Quantum emergency scam on Coinkite hardware wallets

[Antotena]

There is a new wave of Quantum scam going around with users that has their mail compromised through some companies. A user wrote some hours ago that he received a mail letter sent by Coinkite[fake], company behind Coldcard wallet to upgrade his seed security and update firmware to protect his wallet against Quantum attack. The mail letter looks too official, address and name was well composed to look convincing and real but it's scam.

The company behind Coldcard hardware wallet was asked if there is customers data leak but they claimed there was nothing of such. There could be a data leak somewhere or Coinkite doesn't want to admit to leakage of personal data.









Source: https://x.com/coinjoined/status/2031365984368345111

I expect more scams to come through this form, even the ledger that has data leaks will start to receive this scam, be at alert incase you have there hardware wallet.

[Charles-Tim]

First way to know this is a scam is because quantum computers are not yet a threat. The second is that you can check the link for the update, the link will be different from the official link, and that means the link is a link that belongs to scammers. This kind of phishing attack is common to Ledger Nano users.

If there are more users that is complain about this, the email of the people that bought the wallet directly from the company could have been leaked.

[joniboini]

I guess email scams are so common that they have started using postcards to scam people now. I think this is the third or fourth news related to phishing scams I've seen this year. Interestingly, I haven't seen the same attack being used in my country. Most of them seem to target WA or other social media users instead. Either the number of buyers from the official shop is too small, or the cost to attack is too high for whatever reason.

[dkbit98]

What I don't understand is how scammers know the physical addresses of c0ldcard device owner.
I don't remember any c0ldcard leak was released in public, and he didn't say if he actually owns c0ldcard wallet or not.
On first sign I would probably say this is coming from ledger leak, but I don't trust anything coming from NVK lunatic.

[salad daging]

This postal attack is exactly the same as the Trezor case, where someone receives a letter from the post sent by a scammer. Snail Mail Attack: Trezor/Ledger customers be aware

This is the second time I've seen a case of mail fraud, but it may seem legitimate to the scammers, especially since the mail looks official with a QR code and signature.

Perhaps this method is now more widely seen, although phishing sites sent via email still continue to exist. Stay careful

[Amphenomenon]

First way to know this is a scam is because quantum computers are not yet a threat. The second is that you can check the link for the update, the link will be different from the official link, and that means the link is a link that belongs to scammers. This kind of phishing attack is common to Ledger Nano users.

True but many have a fear of this and prying on this will give hackers leverage often to get more victims, a part of social engineering approach.
We have seen many especially newbies asked questions about quantum computers breaking wallet but in an actual sense that's not the case yet it shows how many are thinking and I'm not surprised attackers are leveraging on this.

If there are more users that is complain about this, the email of the people that bought the wallet directly from the company could have been leaked.

There are ways to identify if a person is using a service often obvious for many since the majority are not privacy cautious or still leave much trace based on what they leave while having conversation also but if many customers suffers from the same fate like you said then it id safe to push the breach more likely on them.

[PrivacyG]

It only really takes one such company who does not know much about Bitcoin but are holding some, they will easily fall for the Scam.  Hopefully, there are none that do.  It would actually be embarrassing to publicly announce that.

-----

First way to know this is a scam is because quantum computers are not yet a threat.

The problem here is.  Most people think they are a significant threat actually.

[Outhue]

It looks confusing enough but what you are asked to do bursted the scam up, why would you ask people to upgrade seed security? By doing what exactly? It makes no single sense because recovery seeds don't need fixing, they are the way they are and if leaked it's gone already, there is no fixing for recovery seed, they should try harder next time.

Many people know what recovery seed is but they don't understand it completely.

Recovery seed is your one way key, they don't need any fixing.
Stop trusting email messages, even if the mail is from the company that sold the hardware wallet to you do not trust them, what if it's an inside job by one of their workers?

The day you bought your hardware wallet should be the last day you have anything to do with the company, the device is working as it should? Cool, that's the end. Keep your recovery seed like it's your last chance to heaven, that's all there is to do.

[KingsDen]

First way to know this is a scam is because quantum computers are not yet a threat. The second is that you can check the link for the update, the link will be different from the official link, and that means the link is a link that belongs to scammers. This kind of phishing attack is common to Ledger Nano users.

If there are more users that is complain about this, the email of the people that bought the wallet directly from the company could have been leaked.

Imagine that the quantum computers is not yet a threat and might no be in a few years but then scammers are using it to rip people already. I just wish this quantum speculations remain a myth or theoretical. If it eventually manifests with the way it is projected, it will create alot of disaster in the cryptocurrency industry.

Concerning writing a good and what looks like an official letter, that is not something difficult to do since we now have personal assistance called AI. It is important to weary everytime you are going to click and untrusted link.

[knowngunman]

It's already going viral. Some other people confirmed receiving the same letter in the comments section under that tweet.

I wish I could read the letter to understand better their trick language but unfortunately, I can't read that language. I don't even know which language it was talk more of reading.

Unless there are undeniable evidence, companies will never admit that customers data is being compromised and sensitive data leaked to other parties.

As cheap as this trick is, gullible people can still fall into this trap and giveaway their coin to scammers. It seems some scammers now run out of ideas because what the hell seed security upgrade suppose to mean? 

[bitbollo]

@OP
have you reported to authority? the problem isn't in the scam itself...
they can have also just send normal spam by knowning you like the product... it can be any other service that maybe get your data.
anyway it seems to lazy way to scam, no one would just act reading this email of course

I am interested to buy/get this postal label, for my personal collection of items related to crypto/postage.
Can you reach me in private? (of course please a small offer like a pizza or beer... there is no market value only a curiosity no more).

edit: @Lucius thank you I just re-read and noticed he didn't received as first.

[joniboini]

I can't read that language. I don't even know which language it was talk more of reading.

Are you referring to the image posted by other people? If you don't recognize the language, using tools like Google Translate usually helps you recognize it. It isn't error-free, but you should be able to verify it easily. Interesting if this method spreads to countries outside of the US/EU, though.

It seems some scammers now run out of ideas because what the hell seed security upgrade suppose to mean? 

They don't need flowery language to begin with. Scams don't target people with a high degree of knowledge. If someone got nervous reading stuff like that, they can be their prey.

[Lucius]

~snip~
I am interested to buy/get this postal label, for my personal collection of items related to crypto/postage.
Can you reach me in private? (of course please a small offer like a pizza or beer... there is no market value only a curiosity no more).

A user wrote some hours ago that he received a mail letter sent by Coinkite[fake], company behind Coldcard wallet to upgrade his seed security and update firmware to protect his wallet against Quantum attack. The mail letter looks too official, address and name was well composed to look convincing and real but it's scam.
~snip~

OP can't sell you anything because he personally didn't receive any letter, he just forwarded someone's post. Maybe you can try to contact that person through a social network, or search for similar cases.

[Odohu]

The guy is smart and well informed as her was fast in noticing the red flags which are obvious for anyone that is smart to see. Seed phrase cannot be upgraded, the idea even sound childish and in the process of the supposed upgrade, that is where the stealing will occur. I think this is very easy to avoid unless the user is naive to believe anything or tensed by the tone of the email which necessitated security concerns. It is always good to be careful and calm, never taking any decision in a hurry.

[Akaenyi]

First way to know this is a scam is because quantum computers are not yet a threat. The second is that you can check the link for the update, the link will be different from the official link, and that means the link is a link that belongs to scammers. This kind of phishing attack is common to Ledger Nano users.

You are very correct that quantum computers are not yet a threat so anyone that is trying to use it to talk you into releasing personal information is the first red flag that it is a scam. Secondly we should master the original links to sites that we have interests in because scammers will change something and you will think that it's the original link. The process of verifying links is tasking but worth it to protect your funds and privacy. Never click on links that you are not 100% sure, verify first, if you're not sure simply ignore it because it is most likely from scammers.

If there are more users that is complain about this, the email of the people that bought the wallet directly from the company could have been leaked.

Common sense should tell us that if more users complain of the same thing then the conclusion will be that there was a leak. A scammer cannot obtain the details of different users in a site from different sources, it has to be from the same source.

[Antotena]

If there are more users that is complain about this, the email of the people that bought the wallet directly from the company could have been leaked.

Common sense should tell us that if more users complain of the same thing then the conclusion will be that there was a leak. A scammer cannot obtain the details of different users in a site from different sources, it has to be from the same source.

Anytime it's reported that there is a data leakage, knows that the way that data will be spread on the internet knows no boundary. The hacker or whoever have the first hand information of the user detail might not be the person behind this scams. It may be another person entirely that bought the information related to one or two hardware personal data, Trezor and ledger had issues and those data are online, such information can be bought by any person and use for this scam.

This is is why it's not good to reveal too much about you on the internet. These companies use courier services to deliver items to people, they know some details even if not in full about some of the dispatch items sent to hardware customers. There is alot data exchange on the internet and they are illegal but because they never get caught doing it, they don't care.

[noorman0]

What I don't understand is how scammers know the physical addresses of c0ldcard device owner.
I don't remember any c0ldcard leak was released in public, and he didn't say if he actually owns c0ldcard wallet or not.
On first sign I would probably say this is coming from ledger leak, but I don't trust anything coming from NVK lunatic.

It's possible the wallet wasn't purchased from the factory, but from a third-party seller or partner. A data leak could also involve the courier if the packaging label clearly indicates the package is a physical wallet.

However, scammers also have various ways to obtain detailed information, such as through random surveys where, at certain points, the questionnaire asks the respondent to provide the wallet used and unknowingly share address details.

[Alpha Marine]

First way to know this is a scam is because quantum computers are not yet a threat.

Some people believe they are a threat now or at least in the next 1-2 years.
I always find it funny when people who have little to no knowledge about this kind of technical stuff are always worried about stuff that the people who are in the field and understand the stuff are not worried about.
The way some people talk about quantum computers being the end of Bitcoin, you would think they know what they are talking about. Something core developers and miners are not panicking about is what some people are worried about.
I do not know much about quantum computers and when or if they will be a threat, but I have read from people who do, and I will take their word over the word of people like me who do not understand it but talk about it because it seems cool.