Task-scam operator loses $4.8 million in bitcoin

A suspected task-scam operator lost more than 60 bitcoin, worth about $4.8 million, after thieves drained three Ledger wallet addresses, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The funds, which Chainalysis linked to the scam, were transferred into the addresses before being moved to a single wallet in October. Chainalysis said the operator transferred the bitcoin to three Ledger addresses on September 22. On October 9, thieves emptied all three in separate transfers that converged on one wallet. Each address lost about $1.64 million, according to Chainalysis’ transaction tracing. The suspected task scam involved paying people to post fake sales and reviews for real products, Chainalysis said. Participants were then shown a negative balance and told to deposit their own money to unlock supposed earnings. The bitcoin stolen from the operator was identified as proceeds from that scheme. The theft occurred amid an investigation into tampered Ledger hardware wallets. Ledger’s Donjon security team said it found an implant in devices sold through Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis. The implant could read recovery phrases during device setup and transmit them over LTE,...