Updated: List of Major Bitcoin Heists, Thefts, Hacks, Scams, and Losses

[ElectricSheep]

Hey everybody,

I've recently continued on the work that user dree12 started back in 2014 listing all the Major Bitcoin heists, Thefts, Hacks, Scams and Losses. I decided to move the data to a table on GitHub so members from the community can contribute / point out issues more easily as dree12's original thread got discontinued from what I think was a lack of time to update it.

Below is the link to the repo which I have titled 'Proof-of-Keys.'

https://github.com/Electricsheep01/proof-of-keys/blob/master/README.md

I still have lots of additions / changes to make but it more or less has most of the major incidents listed.

Looking forward to your feedback / contributions 

dree12's original thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=576337.0

-Sheep

Twitter: @Ben_Sharp_

[CryptoBry]

Thanks for updating the list as much as you can. The listicle is a big monument of the weakness and savage of human nature if given the opportunity to strike. I am sure that the list will continue to expand as months and years go by as hackers are seemingly two steps ahead of the game. I am particularly awed at the Allinvain Theftwhich was discussed right in this forum. As the saying goes: Nobody can really be too careful.

[Baofeng]

Thanks, I guess you can also add the recent Gatehub hack,

https://cointelegraph.com/news/report-nearly-10-million-in-xrp-stolen-in-gatehub-hack

It was $10 million stolen so I don't know how much is the total amount we have lost so far from those criminals.

[davis196]

Why are you going this?Just to spend some time and effort on a non-profit project.
If we add all the people that were scammed by the big crypto exchange platforms,the list would have been  endless.

[Astvile]

Why are you going this?Just to spend some time and effort on a non-profit project.
If we add all the people that were scammed by the big crypto exchange platforms,the list would have been  endless.

Bro,we all have our own interest and we have curiousity.Maybe OP is having fun compiling all scams,heist and losses let him be.
Yes we know the list would be endless but atleast we will have something to look back to see what happened before,and to spread informaton across members here.This list will surely help us to be a better bitcoiner for sure since every story that OP will list im sure we will learn a lesson,specialy from the losses part.

[Kakmakr]

What would be the point of this? It only gives our enemies some more ammunition to create FUD about Bitcoin and most of these so-called hacks was flaws in a 3rd party service and mostly in-house, not hacks from external entities. 

Yes, it might be helpful if you can use this to highlight how "bad" third party services are and how important it is not to use Bitcoin via these services and also to eliminate or counter thumb suck statistics that are quoted in popular media. 

[rosezionjohn]

Thanks OP.

~snip

Whether or not the OP creates a list, there will always be FUD from cryptocurrency critics. It's not like these information are not publicly available. If there are people like you who don't like the list made my OP, there are also people like me who are interested.

[Leh-Meh]

Too many crimes involving Bitcoins have happened in 5 years.

[Ailmand]

Too many crimes involving Bitcoins have happened in 5 years.

What more to be expected, there are a lot of people who rushed investing and jumped into crypto without basic and proper knowledge of it. Most people who got scammed are not aware of the risk. Some people who got their money stolen or hacked have no idea on how to secure their funds. As long as money is involved there will always be risk.

[DdmrDdmr]

<...>

I was wondering why you chose GitHub as a repository for the provided information. I guess it’s structure related.

I’m normally reluctant to exploring external linked information (although I myself have a couple of external tools here), and GitHub here on the forum has a “heist of it’s own” lately (see Please disable Fake ANNs download links , theymos !).

On your GitHub repository entry you’ve got a referral code on the link to Ledger. Since the forum does not allow in it’s rules to use referral links, it’s probable that a link to a site with a referral may be reported for being against the rules. I would delete the referral really. It also contains many links which I presume are legit. Nevertheless, in general (and not solely in this particular case) we need to be wary before clicking links to external sources, especially if there happens to be any sort of download involved at some point.

Aside from that, the compilation is very interesting, and builds on @dree12’s initial work to date, as you referenced in the OP.   

[blockman]

Do you think this addition would be valid for the list?

(https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-developer-komodo-hacks-wallet-users-to-foil-13-million-hack)
(https://cointelegraph.com/news/komodo-hacks-itself-and-saves-crypto-worth-13m-after-learning-of-security-vulnerability)

[levyashin]

Really you did a great job.

That thread only shows us to use exchanges when necessary and always keep our funds on our personal wallets.

[ElectricSheep]

Why are you going this?Just to spend some time and effort on a non-profit project.
If we add all the people that were scammed by the big crypto exchange platforms,the list would have been  endless.

I'm hoping to encourage individuals to hold their own keys and for business to strengthen their security. Bitcoin will always be a prime target for hackers due to its irreversible, bearer nature.

I enjoy contributing to the Bitcoin community wherever I can.

If you know of more scams feel free to open a PR or just comment them in this thread 

[ElectricSheep]

<...>

I was wondering why you chose GitHub as a repository for the provided information. I guess it’s structure related.

I’m normally reluctant to exploring external linked information (although I myself have a couple of external tools here), and GitHub here on the forum has a “heist of it’s own” lately (see Please disable Fake ANNs download links , theymos !).

On your GitHub repository entry you’ve got a referral code on the link to Ledger. Since the forum does not allow in it’s rules to use referral links, it’s probable that a link to a site with a referral may be reported for being against the rules. I would delete the referral really. It also contains many links which I presume are legit. Nevertheless, in general (and not solely in this particular case) we need to be wary before clicking links to external sources, especially if there happens to be any sort of download involved at some point.

Aside from that, the compilation is very interesting, and builds on @dree12’s initial work to date, as you referenced in the OP.   

Mostly so people can contribute through a PR, less work for me maintaining things.

[Genemind]

I admire your effort to post all of the scams and theft incidents that have happened for years. I'm sure that there will still be lots of scams to be added this year.
It's not questionable that we have this huge number of scams because scammers took advantage of every market situation to fool people.

[ck343]

The Biggest Crypto Heists

as for September 2018

https://www.statista.com/chart/12707/largest-known-crypto-currency-thefts/