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A suspicious message does not prove your Ledger wallet was compromised. The most useful checks are whether anyone could have obtained your Secret Recovery Phrase and whether the relevant blockchain shows a transaction you did not authorize. If your phrase may have been exposed, treat it as compromised and move assets to accounts protected by a different phrase.
First, stop the possible attack
- Never share your 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase or enter it into a website, app, computer, or message. Ledger says its staff will never ask for it and that the words should be entered only directly on the Ledger device. See Ledger’s phishing guidance.
- Do not approve a transaction on the device unless you initiated it and the details shown on the device match what you intend to do.
- Do not use links, phone numbers, or contact details in a suspicious message. Reach official support independently.
- If an app claims there is an error and asks you to enter your 24 words, stop using it. Ledger identifies ledger.com as its official app-download source.
An unsolicited email, text, call, fake support contact, or airdropped token can be a phishing attempt or lure. On its own, it does not show that someone obtained your phrase or moved your funds.
Work out what may have happened
If you entered or shared the phrase
If you typed the phrase into a site, app, or computer, sent it to someone, or captured or shared it in another way, assume it may be exposed. If you cannot tell whether it was disclosed, take the same precaution. A phrase can be copied without leaving an obvious sign, so there is no universal check that can prove it was never seen.
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Review what the device displayed and check the resulting transaction on the relevant blockchain. An approval can authorize an action even if a suspicious app or message prompted it. Ledger advises rejecting any transaction you did not initiate.
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- Effortlessly build your crypto portfolio via the all in one Ledger Wallet app: buy, sell, send, receive, swap, stake and more across popular blockchains. 15,000+ coins & tokens in a single dashboard. Keep a close eye on the market. Compare service providers. Track performance. Get timely alerts. Build your portfolio with confidence.
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If you only received a suspicious message or token
Receiving a message or seeing an unsolicited token does not, by itself, establish that your wallet is compromised. Do not interact with suspicious tokens or follow instructions from fake support accounts; check your account activity instead.
If Recovery Check failed
A failed Recovery Check is not proof that funds were compromised. Ledger says the failure does not lock accounts, reset the device, or compromise coins. It may indicate an entry mistake or a backup problem; see Ledger’s Recovery Check guidance for careful next steps.
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Check transactions on the relevant blockchain
- Identify the exact network and account. Make sure you are checking the account and address associated with the asset, on the correct network.
- Review the account’s transaction history. Look for outgoing transactions or other activity you did not initiate, and note the transaction status.
- Cross-check the address and transaction in an explorer for that network. Ledger Wallet history can omit some transaction types on some networks. For Polkadot, Ledger’s support guidance recommends checking Subscan or another appropriate chain source when history is missing: Ledger’s Polkadot transaction-history guidance.
- Compare the chain record with the app. An unexplained confirmed outgoing transaction on-chain is more significant than a missing entry in the app. A gap in app history alone can reflect display or indexing issues; confirm the address and transaction status before drawing a conclusion.
Ledger also advises checking transaction details and addresses on the hardware device before approving them. For its verification guidance, see Verify transaction details.
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| What you found | What it establishes | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You received an unsolicited message, call, or token, but did not disclose your phrase or approve a transaction | Evidence of an attempted lure, not by itself evidence of wallet compromise | Stop contact, avoid interacting with the lure, and review account activity. |
| Your phrase was entered, shared, photographed, or may have been exposed | The phrase should be treated as exposed; a clean-looking history cannot show that nobody copied it | Move remaining assets to accounts controlled by a different phrase, then retire the exposed phrase. |
| An outgoing transaction you did not initiate is confirmed on the correct chain | Material evidence of unauthorized activity on that account | Protect any remaining assets promptly; if phrase exposure is possible, follow the exposed-phrase steps below. |
| Ledger Wallet shows no unfamiliar entry, but the chain explorer shows one | The app display alone is not a reliable all-clear | Confirm the account, network, transaction, and status in the appropriate explorer. |
| The app history is missing an entry, but no corresponding suspicious chain activity is confirmed | A history gap alone does not prove theft | Verify the network and address and check an appropriate chain source; some transaction types may not appear in app history. |
| Recovery Check fails, with no unauthorized activity identified | A failed check alone does not establish that funds are compromised | Check spelling, word order, phrase length, and the BIP39 word list; follow Ledger’s recovery guidance if it continues to fail. |
If your recovery phrase may be exposed, move funds to a different phrase
A device reset or replacement does not make a copied phrase safe. The security change is moving assets to accounts derived from a genuinely different recovery phrase and no longer using the exposed phrase to protect funds. Ledger’s instructions for changing a recovery phrase and creating new accounts describe this process.
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- This is what security feels like: Ledger touchscreen signers all come with a private, offline, PIN-protected backup, Ledger Recovery Key, to never lose access to your assets.
- Prepare accounts controlled by a different phrase. Use accounts you control that are derived from another recovery phrase. Do not send assets to an account still protected by the phrase you suspect was exposed.
- Move the assets while you still have access. Ledger advises moving tokens first and then native assets such as ETH or BNB as needed to cover network fees. Confirm every recipient address and transaction detail on the device.
- After assets are secured, reset and set up the device as new. Generate a new phrase and create new accounts. Do not reset first if doing so would remove your access to accounts whose assets have not been moved.
- Retire the exposed phrase. Do not rely on it to protect funds, even if no unauthorized transaction has appeared.
If the network or assets make a transfer unclear, use Ledger’s official instructions and contact official support through a channel you reached independently.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If Recovery Check keeps failing
First check the phrase length, spelling, word order, and that each word is on the BIP39 list. Retry carefully, but never send the words to support or publish them. If the check still fails and the backup may be incorrect, Ledger recommends moving crypto to safe accounts first, deleting emptied accounts, resetting the device, creating a new phrase and accounts, and then moving assets back. Keep the old phrase backup if accounts remain that have not yet been moved; a failed check does not itself mean those assets are compromised.
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How to interpret the December 2023 Connect Kit incident
Ledger’s support page about the December 14, 2023 Ledger Connect Kit exploit says malicious code affected some decentralized applications and that the incident did not affect Ledger hardware or Ledger Wallet integrity. That statement is limited to the named incident: it cannot establish whether an individual approved a malicious transaction or separately exposed a recovery phrase. Check the relevant app and on-chain activity for your own case. See Ledger’s Connect Kit incident guidance.
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