Singapore users report $2.7 million in Ledger losses

Singapore police are investigating at least two cases involving tampered Ledger hardware wallets. The reported losses total about S$3.5 million ($2.7 million), with the earliest case reported on Sept. 10.

In an advisory published Wednesday, the Singapore Police Force reported that preliminary investigations found malicious hardware components in Ledger wallets bought from some retail stores in Singapore. The force did not identify the stores or explain how the components were inserted.

The local reports came before the incident became public on Oct. 9, when users reported losses linked to Ledger devices sold through CryptoBilis, an authorized reseller serving Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Investigators are examining whether some devices were altered before reaching customers.

Former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès later reported that a Ledger Flex he bought at Singapore’s airport contained a spy implant. Another Ledger user reported that a device bought from Singapore IT retailer Challenger had been tampered with. Ledger later sent that user a replacement.

On Oct. 13, Ledger asked retailers in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong to suspend sales of its devices while investigations continued.

Singapore police remain in contact with Ledger, which is reviewing the affected cases. Police investigations are ongoing.