MyEtherWallet Unauthorized Transaction boki019
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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, their ethereum was transfered, 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.[1][2][3][4]
About MyEtherWallet
"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[2].
"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 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
This sections is included if a case involved deception or information that was unknown at the time. Examples include:
- When the service was actually started (if different than the "official story").
- Who actually ran a service and their own personal history.
- How the service was structured behind the scenes. (For example, there was no "trading bot".)
- Details of what audits reported and how vulnerabilities were missed during auditing.
What Happened
boki019's Ethereum wallet was emptied without his involvement.
| 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 loading transaction[5]. |
| January 7th, 2017 8:45:50 AM MST | boki019 Wallet Second Transaction | Boki019 stocks an additional 99.99 ETH into their wallet[6]. |
| January 7th, 2017 8:48:32 AM MST | boki019 Wallet Final Transaction | Boki019 completed the transfer of a final 99.990398 ETH into their wallet[7]. |
| January 27th, 2017 9:56:09 AM MST | Theft Transaction On Ethereum Blockchain | The Ethereum is swept from Boki019's wallet in this transaction on the blockchain[8]. |
| February 28th, 2017 | boki019 Notices Funds Gone | boki019 logs in and notices their funds are missing. |
| March 7th, 2017 6:15:36 PM MST | Reddit Post | Incident posted in new thread on Reddit. |
| 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[8], which was widely approximated to 205 ETH.
The total amount lost has been estimated at $2,000 USD.[9]
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.
References
- ↑ Boki019 - DO NOT USE myetherwallet.com - Reddit (Accessed Oct 15, 2022)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 boki019 - "I have of course [got teamviewer installed on my computer]" - Reddit (Accessed Aug 18, 2023)
- ↑ boki019 - DO NOT USE myetherwallet.com - Reddit (Accessed Aug 18, 2023)
- ↑ Reported Theft Address - Etherscan (Accessed Aug 21, 2023)
- ↑ Transfer Of 5.29 ETH into Boki019's Wallet - Etherscan (Accessed Feb 10, 2025)
- ↑ Transfer Of 99.99 ETH into Boki019's Wallet - Etherscan (Accessed Feb 10, 2025)
- ↑ Transfer Of 99.990398 ETH into Boki019's Wallet - Etherscan (Accessed Feb 10, 2025)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Transfer of 205.269537 ETH From Boki019 To Alleged Thief (Accessed Feb 10, 2025)
- ↑ Ethereum History Market Data - CoinMarketCap (Accessed Dec 21, 2021)