MyEtherWallet Unauthorized Transaction boki019

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MyEtherWallet Logo/Homepage

Boki019 used MyEtherWallet (MEW) to create a wallet. They transferred 205 ETH to this wallet, stored files and passwords offline, and didn't log in for a month. Despite these precautions and no signs of hacking or phishing, a few weeks later, their ethereum was transferred, with no warnings or emails about withdrawals. They expressed frustration on Reddit about losing their mined ETH. The MyEtherWallet team responded a week before the post, stating that the OP had informed them about all their funds being transferred out. They suspected phishing and asked for the user's address and transaction details. They mentioned sending a standard phishing email for reference and assured the user they would investigate.

This is a global/international case not involving a specific country.

About MyEtherWallet

MyEtherWallet is

"We are NOT a web wallet. We do not store your funds. We do not transmit your sensitive information (like your password or private key). We do not collect your information. You do not have an account with us. We simply give you a way to interact with the blockchain via our UI. We have carefully built MyEtherWallet in order to be as secure and anonymous as possible"

About Boki019

Boki019 has TeamViewer installed on their computer.

"I never went in wallet for a month, so hacking/phishing is out of question. ( also i am under firewall and Kaspersky.... maybe not enough, but offline virtual machine that i start only when I need it , and for minute or two , i think is good enough) Only time i logged is when i created and transferred 205 ETH on Jan 7. 2017, and second and las[t] was on FEB 28. 2017. ETH was transferred on Jan 27. 2017. All can bee seen on blockchain...."

"I don't know if i forget something. This is my new account on Reddit, and i have to wait 30 days to post anything... :("

The Reality

Boki019's wallet setup clearly had a vulnerability which allowed

What Happened

boki019's Ethereum wallet was emptied without his involvement.

Key Event Timeline - MyEtherWallet Unauthorized Transaction boki019

Date	Event	Description
January 7th, 2017 8:42:48 AM MST	boki019 Wallet First Transaction	Boki019 stocks their wallet with an initial 5.29 ETH, the first transaction for their wallet.
January 7th, 2017 8:45:50 AM MST	boki019 Wallet Second Transaction	Boki019 stocks an additional 99.99 ETH into their wallet.
January 7th, 2017 8:48:32 AM MST	boki019 Wallet Final Transaction	Boki019 completed a final transfer of 99.990398 ETH into their wallet.
January 27th, 2017 9:56:09 AM MST	Theft Transaction On Ethereum Blockchain	The full balance of 205.269537 Ethereum is swept from Boki019's wallet in this transaction on the blockchain. Boki017 is reportedly "sleeping like a baby knowing [their] money is safe".
February 28th, 2017	boki019 Notices Funds Gone	boki019 reports that they "logged" in and noticed their funds to be missing at this time.
March 7th, 2017 6:15:36 PM MST	Reddit Post	Boki019 starts a new Reddit thread with details of the incident.
March 7th, 2017 7:08:50 PM MST	Response By MyEtherWallet	A MyEtherWallet developer responds on Reddit.

Technical Details

This section includes specific detailed technical analysis of any security breaches which happened. What specific software vulnerabilities contributed to the problem and how were they exploited?

"I recently created account on myetherwallet.com and transferred 205 ERH on freshly created wallet. as always, stored files and passwords in offline virtual machine and never used/logged"

Total Amount Lost

The amount transferred from Boki019's wallet is 205.269537 ETH, which was widely approximated to 205 ETH.

The total amount lost has been estimated at $2,000 USD.

Immediate Reactions

boki019 did not notice the issue for 30 days from when the funds were transferred.

"I was sleeping like a baby knowing my money is safe....o my God i was SOOOO wrong!!!!! There it goes my year of mining....."

"I got no warning, no email , nothing regarding withdrawing ETH from my account/wallet."

"never used/logged until few days ago, when i saw ballance ZERO."

Ultimate Outcome

"Please DONT use myetherwallet.com if You want Your money safe...."

MyEtherWallet Defends Themselves

"A week ago the OP emailed us saying all his funds were transferred out of his account. I told him to send me his address and TXs so I could look and add it to my list of accounts that have received stolen funds. I told him that this usually happens due to the user accessing a fake MyEtherWallet site. Aka phishing. I told him that my standard phishing email was included in the email because it has some good recommendations, but to send me his address anyways so I can check into it."

Total Amount Recovered

There do not appear to have been any funds recovered in this case.

What funds were recovered? What funds were reimbursed for those affected users?

Ongoing Developments

What parts of this case are still remaining to be concluded?

Individual Prevention Policies

No specific policies for individual prevention have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as an individual, check our Prevention Policies for Individuals guide.

Platform Prevention Policies

Policies for platforms to take to prevent this situation have not yet been selected in this case.

For the full list of how to protect your funds as a financial service, check our Prevention Policies for Platforms guide.

Regulatory Prevention Policies

No specific regulatory policies have yet been identified in this case.

For the full list of regulatory policies that can prevent loss, check our Prevention Policies for Regulators guide.