Singapore Police Warn of Tampered Ledger Crypto Wallets Sold in Retail Stores After S$3.5 Million Losses

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has warned the public about tampered Ledger cryptocurrency hardware wallets after at least two cases since 10 September 2026, with total losses of about S$3.5 million.

Preliminary investigations found that Ledger hardware wallets bought from some retail stores in Singapore contained malicious hardware components.

The components could capture users' recovery phrases or private keys, letting unauthorised persons access the wallets and move assets without the owners' knowledge.

SPF said it is in contact with Ledger, which is reviewing the affected cases.

Investigations are ongoing.

The advisory, issued on 28 October 2026, did not name the retail stores involved.

What users should do

• Follow official advisories from your hardware wallet provider for current guidance.
• Stop using any device suspected of tampering. Do not enter recovery phrases or make transactions on it, and contact the provider through official support channels.
• If a recovery phrase or private key may be compromised, move remaining assets to a new, trusted wallet with a newly generated recovery phrase, using an uncompromised device.
• Never share private keys, recovery or seed phrases with anyone, including people claiming to represent wallet providers, exchanges or law enforcement. Treat unsolicited offers of wallet verification or recovery as suspicious.

Why it matters

Hardware wallets are sold as the safest way to hold cryptocurrency because keys stay offline.

A device compromised before it reaches the buyer defeats that protection entirely.

Buying only from the manufacturer or its authorised resellers, and checking that a new device does not arrive with a pre-filled recovery phrase, remains the basic defence.

Information can be given to the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.

The ScamShield Helpline is 1799.