Fake Police Calls and Ledger Emails Used to Steal Crypto Wallet Recovery Phrases

Crypto holders are being targeted by scammers posing as police officers and Ledger support staff. The callers claim that victims’ personal or wallet information surfaced during a criminal investigation and that their crypto accounts may be at risk.

To make the calls appear legitimate, scammers reportedly use real automated emails from Ledger’s support system. They then create a sense of urgency to trick victims into revealing their 24-word recovery phrases or entering them on fake websites.

Fake Police Calls Set Up an Alleged Wallet Emergency

Multiple Reddit users in the r/CryptoScams and r/ledgerwallet subreddits have reported similar calls. The caller says that they are a detective and that passports, ID, passwords, or crypto recovery information were discovered as a result of an investigation. They may ask about recent travel or crypto use before saying they need a specialist to check whether the wallet is compromised.

One caller said that the caller ID on his phone seemed to be a police station. The individual contacted the station independently and was informed by the station that the officer named did not exist. Others reportedly received a second call from an individual pretending to be from Ledger. The posts are anecdotal, but the pattern is something to be aware of.

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A Real Ledger Email Is Still Involved in the Scam

Scammers reportedly exploit Ledger’s genuine support ticketing system to make their calls appear legitimate. They open a support ticket using the victim’s email address, triggering an automated response from Ledger’s official system. The caller then uses this authentic email to convince the victim that the contact is genuine, even though the person on the phone may have no connection to Ledger.

Ledger says it does not offer support by phone. As Ledger promised not to call customers or ask for their 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase, impersonators reportedly direct victims to lookalike diagnostic or recovery pages. On those pages, the phrase may be asked for to validate ownership – anyone who has those words can potentially empty the wallets built upon them.

How to Spot the Warning Signs and Stay Safe

Treat an unsolicited call about a police investigation, an exposed wallet, or an urgent security check with suspicion. It may appear genuine through the use of identity (caller ID, badge numbers, case references) or automated email. Do not click on a link from a caller or forward to a “support” agent.

Hang up and verify the police statement on a different device using the official police website. If you need to contact Ledger, use only the support channels listed on its official website. Report suspected Ledger impersonation attempts to [email protected].

Never share your recovery phrase or type it into a website, computer, or phone. Reject any transaction you did not initiate on the hardware device. If you already entered the phrase, treat the wallet as compromised: create a new wallet with a new phrase on a trusted, clean device and move remaining funds as soon as safely possible. A convincing story or authentic email does not make an unsolicited call safe.

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