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

[dree12]

As per usual, I am taking far longer than I should in finishing off the backlog. I am still working on it though and I will put up a partial or full update in the near future.

[Swordsoffreedom]

Geh this is sickening but here is one for the list
Hopefully Klee is able to get those coins back

I was hacked (1170btc stolen) - 500btc max BOUNTY
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=686275.0

Klee's Theft
1170 ... not a Stephan Thomas or one of the other listed ones but still in 2014 v 2011

UPDATE May 13

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=686275.msg7816540#msg7816540

[jabo38]

Geh this is sickening but here is one for the list
Hopefully Klee is able to get those coins back

I was hacked (1170btc stolen) - 500btc max BOUNTY
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=686275.0

Klee's Theft
1170 ... not a Stephan Thomas or one of the other listed ones but still in 2014 v 2011

By total amount in usd, it has to be in the top 10 I think.

[JorgeStolfi]

Some random obs:

I have seen many references to Bitfunder and Intersango as two notable scams.

Bitfunder and other ventures by @Ukyo were connectes to the Neo&Bee collapse.  On thread about them: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=640717.0

An Intersango thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=323682.20  I think there was another one, can't find it now.

The SheepMarketplace coins were tracked through tumblers etc. by volunteers for some time, but apparently they got tired so now the coins seem to be "lost in the crowd".

There is a thread about LKETC, manufacturers of mining equipment, with claims that the controlling software that comes with the machines steals 10% of the mined coins: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=640717.0

[dree12]

All the above on on the backlog now. I'll get around to updating the list as soon as possible.

[Swordsoffreedom]

All the above on on the backlog now. I'll get around to updating the list as soon as possible.

Thanks partial update there have been negotiations so that one is on a standby for 36 days pending the hackers second payment
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=690353.msg7822795#msg7822795

[JorgeStolfi]

Another  thread about a confirmed scam, CoinReturn:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=665833.0

I do not know whether the amount is sufficient to qualify for your list.

Apologies if you already considered it and rejected it. Perhaps ypu should place on Page 1 a list with the names (only the names) of the incidents that are on your queue, or that you already looked into and rejected; so that readers can avoid suggesting them over and over again.

[dree12]

Another  thread about a confirmed scam, CoinReturn:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=665833.0

I do not know whether the amount is sufficient to qualify for your list.

Apologies if you already considered it and rejected it. Perhaps ypu should place on Page 1 a list with the names (only the names) of the incidents that are on your queue, or that you already looked into and rejected; so that readers can avoid suggesting them over and over again.

Thanks, I've added this to the queue now. As I get through the backlog I'll make sure to keep a list of rejected incidents and post them somewhere.

[allthingsluxury]

I knew there was a lot, but wow this is staggering once you stop and look at it.

[JorgeStolfi]

A small one that does not directly involve BTC except as a getaway vehicle, but is notable as illustrating a weakness of PoS coins:

Exchanges Bittrex and Bter apparently were the scene of two nearly simultaneous attacks on Navajo (NAV), a PoS altcoin.  On Bittrex the attackers used a private mining network to double-spend almost 1 million NAV in the purchase of about 9 BTC, and withdrew the BTC:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=679791.msg7848188#msg7848188
Details on the Bter attack are not yet known:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=679791.msg7859494#msg7859494

[Timelord2067]

If I'm permitted, can you add CoinEx.PW scam site - claimed earlier in 2014 to have had coins 'stolen' went off line for a few hours, came back for a few weeks, an 818 BTC pump of Moon coin occurred (I watched most of it happen) (and to a lesser extent Infinate Coin) some weeks later the site went off line with messages in their bitcointalk forum that there was a problem - site was off line for a few weeks then came back without explanation/announcement.  Aspects of the site began to break down and after a few days it became apparent that neither of the two admins were online and some two months later, the site was taken down *however* some person's on the bitcointalk page claim to be still able to log into the coinex.pw site with (what appears to be a scam-within-a-scam) selling other alt coins for BTC out of the goodness of their hearts that they will somehow be able to recover the BTC from coinex.pw later is alluded to but no plausible explanation of how then can recover these funds.

If you read through early posts of "Captain Future" he at first ridicules coinex.pw then wants to become an admin, then he's left answering the questions when the other admin goes silent. ( @ erundook)

Regards,

[dree12]

If I'm permitted, can you add CoinEx.PW scam site - claimed earlier in 2014 to have had coins 'stolen' went off line for a few hours, came back for a few weeks, an 818 BTC pump of Moon coin occurred (I watched most of it happen) (and to a lesser extent Infinate Coin) some weeks later the site went off line with messages in their bitcointalk forum that there was a problem - site was off line for a few weeks then came back without explanation/announcement.  Aspects of the site began to break down and after a few days it became apparent that neither of the two admins were online and some two months later, the site was taken down *however* some person's on the bitcointalk page claim to be still able to log into the coinex.pw site with (what appears to be a scam-within-a-scam) selling other alt coins for BTC out of the goodness of their hearts that they will somehow be able to recover the BTC from coinex.pw later is alluded to but no plausible explanation of how then can recover these funds.

If you read through early posts of "Captain Future" he at first ridicules coinex.pw then wants to become an admin, then he's left answering the questions when the other admin goes silent. ( @ erundook)

Regards,

I'll hopefully finish the update today. Stay tuned.

[pandacoin]

You can add BitcoinLiveBets scammers, too. They ran after the World Cup final.

[dree12]

Approximately half the backlog is done, though this half has been mostly rejected on account of being too small. These updates will not go live until I finish the whole backlog (excluding Mt. Gox, which is still awaiting more information), as updating this topic, which requires editing several posts, is not yet automated and is (to some degree) very repetitive work.

Changes:

• Added GBL and CryptoRush
• New section containing recent incidents that have been judged to be outside the scope of this list on account of theft amount being too small.
• Update Silk Road 2 to include recent reports that users are being paid back.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the backlog!

(It is worth noting that the backlog is coincidentally ordered roughly from least severe to most, so the latter half will consist of more interesting incidents.)

[BowieMan]

Reading this list can really make you sick to the stomach. Or it can also show you how all the coins you've lost yourself are nothing compared to those really big heists. And even big names like "Klee" aren't safe from being scammed or robbed. A lot of well known Bitcoin people have also lost their money in the Gox fiasco!

[hdbuck]

very nice thread, appreciate the work thx. never forget.

ps: why the hell doesnt the 800k+ Gox lost coins are not #1 in the Top heist?

[dree12]

very nice thread, appreciate the work thx. never forget.

ps: why the hell doesnt the 800k+ Gox lost coins are not #1 in the Top heist?

Gox is a placeholder while I wait for more details to arise. They've been very hush-hush about it so far.

I have gone through some more of the backlog.

• Created a new policy clarifying which alleged scams can be considered scams, and which can be attributed to business failure, which is not in itself malicious. Business failure, however, can (and often does) lead to scams, so most business failures remain eligible for this list. A simple rule of thumb is, "If this happened outside the Bitcoin world, could I successfully file a lawsuit?" Note that a theft or hack overrides a scam, even if the failure to repay could be penalized with a successful lawsuit.
• Added notes on the inclusion of all scams in the list explaining why they are considered scams.
• Miscellaneous editing to the preface.

[mrcashking]

Wait until the nigerian scammers learn about bitcoin if they haven't already. Scams are gonna get even uglier on that front.

[dree12]

All this convices me that small exchanges will close down, unable to increase security. Even big ones will have their new "MtGox" once in a while.
People eed to be educated and coins stored without the need to rely on third parties.

I agree with you, as with the vast majority of Bitcoiners. But most leave one major point out, and this must be resolved before Bitcoin can be mainstream: If even a large exchange can't keep its coins safe, how can Joe Sixpack do it?

There are plenty of stories about "Power Users" losing their bitcoins to theft or to some accident. The average user will not be so lucky: we can hardly expect Grandma to make backups, choose a strong password, and keep her computer malware-free. This must be addressed.

[Spearmint]

was a great read thanks