By Reynand Wu 
Analysts at BitMEX Research have issued an urgent warning to the cryptocurrency community regarding a sophisticated new scam campaign targeting early Bitcoin holders, specifically focusing on dormant wallets dating back to 2011.
According to the blockchain intelligence and research firm, the perpetrators of this scheme are attempting to exploit long-dormant cryptocurrency addresses by injecting false transactions and misleading messages directly into the blockchain. These fraudulent communications are delivered using OP_Return outputs, which are an optional field within Bitcoin transactions capable of carrying arbitrary data. By utilizing this feature, attackers can append readable text directly to a transaction hash, ensuring that anyone inspecting the historical ledger or monitoring these specific addresses encounters their deceptive notices.
In one prominent and well-documented case uncovered by researchers, the scammers set their sights on the infamous "1Feex" wallet. This high-profile address holds approximately 80,000 Bitcoins that are widely believed to have been stolen during the massive security breach of the Mt. Gox exchange over a decade ago. Given the sheer size of the balance and the historical significance of the wallet, it frequently attracts public attention, making it a prime psychological target for bad actors looking to deceive observers or trick individuals associated with the address’s history.
The attackers crafted a specific message within the blockchain data that directs unsuspecting individuals to a fraudulent website. This malicious web portal is carefully designed to impersonate Salomon Brothers, the prominent Wall Street firm that ceased traditional operations years ago.
Fake Legal Claims and Impersonation Tactics
Upon visiting the fraudulent website, targets are met with an official-looking legal notice claiming that the targeted wallet is legally considered "lost or abandoned." The site then prompts supposed owners or claimants to prove their ownership by following instructions that require them to sign an on-chain message using their private key or by submitting sensitive personal documentation through an online contact form. To create a false sense of urgency, the notice imposes a strict deadline, warning that if no valid claim or response is received by October 5, the wallet will be permanently deemed legally abandoned under the fabricated legal framework.
BitMEX Research thoroughly investigated the claims made on the website and quickly discovered that the platform has no credible connection to the real Salomon Brothers or its former leadership team. While the fraudulent site attempts to build legitimacy by displaying a list of real individuals who genuinely worked at the prestigious investment firm during the 1980s, none of these former employees appear to have any actual association with the newly formed and spurious entity operating the scam.
Security analysts have drawn parallels between this current campaign and earlier, controversial maneuvers involving figures such as Calvin Ayre, who previously funded legal actions and public disputes surrounding the exact same Bitcoin address. However, unlike previous high-profile legal battles over the funds, this new effort relies entirely on deception, impersonation, and psychological pressure.
BitMEX Research detailed the disconnect between the website’s claims and reality in a public statement, noting that the links claimed by the company are entirely fabricated. The firm highlighted the presence of the advisory board page featuring genuine historical figures from Wall Street, emphasizing that these individuals have no ties whatsoever to the spurious entity behind the website.
Community Response and Social Engineering Risks
As news of the campaign spread across social media and developer forums, cryptocurrency community members quickly weighed in to analyze the mechanics of the attack. Many observers pointed out that a legitimate wallet owner wishing to prove activity or control over an address would simply need to move a minuscule amount of Bitcoin to verify their keys, rather than submitting extensive personal documentation or interacting with a suspicious web form.
This glaring operational flaw has led many analysts and security researchers to suspect that the campaign is not actually designed to recover lost funds for rightful owners, but rather serves as part of a broader social engineering effort. Security experts believe the ultimate goal of the fraudsters is to harvest sensitive personal information, credentials, or private keys under the guise of a formal legal proceeding.
In light of these findings, BitMEX Research and other cybersecurity experts have strongly emphasized that users, researchers, and asset holders should completely avoid interacting with the contact form, refrain from clicking the malicious links, and refuse to provide any personal details or cryptographic signatures.
The emergence of these creative yet deceptive scams underscores the escalating complexity and frequency of crypto-related fraud in the digital asset ecosystem. According to industry data, the first half of the year saw hackers and bad actors steal over $2.1 billion across 75 separate security incidents. This figure represents a troubling 10% increase in total stolen funds compared to the same period during the previous year, highlighting that as blockchain analysis tools become more advanced, malicious actors continue to pivot toward social engineering, psychological manipulation, and elaborate impersonation schemes to target cryptocurrency holders.
Asro 
Layla Zulfa 
Muslim