By Asep Darmawan 
Cryptocurrency analysts at BitMEX Research have issued an urgent warning to the digital asset community regarding a sophisticated and emerging scam targeting early Bitcoin holders, specifically focusing on dormant wallets dating back to the network’s foundational years around 2011.
According to the intelligence gathered by the firm, the fraudulent campaign exploits long-inactive blockchain addresses by injecting deceptive transactions and misleading messages directly onto the ledger. Attackers are utilizing OP_Return outputs—an optional field within Bitcoin transactions capable of carrying arbitrary data—to broadcast their malicious prompts to unsuspecting network participants and historical stakeholders.
In one prominent and well-documented case highlighted by analysts, the perpetrators targeted the heavily scrutinized "1Feex" wallet. This particular address holds approximately 80,000 BTC, which are widely believed to have been stolen during the historic 2011 hack of the now-defunct Mt. Gox exchange. The bad actors behind the scheme meticulously crafted an on-chain message that directs potential victims toward a highly convincing fraudulent website impersonating Salomon Brothers, a historic Wall Street investment bank that has long ceased independent operations.
Fake Legal Claims and Coercive Tactics
Upon visiting the fraudulent web portal, targets are greeted by a fabricated legal notice asserting that their long-dormant cryptocurrency wallet is legally classified as "lost or abandoned." The platform then instructs supposed owners to verify their rightful claim by taking action. Victims are coaxed into either signing an on-chain message utilizing their private cryptographic key or submitting sensitive personal documentation and identifying details through an online web contact form hosted on the site.
To create a profound sense of urgency and panic, the fraudulent notice imposes a strict deadline, stating that if no response or claim is registered by October 5, the wallet will be permanently deemed legally abandoned under fictitious statutory rules.
BitMEX Research thoroughly investigated the claims and warned that the fraudulent website exhibits no genuine or credible connection to the real Salomon Brothers corporation or its historical leadership structure. Although the site prominently features a list of authentic individuals who actually worked at the esteemed Wall Street firm back in the 1980s, none of these former professionals maintain any association with this new, spurious entity.
Analysts noted that the architectural approach of this campaign bears striking similarities to an earlier, controversial scam associated with figures like Calvin Ayre, an online gambling entrepreneur who previously financed legal maneuvers involving the exact same high-value Bitcoin address.
In a public statement detailing their findings, BitMEX Research emphasized the deceptive nature of the endorsements on the site: "The links between this company and this website are fake. There is a page with an ‘advisory board’ that contains real people who worked at Salomon Brothers in the 1980s, however, these people seem to have no link to this new spurious entity."
Community Response and Broader Security Implications
As news of the campaign spread throughout the cryptocurrency ecosystem, community members quickly weighed in to analyze the mechanics of the attack. Industry veterans pointed out that legitimate wallet owners wishing to prove ongoing activity or control over a dormant address would typically execute a basic, low-risk transaction—such as moving a nominal amount of BTC to a fresh address—rather than transferring their full balance or interacting with questionable third-party legal platforms.
These observations have led many cybersecurity researchers and blockchain sleuths to suspect that the campaign is not primarily designed to steal funds directly via an immediate signature exploit, but rather forms part of a broader, highly targeted social engineering scam. The ultimate objective appears to be gathering sensitive personal information, identity documents, and private keys under the false pretext of a formal legal proceeding.
In light of these findings, BitMEX and other security experts have strongly emphasized that users, historical holders, and asset managers should under no circumstances interact with the provided contact forms, submit personal documentation, or sign messages for unverified entities.
The emergence of such meticulously planned social engineering campaigns highlights the ever-increasing complexity, ingenuity, and persistence of crypto-related fraud. This localized threat arrives against the backdrop of a challenging security landscape across the broader digital asset economy. Data tracking global cryptocurrency crimes indicates that in the first half of 2025 alone, hackers and malicious actors successfully stole over $2.1 billion across 75 separate security incidents. This staggering figure represents a concerning 10% increase in stolen capital compared to the same tracking period in 2024, demonstrating that as blockchain security protocols harden against technical exploits, threat actors are increasingly shifting their focus toward psychological manipulation and deceptive administrative pretexts.
Muslim 
Lina Hope 
Asro