State police recover over $40,000 for victim of cryptocurrency theft
Conn. (WFSB) – State police recovered $42,129 of stolen cryptocurrency for a victim in Norwich.
State police say they were contacted by the Norwich Police Department regarding a substantial cryptocurrency theft back in March.
The victim reported that approximately $159,712.26 worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum had been illegally removed from their cold storage wallet, known as a “wallet drainer”.
“Detectives traced the stolen cryptocurrencies to two compliant exchanges where promptly issued freeze requests were sent and search warrants from the New London Superior Court for the seizure of the assets were granted,” state police said.
Following the investigation, officers were able to recover 0.28993293 Bitcoin (BTC) and $24,051.40 to the victim, with a total estimated value of $42,129.95.
State police provided safety tips for residents that hold/store cryptocurrency.
· Use Two-factory Authentication (2FA) when allowed.
· When using cold storage devices (hardware wallets) keep your private keys safe and do not share with anyone.
· Create strong, unique passwords for your account(s).
· Beware of Phishing or Smishing attempts, double-checking URLs and email addresses. Never click on suspicious links or download attachments from unknown sources.
· Keep software updated.
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