Trezor Counterfeit Hardware Wallets

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Trezor

In November 2018, fake Trezor hardware wallets were found being produced by an unknown manufacturer. The wallet devices don't appear to be malicious, but rather cheap knock-offs. However, it would not take much effort for a scammer to convert the wallets into malicious versions which generate a predictable private key.

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

About Trezor

"Last year, Trezor issued a warning to users after fraudsters began to make counterfeit versions of its hardware wallets."

"On Nov. 19, the company issued an official warning to users which reported that an almost identical copy of Trezor One was spotted in the market."

"In recent weeks we have discovered a non-genuine Trezor One devices which try to imitate the original to the bone."

"We have experienced it first-hand, as Trezor clones have been released over the years of our activity. However, in recent weeks, we have discovered something more startling. A one-to-one copy of Trezor One. In other words, a fake Trezor device, manufactured by a different, unknown vendor."

"Similarly to clothing fakes, a fake Trezor One is often sold at a steep discount. This should act as the first red flag. Others will be described below."

"As soon as we learned about the existence of Trezor fakes, we have started to fervently pursue a number of legal and other steps to prevent those fakes from being produced and distributed, in order to protect you, our customers."

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

The background of the exchange platform, service, or individuals involved, as it would have been seen or understood at the time of the events.

Include:

Known history of when and how the service was started.
What problems does the company or service claim to solve?
What marketing materials were used by the firm or business?
Audits performed, and excerpts that may have been included.
Business registration documents shown (fake or legitimate).
How were people recruited to participate?
Public warnings and announcements prior to the event.

Don't Include:

Any wording which directly states or implies that the business is/was illegitimate, or that a vulnerability existed.
Anything that wasn't reasonably knowable at the time of the event.

There could be more than one section here. If the same platform is involved with multiple incidents, then it can be linked to a main article page.

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

The specific events of the loss and how it came about. What actually happened to cause the loss and some of the events leading up to it.

Key Event Timeline - Trezor Counterfeit Hardware Wallets
Date	Event	Description
November 19th, 2018 9:06:00 AM	First Event	This is an expanded description of what happened and the impact. If multiple lines are necessary, add them here.

Total Amount Lost

The total amount lost is unknown.

How much was lost and how was it calculated? If there are conflicting reports, which are accurate and where does the discrepancy lie?

Immediate Reactions

How did the various parties involved (firm, platform, management, and/or affected individual(s)) deal with the events? Were services shut down? Were announcements made? Were groups formed?

Ultimate Outcome

What was the end result? Was any investigation done? Were any individuals prosecuted? Was there a lawsuit? Was any tracing done?

Total Amount Recovered

It is unknown how much was recovered.

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?

Prevention Policies

Users should always check any wallet they receive against official sources. Check for news and updates on the official website or contact them if you are uncertain.