By Asep Darmawan 
Analysts at BitMEX Research have raised a critical security alarm regarding a sophisticated new scam campaign targeting early Bitcoin holders, with a particular focus on long-dormant wallets dating back to the foundational era of the cryptocurrency in 2011.
According to the research firm’s findings, the fraudulent operation exploits ancient, inactive addresses by injecting false transactions and deceptive messages directly onto the blockchain. Attackers are utilizing OP_Return outputs—an optional field built into Bitcoin transactions that allows users to permanently attach a small amount of arbitrary data—to broadcast their malicious pointers to unsuspecting holders or observers watching the ledger.
The scope of the campaign became apparent when researchers uncovered a targeted attempt against one of the most famous dormant addresses in crypto history: the heavily monitored “1Feex” wallet. This specific address currently holds approximately 80,000 Bitcoin, a massive fortune believed to have been illicitly acquired during the historic collapse and exploit of the Mt. Gox exchange in its early days of operation.
In this targeted instance, the malicious actors crafted a specialized on-chain message designed to direct anyone monitoring the address toward a meticulously constructed fraudulent website. This rogue platform was engineered to impersonate Salomon Brothers, a legendary and defunct Wall Street investment bank, lending a false air of traditional financial authority to the entire enterprise.
Fake Legal Claims and Pressure Tactics
Upon visiting the fraudulent website, targets are met with a formal-looking legal notice claiming that the specific Bitcoin wallet in question has been officially classified as "lost or abandoned." The site employs high-pressure tactics typical of modern social engineering campaigns, laying out strict institutional parameters and demanding immediate action from supposed rightful owners to avoid forfeiture.
To "prove" their claim and recover control of the assets, the fraudulent platform instructs visitors to complete one of two perilous actions. Victims are either prompted to sign an on-chain cryptographic message using their private keys—a move that would instantly compromise their wallet security—or submit comprehensive personal and financial documentation through an integrated web contact form. To accelerate compliance, the notice introduces an artificial deadline, warning that if no response is received by October 5, the wallet will be permanently deemed legally abandoned under fabricated legal frameworks.
BitMEX Research thoroughly investigated the assertions made on the platform and quickly uncovered glaring inconsistencies, confirming that the website has zero credible affiliation with the real Salomon Brothers or its historical leadership structure. While the fraudulent operators attempted to manufacture legitimacy by publishing a list of real individuals who genuinely worked at the Wall Street firm during the 1980s, investigators confirmed that none of these former executives have any connection whatsoever to this newly emerged and suspicious entity.
Furthermore, cryptocurrency community members and security analysts have weighed in on the operational mechanics of the scam, pointing out glaring red flags that expose the ruse. Security-conscious observers noted that legitimate wallet verification or proof of activity in the cryptocurrency ecosystem has never required handing over private keys or sensitive personal documentation through unverified web forms. Furthermore, a real owner seeking to prove activity on a dormant address could simply move a negligible amount of Bitcoin to establish control, rather than interacting with suspicious third-party legal entities.
Broader Social Engineering and the State of Crypto Crime
Given the mechanics of the campaign, security experts increasingly suspect that the operation is part of a much broader, highly coordinated social engineering effort. Rather than relying solely on traditional wallet-draining malware, these scammers are employing elaborate psychological pretexts, utilizing institutional facades and legal intimidation to harvest sensitive credentials and private keys from elderly or less-vigilant early adopters who may have lost touch with day-to-day security developments in the digital asset space.
BitMEX Research has strongly emphasized that users, holders, and blockchain observers must avoid interacting with the fraudulent contact forms, visiting the impersonation website, or providing any personal details or cryptographic signatures under any circumstances. Interacting with these platforms poses an immediate and catastrophic risk to any remaining funds associated with targeted addresses.
The emergence of these creative yet deceptive scam vectors highlights the steadily growing complexity and persistence of crypto-related fraud in an evolving digital economy. As blockchain analytics improve and public awareness regarding traditional phishing tactics increases, malicious actors are continuously forced to innovate, blending traditional corporate identity theft with on-chain data injection techniques.
This localized scam arrives against the backdrop of an increasingly perilous security landscape for digital asset participants. Data compiled across the cryptocurrency industry indicates that illicit actors and state-backed hacking groups have ramped up their operations significantly. In the first half of the year alone, malicious actors successfully stole over $2.1 billion across dozens of separate security incidents and heists, representing a noticeable increase compared to the same tracking period in the previous year and underscoring the vital need for constant vigilance across the entire digital asset ecosystem.
Asro 
Layla Zulfa 
Muslim