Ledger tightens hardware wallet rules after $102 million theft linked to tampered devices

Ledger, the leading French manufacturer of hardware wallets for cryptocurrencies, has enforced stricter rules on sales channels after discovering that modified Ledger devices were used in a large-scale theft. The move comes as investigators report that more than $100 million in assets was stolen from user wallets by criminals who inserted hidden components into genuine devices before resale. Attackers reportedly purchased authentic Ledger wallets, secretly added illicit hardware to them, and returned these compromised products to resellers, particularly in Southeast Asia. This alteration enabled the devices to capture sensitive customer information during setup. The scheme was first flagged on October 9, when several customers noticed missing cryptocurrency from wallets bought via the Malaysian retailer CryptoBilis. Following these reports, CryptoBilis suspended wallet sales while an investigation was launched into the incidents.

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