South Korea’s National Tax Service accidentally published a photo showing the handwritten mnemonic recovery phrase for a seized Ledger cold wallet, allowing an attacker to transfer roughly 4 million Pre‑Retogeum (PRTG) tokens—about $4.4–4.8 million—out of the confiscated account. The press release was removed, it’s unclear whether the funds have been recovered, and the case underscores that anyone with a seed phrase can recreate a wallet and take its assets. #NationalTaxService #Ledger #PRTG
Keypoints
- The NTS released photos of a seized Ledger device that included a handwritten mnemonic recovery phrase.
- An attacker used the exposed seed to transfer about 4 million PRTG tokens (~$4.8M) from the confiscated wallet.
- The Ledger was seized during raids on 124 high‑value tax evaders, totaling 8.1 billion won in digital assets.
- Experts criticized the authorities’ mistake as a basic lack of understanding of virtual assets that cost the national treasury.
- Users should never digitize seed phrases and must move funds immediately if a seed is exposed.