with occurred on Oct. 24, value $5,210. Previous to that, the pockets hadn’t been used. Most of those transactions have taken place since Nov. 2, with the most important switch totaling $81,200 on Nov. 4.
A search by Cointelegraph discovered the faux “Ledger Stay Web3” software appeared in Microsoft’s app retailer as early as Oct. 19.
ZachXBT mentioned they’ve acquired two messages from victims on Nov. 4 and even argued that Microsoft “ought to be held liable” for permitting the faux Ledger Stay app to seem in its app retailer.
Sadly acquired two messages about this from victims at this time. Appears one other individual misplaced funds in simply previous few min. pic.twitter.com/yYPbizltN5
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) November 5, 2023
Associated: Ledger {hardware} pockets rolls out cloud-based personal key restoration instrument
It isn’t the primary time a faux Ledger Stay app has made its manner into Microsoft’s app retailer both.
Ledger’s help account on X (previously Twitter) knowledgeable its customers a couple of faux Ledger Stay app on two separate events in December and March.
Hey #ledger customers
Beware of pretend Ledger Stay apps printed on the Microsoft Retailer
The one protected place to obtain Ledger Stay is on our web sitehttps://t.co/cDLX1rEWPf
Ledger will NEVER ask you to your 24-word restoration phrase ❌
Keep protected pic.twitter.com/0dXTJ7FeuO
— Ledger Help (@Ledger_Support) December 26, 2022
Ledger hasn’t commented on the rip-off however has beforehand iterated to customers that the “solely protected place” to obtain Ledger Stay is from its web site, ledger.com.
Cointelegraph reached out to Microsoft for remark however didn’t obtain a direct response.
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