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Do not use the device yet. Never enter a recovery phrase or PIN supplied by a seller, printed in the box, or requested by an app, phone, computer, or website. A Ledger device should generate a new recovery phrase during your own setup. If the package appears opened, the device arrives initialized, or any recovery words were supplied, preserve everything and contact Ledger Support with the reseller details. If you decide to continue, install Ledger Wallet only from Ledger’s official website or the official iOS or Android app store, then run Genuine Check before moving any funds.
First, put the device in a safe state
An unauthorized marketplace seller does not automatically mean the device is counterfeit or compromised. It does mean you cannot rely on the listing, packaging, or seller alone to establish the device’s history. Treat the purchase as untrusted until you complete the checks below.
- Do not enter, photograph for anyone, type, or otherwise use a recovery phrase that arrived with the wallet.
- Do not use a PIN that was supplied or already configured by the seller.
- Do not scan a seller-provided QR code or install wallet software from a seller link, email, USB drive, or third-party app store.
- Do not connect the device to move funds until you have decided how to document it and whether to contact Ledger Support.
- Keep the device, box, inserts, shipping materials, receipt, and marketplace messages together.
A legitimate setup creates the recovery phrase on the hardware device for you to write down. The phrase is the secret that can control the wallet’s private keys. Anyone who already knows it can potentially take the associated assets, so never send it to the seller, support, a marketplace representative, or anyone claiming to help.
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Check what state the package and wallet are in
Use the physical condition and the device’s initialization state to decide what to do next. These observations are evidence for a support or marketplace case, not proof by themselves that a device is genuine or safe.
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| What you find | What it means for your next step |
|---|---|
| Seals, packaging, or internal materials look opened, replaced, or altered | Do not use the device. Photograph the condition, preserve the packaging, and contact Ledger Support with the reseller information. |
| A PIN or recovery words are already present | Do not use the wallet as configured. A device should not arrive initialized. Stop and contact Ledger Support. |
| The device is uninitialized and no phrase or PIN was supplied | You may choose to verify it with official Ledger Wallet software and Genuine Check before any funds are transferred. |
| You entered a supplied phrase into software or disclosed it to anyone | Treat the phrase as compromised. Do not fund that wallet; follow asset- and network-specific guidance to protect assets already associated with it. |
| Genuine Check fails | Stop using the device. Do not attempt to “fix” it with software, a seller’s instructions, or a replacement phrase. |
Take clear photographs before changing anything. Include the listing page, the actual seller name shown on the order, the receipt, serial or identifying information visible on the packaging, and any prewritten words or PIN. This documentation helps Ledger and the marketplace understand what you received. It does not guarantee a refund or a particular remedy.
If the wallet came with a recovery phrase or PIN
Do not initialize the device with the supplied information and do not test whether the words “work.” A seller who knows a phrase can know the private keys derived from it. A seller who knows a PIN may be able to access a device that remains configured with that PIN. In either case, using the wallet as delivered can expose assets.
Ledger’s second-hand-device warnings and purchasing guidance direct customers with an initialized, opened, or tampered device to contact Ledger Support and provide reseller information. Keep the device and its packaging available while support or the marketplace tells you what to do. Do not reset it merely to make the screen look new before documenting the condition; a reset does not make a seller-known phrase safe.
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Contact Ledger Support and preserve your evidence
Support should receive the facts needed to identify the transaction without receiving secrets. Prepare this information:
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- The marketplace or shop name and the exact seller identity shown on your order.
- Order number, purchase date, region, receipt, and the product model.
- Photographs of the outer box, seals, inserts, device screen, and any signs of opening or replacement.
- A description of whether a PIN or recovery phrase was present and where it appeared. Do not include the words themselves.
- The date and time you first connected the device, if you already did so, and what software source you used.
Use Ledger’s official support channel rather than a phone number, QR code, or web address supplied by the seller. Support should not need your recovery words or PIN. If a person claiming to be support asks for them, stop the conversation and use the official channel you opened yourself.
You can also report the transaction to the marketplace using its own order interface. Describe the condition accurately and attach evidence as requested. Refund eligibility, return windows, and consumer protections vary by seller, location, payment method, and marketplace policy; none is guaranteed by a successful or failed device check.
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Proceed only when the device is uninitialized, no seller supplied a phrase or PIN, and you are willing to accept that an unauthorized supply chain still carries uncertainty. Use this sequence:
- Obtain the software from an official source. Download Ledger Wallet from Ledger’s official website or install it from the official iOS or Android app store. Do not follow a seller’s download link or scan a seller’s setup QR code.
- Connect the hardware device and follow the application’s setup flow. The device should guide you through creating a new wallet and displaying a new recovery phrase. Write the words down as instructed; do not store them in a photo, notes app, cloud drive, email, or password manager.
- Confirm that the phrase was generated during your setup. If the device displays words you did not generate, asks you to use words supplied in the box, or behaves as though it has already been configured, stop and contact Ledger Support.
- Run Genuine Check in the official Ledger Wallet application. Complete the check before receiving or sending funds. The application challenges the device and reports whether the cryptographic verification succeeds.
- Stop if the check fails or the software behaves unexpectedly. Do not install a different application suggested by the seller, repeat the process with a seller-provided phrase, or transfer a small “test” amount. Preserve the evidence and seek support.
- Only after the checks pass, decide whether to use the device. Passing the check is an important safeguard, but it does not erase the uncertainty created by an unauthorized seller or prove that the hardware was never opened.
During setup, the recovery phrase belongs only to you. A genuine hardware-wallet workflow should not require you to type it into a computer, phone, application, or website. Enter it only on the hardware device when the legitimate device workflow explicitly requires that action.
What Genuine Check proves—and what it cannot prove
Ledger describes Genuine Check as a cryptographic exchange. Ledger Wallet challenges the device’s Secure Element, and the device returns a response that is checked against Ledger’s servers. A successful result supports the conclusion that the device contains a genuine Secure Element and is intended to detect counterfeit devices.
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That result is not a complete chain-of-custody certificate. Ledger Donjon states: “Note that a Genuine check cannot detect unauthorized physical modifications to the hardware, such as spying implants, if the original Secure Element remains intact.” In practical terms, a device can pass the cryptographic check while its earlier physical handling remains unknown. Packaging appearance, seller reputation, and a passing check each provide information, but none alone proves that the device was never opened or modified.
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- Pass: the Secure Element authenticity check succeeded. You still need to decide whether the seller and physical history are trustworthy enough for your risk tolerance.
- Fail: stop using the device and do not move funds to it. Contact Ledger Support and the marketplace with your documentation.
- No check available or an unofficial app requests a phrase: stop. Do not substitute an unverified tool or disclose the phrase.
If you already entered the recovery phrase somewhere
A recovery phrase typed into an app, website, phone, or computer should be treated as compromised. The same applies if you sent it in a message, showed it to a seller, or stored it where another person or service could access it. Do not assume that changing the device PIN, deleting the application, or resetting the hardware removes the exposure; the phrase itself can continue to derive the same wallet keys.
The exact protective action depends on the assets, networks, wallet software, and transaction capabilities involved. There is no single migration procedure that is safe for every combination. Avoid publishing or following a generic “send everything here” recipe without checking current official guidance for each network and wallet. If funds are present, prioritize obtaining trustworthy, network-specific instructions and watch for unauthorized transactions. Never disclose the phrase while seeking help.
If no funds were ever associated with the exposed phrase, create a new wallet on a trusted, properly verified device and use only the newly generated phrase. If funds are associated with it, treat the situation as urgent and make decisions based on the affected networks’ current recovery and transfer rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Decide whether to keep using, return, or replace the device
There are two defensible practical paths: stop and seek support or a replacement, or proceed only after an uninitialized device passes the official checks. The right choice depends on the facts and on how much residual supply-chain uncertainty you are willing to accept.
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| Condition | More cautious action | If you consider proceeding |
|---|---|---|
| Opened or altered package | Stop, document it, and contact Ledger Support; request marketplace instructions without using the device. | Do not treat a later Genuine Check as proof that the physical history is clean. |
| Preconfigured PIN or recovery phrase | Do not use it. Contact support and arrange a return or replacement through the applicable process. | Do not continue with the supplied credentials, even after a reset. |
| Uninitialized device, official software, Genuine Check passes | Replace it if the seller or chain of custody still makes you uncomfortable. | Set up a new phrase on the device and keep the phrase secret; understand that the check has limits. |
| Genuine Check fails | Stop immediately and seek support or replacement. | There is no safe reason to fund or rely on the device while the failure is unresolved. |
| Phrase disclosed to software or another person | Treat the wallet as compromised and follow current, asset-specific protective guidance. | Do not fund the exposed wallet or reuse its phrase. |
Continuing to use a device from an unauthorized seller is therefore a risk decision, not a certification that the purchase was safe. If the amount you plan to protect is significant, replacing a questionable device through Ledger or an authorized reseller can remove one source of uncertainty. Verify the actual seller, not merely the product page, and repeat the official setup and Genuine Check process on the replacement.
How to avoid the same problem on a future purchase
- Check who is actually selling the item; a marketplace product page can contain offers from multiple sellers.
- Prefer Ledger or a reseller that Ledger currently identifies as authorized for your region. Authorization can change, so check the current listing rather than relying on an old screenshot or a seller’s claim.
- Reject any device that arrives initialized, includes a recovery phrase, or asks you to use a preselected PIN.
- Install Ledger Wallet only through Ledger’s official website or the official mobile app stores.
- Run Genuine Check before transferring assets, while remembering that it addresses Secure Element authenticity and counterfeit risk—not every possible physical modification.
- Keep the recovery phrase offline and secret. No legitimate support interaction requires you to reveal it.
Questions people commonly ask
Is a Ledger bought from a marketplace automatically unsafe?
No. An unauthorized seller creates uncertainty and risk, but it does not establish that every device is counterfeit or compromised. Verify the seller, inspect the condition, complete official setup, and run Genuine Check before considering use.
Can I use the recovery phrase that came in the box?
No. A phrase supplied by a seller is not yours to trust. Do not enter it anywhere; contact Ledger Support if the device arrived with one.
Does a passing Genuine Check prove the wallet was never tampered with?
No. It supports the authenticity of the Secure Element. Ledger’s own threat-model warning says it cannot detect certain unauthorized physical modifications when the original Secure Element remains intact.
Should I send my phrase to support so they can check it?
Never. Describe the problem without reproducing the words. Anyone who obtains the phrase may be able to control the associated assets.
What if I already typed the phrase into an app?
Assume it is compromised. Do not fund that wallet, and obtain current, asset- and network-specific instructions for protecting any assets already associated with it.
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