Fraudsters exploit dormant Bitcoin addresses to steal data
Scammers use fake legal claims and false transactions to target dormant Bitcoin wallets, urging owners to prove ownership or risk losing access.
Analysts at BitMEX Research have revealed a new scam aimed at early Bitcoin holders, particularly those with dormant wallets dating back to 2011. Attackers use Bitcoin’s OP_Return field to send false transactions and messages to deceive owners into sharing sensitive data.
One high-profile victim is the ‘1Feex’ wallet, known for holding around 80,000 BTC stolen from the Mt. Gox hack.
Scammers made a fake Salomon Brothers site claiming that wallets are abandoned unless owners prove ownership with signed messages or personal documents. The site bears no genuine link to the original financial firm or its former executives.
Crypto community members recommend a safer approach: moving a small amount of Bitcoin to demonstrate wallet activity instead of risking the full balance. BitMEX urges users to avoid interacting with fake sites or sharing personal data.
The scam exemplifies growing sophistication in crypto fraud, with losses exceeding $2.1 billion in just the first half of 2025.
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