Last night I stared at the computer until three in the morning, the phone screen lit up and then went dark—it's A Feng. He sent a string of garbled text, and ended with: 'Sister, do I deserve this?'
I stared at that sentence, my heart felt like it was being pricked by needles.
In this circle, I have seen too many people reset to zero in one night: some were scammed by hackers, some fell into the trap of meme coins, but the most suffocating is people like A Feng—without any strange links, without leaking passwords, just because they asked family to help transfer a sum, 30000000000USDT instantly evaporated.
1. How did 30000000000USDT disappear in an instant? The truth is simpler than you think.
Before A-Feng went on a business trip, fearing he would miss the cryptocurrency withdrawal deadline, he handwritten the wallet mnemonic on a piece of paper, took a photo, and sent it to the family group, asking his wife to log in and operate. He thought, 'It's just sent to family, not outsiders.'
And the result? He landed, powered on, and the balance showed 0. After the police investigation, they sighed: 'Family operations do not count as theft, so no case can be established.' His wife collapsed in tears: 'I just input the mnemonic while looking at the photo; I didn’t even click to transfer!'
But the truth is: his wife's old phone was connected to a WiFi network that hadn't changed its password in two years and had a certain 'financial calculator' plugin installed. The hacker had already monitored the clipboard through the plugin; once the mnemonic was input, it was uploaded. The moment his wife logged into the wallet, the assets were automatically transferred by a script, leaving no transaction record.
This kind of tragedy is not an isolated case. In Wenzhou, a senior player was tricked into downloading a fake app by someone impersonating a wallet promoter, and their assets were cleared within half an hour of depositing.
In Zhengzhou, someone was hacked and had their private key stolen due to a website vulnerability, with 4 million virtual currencies vanishing without a trace.
Hackers always target the segments where you're least guarded.
2. 90% of theft cases step on these three 'invisible landmines.'
I handle dozens of theft cases every year and find that 90% of the victims fall into the same trap:
Mnemonic phrases die in 'convenience.'
The mnemonic phrase is the highest authority of the wallet, but how many people, in order to save trouble, take photos to store on their phones, send via WeChat, or even write it down in a memo? In the Wenzhou case, hackers directly stole mnemonic phrases by forging wallet QR codes.
There are also users who have been stolen due to storing mnemonic phrases in the cloud.
Once the mnemonic touches the internet, it's like sliding the safe key into the door gap.
Devices have become the 'hacker's garden.'
Old phones not cleaned, casually connecting to public WiFi, and randomly installing unfamiliar plugins—these are all hacker breakthroughs. The plugin used on A-Feng's wife's phone was actually malware; and the theft of $14 billion from Bybit exchange also stemmed from internal personnel being phished and authorized forged.
The security of your device is the first line of defense for your assets.
Family members not understanding the rules turns operations into vulnerabilities.
Letting family members who are unfamiliar with blockchain operate the wallet is like letting someone who can't drive go on the highway. The police emphasize that many cases cannot be filed due to 'family operations.'
Not understanding the rules, a single click can make your assets vanish.
3. Three life-saving rules: engraved in the bones, no one can steal them.
As a female analyst with ten years of experience, my own assets have never been lost to hackers. Not because my technology is so advanced, but because of an obsessive safety habit:
Mnemonic phrase: always handwritten, offline, and stored separately.
I use a metal mnemonic board for recording, with it stored in a bank safe and at my parents' house. I will never take photos or send it. Even my husband doesn’t know the complete combination. This is the bottom line and a survival rule.
Wallet devices: dedicated phone + network isolation.
I have a 'wallet dedicated machine': no social apps installed, no connection to public WiFi, and after restoring factory settings, only the official wallet is installed. I turn on the hotspot when trading and disconnect immediately after use. Network isolation is the core of phishing prevention.
Family operation: video monitoring + address verification
If I must ask family for help, I will definitely make a video call and keep an eye on the screen the entire time. Before transferring, I will force them to verify the last four digits of the address, and if there’s a mismatch, I will terminate the operation. It’s better to be troubled than to take chances.
4. In the face of risk, the only thing that can save you is 'obsession.'
Some say the risk in the crypto world is the rise and fall, but I have seen too many people not defeated by the market, but by details:
The hacker's server clears logs every 72 hours, and by the time you discover it, the evidence has disappeared.
Mnemonic phrases stored in the cloud, plugins in old phones, family members clicking carelessly... each one is an invisible bomb.
I often tell team members: 'In this circle, the more obsession you have, the more security your assets will have.'
After A-Feng's incident, I held a safety training for the whole family overnight: teaching children to recognize phishing links and helping parents clean up phone plugins. Real risk prevention is not about piling up technology but making everyone who comes into contact with the assets respect the rules from the bottom of their hearts.
If you only do one thing tonight:
Go check if the mnemonic is handwritten? Are there any unfamiliar plugins on the phone? Do family members know that digital assets are real money?
Surviving in the crypto world has never relied on accurately guessing price fluctuations, but rather on extreme vigilance against risks—your obsession is your best risk control. Follow A-Ke to learn more firsthand information and precise points on cryptocurrency knowledge, becoming your navigation in the crypto world; learning is your greatest wealth!#加密市场反弹 #美联储降息 $ETH
