It genuinely feels as if there is a new scam every other day in the crypto world, but the latest scam is one that most should be worried about. This time, scammers are pretending to be Ledger customer support and have set up a phone number. In fact, while this particular scam was active, Google displayed the phone number and made the scam even more realistic. Fortunately, this particular version of the scam has been taken down, but it’s likely that we will see copycat scammers pop up in the near future.
Offering “Support” via the Phone
Ledger isn’t renowned for having the fastest response time to tickets, and this forces many people to search the web for a phone number to call when things go wrong. Scammers took full advantage of this and created a website that had a number that claimed to be for Ledger telephone support. When you called, the scammers would say they can help as soon as you give them your seed phrase. However, as soon as they get their hands on your seed phrase, you can wave goodbye to your crypto. They will quickly restore your wallet onto their ledger device and end the call.
Ledger Suffering from Issues
Unfortunately for Ledger, its hardware wallets still have some major issues. The main one being that a number of wallet apps don’t work in Chrome. This has led to people seeking out customer support for a quick and easy fix – the perfect storm for scammers to steal some crypto. For now, users suffering with this issue are advised to use an alternative browser – not call the scam customer support line.
An Insight into the Scam World
It’s clever scams like this that are the most successful. These scammers were promising to fix issues that thousands of people suffered from, meaning they’re more likely to be successful. Hopefully, not too many people gave out their seed phrase, but you can’t rule out a number of desperate people looking for help. This is exactly how Australian scammers managed to scoop a staggering $4.3 million in 2018. As 2019 rolls on and we see more complex scams come out, we’re expecting to see that huge number increase – especially as a global figure.
For now, the website has been taken offline. However, we’re expecting copycats to spring up in the coming weeks. If you see a phone number for Ledger support, do yourself a favor and avoid it. Alternatively, for a bit of fun you can prank the scammers by giving out false seed phrases. If you decide to take on the scammers and have some fun, let us know what you did in the comments below!
