pc got hacked and lost about 100k

[stadus]

Advice on safeguarding your assets can come later. For now, your priority should be recovering the $100k you lost. Since you’ve identified the exchange where the funds were sent, your best move is to immediately contact that exchange and explain the situation.

While requesting an exchange to freeze funds often has a low success rate, it's still worth trying since it’s your best option. Just hope they’ll cooperate, and remember that as a registered business, they will require proper documentation before taking any action. Make sure to comply with all their requirements if they show willingness to assist.

[Smack That Ace]

Advice on safeguarding your assets can come later. For now, your priority should be recovering the $100k you lost. Since you’ve identified the exchange where the funds were sent, your best move is to immediately contact that exchange and explain the situation.

While requesting an exchange to freeze funds often has a low success rate, it's still worth trying since it’s your best option. Just hope they’ll cooperate, and remember that as a registered business, they will require proper documentation before taking any action. Make sure to comply with all their requirements if they show willingness to assist.

He can try but I think it's just a waste of time because exchanges only address complaints if he is a customer and is using their services. Otherwise, they won't believe what he says or care about his problem because catching criminals is not their job. I think instead of trying to contact OKX exchange directly and not getting any viable results. Instead, why didn't he go directly to the local police to report his case? Catching thieves is police work but this will depend on the country OP is living in, whether bitcoin is legal there or not.

Honestly, other than reporting this to the police, I don't think OP has any way to get the property back. But so far it seems he hasn't done that, which means bitcoin is not legal in his country and bitcoin investors are not protected either.

[Rockstarguy]

I have experienced the same thing. However, I don't know what I did so that the hacker could access my Private keys and take everything in it. However, we must always be vigilant, and install a really good antivirus to prevent this. In fact, now I am really careful in clicking on links, because we don't know what the hacker sent us. I am sorry for what happened to you.

This is a bad experience that can happen to any one and this happens to people because they have no idea something like this can happen. People just need to be careful with site they login and also needs to be careful with important details that can be useful to strangers. When it comes to the internet, people needs to be very vigilant because anything can happen,  most people who falls victim to scam they never believed something like this can happen. Being vigilant and careful helps a lot.

It is important for beginners to try to get more understanding on how scammer works because it will help in preventing being victim to scam.

[FatFork]

you need a good antivirus on your device, my pc once got infected with a virus that would replace my copied crypto address and replace with the hackers wallet address, i lost around 2k,, it was when i found out about it i formatted my whole pc and installed a new os,, after that i'm using an antivirus that is still protecting me from these kinds of viruses.

Relying solely on antivirus software is an inadequate strategy in my opinion.  It resembles wearing a seatbelt while refusing to drive carefully - the seatbelt may assist if an accident occurs, but it won't prevent them.  Similarly, antivirus programs may catch some threats, but they can't shield against everything, particularly if you're not practicing safe online habits.

A multi-layered approach is much more effective in protecting your digital assets. Antivirus has a role but should function as just one component of your OpSec, not the only line of defense.

[COBRAS]

you need a good antivirus on your device, my pc once got infected with a virus that would replace my copied crypto address and replace with the hackers wallet address, i lost around 2k,, it was when i found out about it i formatted my whole pc and installed a new os,, after that i'm using an antivirus that is still protecting me from these kinds of viruses.

Relying solely on antivirus software is an inadequate strategy in my opinion.  It resembles wearing a seatbelt while refusing to drive carefully - the seatbelt may assist if an accident occurs, but it won't prevent them.  Similarly, antivirus programs may catch some threats, but they can't shield against everything, particularly if you're not practicing safe online habits.

A multi-layered approach is much more effective in protecting your digital assets. Antivirus has a role but should function as just one component of your OpSec, not the only line of defense.

Antivirus helps only from not encrypted foles, all trojans obfuscate first, so antivirus will not protect to 100% , especially from 1 hour agoo jast obfuscated files. Old trojans after obfuscations, will be not known for antiviruses trojans. and I agree, what if in your pc a lot of money, this pc mast be offline all time then you not make needed transactions.

[Rikafip]

you need a good antivirus on your device

What he needs is a good hardware wallet because in that case his crypto would be safe even in the case of downloading a malware.

I don't think Tether or OKX will respond to individual requests, so you should go to the nearest police station specializing in cybercrime or financial scam and prove that you have been scammed. OKX's cooperation with the local authorities may result in freezing that account or helping you track down the hacker, but don't be too optimistic about getting your money back.

Yep, I was about the write the same thing when I read replies of people l telling him to contact exchange asap. What he needs to do is to contact police asap and let them do their job as they are the only ones who can make exchange to freeze someone else's account.

Having said that, what kind of hacker sends stolen crypto to centralized exchanges? Doesn't make much sense to me but then again, keeping so much money in a hot wallet doesn't make much sesne either.

[PrivacyG]

Actually, in some cases it is, especially as many email clients hide the sender address and show only the name, because "let's not be too technical".

Even if the unfortunate happens and the Computer is infected, it would produce much less damage if Cryptocurrency Wallets are separated from it.  Browsing the Web, opening Attachments et cetera on the same computer I have my Bitcoin Wallet on is ridiculous.  And this is the most basic preventive measure somebody can adopt.

[NeuroticFish]

Actually, in some cases it is, especially as many email clients hide the sender address and show only the name, because "let's not be too technical".

Even if the unfortunate happens and the Computer is infected, it would produce much less damage if Cryptocurrency Wallets are separated from it.  Browsing the Web, opening Attachments et cetera on the same computer I have my Bitcoin Wallet on is ridiculous.  And this is the most basic preventive measure somebody can adopt.

Keeping 100k in hot wallet is already ridiculous imho. From that point on you can only do more/bigger (security) mistakes with that computer.
That's why I "advertise" hardware wallets. Security is not for everybody and people can make mistakes. Some more easily than others. A HW heavily decreases the chances the mistakes empty your pockets.

[PX-Z]

I am mind blown how some people do not have at least a Hardware Wallet and prefer to rather hold this much Money on a Computer they do not even properly secure.  I do not want to carve the knife even more against his skin but why?  This was a constantly open invitation for any bad actor to his Wallet!

These people are seem to prioritize convenience over security despite having the means to invest and buy in better protection on their funds. You can call them "security minimalists" or just "desktop wallet advocates" lol. I can't sleep properly knowing i'm using my desktop everyday yet my 100k is sitting there all day.

[Outhue]

I have experienced the same thing. However, I don't know what I did so that the hacker could access my Private keys and take everything in it. However, we must always be vigilant, and install a really good antivirus to prevent this. In fact, now I am really careful in clicking on links, because we don't know what the hacker sent us. I am sorry for what happened to you.

If it is PC the problem will likely still persists, because computer is too complex for average users, we think we know it all but yet we get malware on our PC, if this is possible then it is possible to lose the crypto assets you are keeping on your PC.

I can't be confidence enough keeping my crypto assets on a PC, I am too familiar with ways that malware's get into my PC even with antivirus, the problem is Windows PC is the most targetted OS of them all, hackers will always find a way.

The second problem is you will always connect your PC to the internet, this makes it a big failure for keeping crypto assets, if you like do not accept this fact, I will keep saying it again and again, that PC is a bad place to keep crypto assets.

Get a goddamn offline crypto hardware wallet.

[iBaba]

Keeping 100k in hot wallet is already ridiculous imho. From that point on you can only do more/bigger (security) mistakes with that computer.
That's why I "advertise" hardware wallets. Security is not for everybody and people can make mistakes. Some more easily than others. A HW heavily decreases the chances the mistakes empty your pockets.

Exactly my thoughts too. I can't allow that kind of mistake to happen. This is the reason why there's the cold wallet where everything is completely in a local directory. We cannot allow our assets go down drain like that. It is best to always disconnect such wallet from any online access and only move certain amount of the funds to the hot wallet where you can make your payments or transactions. We must avoid any risk factor or chances associated with the digital assets.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

Sorry for the lose bro, I believe this incident have serves as a lesson to learn from and never to open any mail that we don't expect to receive. Like others have said, if the thief have not moved the USDT out from the exchange or convert it to fiat into their bank account, then you can use the help of the exchange support to freeze the account but if he already move the asset out, he wouldn't bother to use the exchange again.

[Z-tight]

if the thief have not moved the USDT out from the exchange or convert it to fiat into their bank account, then you can use the help of the exchange support to freeze the account but if he already move the asset out, he wouldn't bother to use the exchange again.

You cannot contact exchange support to freeze funds of another user, they will sure never grant that request, you can only report to your local authority, and if you are lucky that they take interest in your case, then you can present them with all the proof you have and they will make the request to the exchange. I don't know how a scammer can send stolen funds to a centralized exchange, did they open the exchange account through identity theft? That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

[lionheart78]

PS. Good luck, OP, in getting back your money. I don't think the chances are big, but I tend to think negative. As PrivacyG already said, you should get authorities' help; I don't expect the bigger businesses freeze money only because you ask them nicely (even with the proper proof).

I also think that the chance of getting he money back is slim.  The transferred fund could have been converted to another cryptocurrency and transferred it outside the initial exchange where the fund is set or probably it is already been cashed out.  The exchange won't easily block the address or freeze the account without valid documents and I think on the time between the request, producing evidence and presenting it to exchange, and exchange reviewing and validating the documentes and its decision, the fund could have been liquidated already.

I have never been infected from Email attachments.  Not even once because I simply do not click what I know is not legitimate or something I should of received!  Is it this difficult?

Same here I choose ignore mail that have attachment files in it.  It is very dangerous thing even if the file is from a trusted email of a friend because we never know if the file is actually from him or forwarded from someone else.

[BitMaxz]

This is pretty new to me, Are you sure you can be infected by just clicking the attachment .zip file from email?
What I think is you can only be infected from any package files, like .rar or .zip, if you open or extract them.

Isn't that the PC of your friend doesn't have a built-in antivirus? Because why your friend can be easily infected unless he disabled the AV?

Anyway, if you can provide evidence that your friends crypto was converted to USDT and exchanged in OKX, why not report it immediately?
If you want to get response immediately, you can try to contact them through phone call 1-888-201-8380 or email them through support@okx.com

Don't use their social media accounts on Discord or on Telegram; they have lots of impostors. Be careful.

[logfiles]

The first thing to do is contact  OKX Immediately so they could freeze the user's account.

It's on their TOS

https://www.okx.com/help/terms-of-service

3.2 In the event that we learn or reasonably suspect, in our sole discretion, that your account is or may be associated with any of the Prohibited Businesses as set forth above, we will consider it to be a violation of these Terms and may suspend or terminate your account, and/or block transactions or freeze your funds immediately without notice, and we reserve the right to report any such suspected or actual Prohibited Businesses to the law enforcement authorities.

And you might need to file a police report in your local authrorities about what happened as they might need it as an attachment.

A police report may not be useful, but court orders or subpoenas are usually very effective. So if OP wants to pursue the scammer, they are going to involve some lawyers and the court in their Jurisdiction. OKX will oblige.


Not that Linux is immune to such attacks, but over 90% is the times, the malicious apps created are only executable on Windows OS. if such an executable file was opened in Linux, nothing would happen, or it wouldn't even be able to execute. That is why I prefer Linux