By Raul Delapena Setiawan 
Analysts at BitMEX Research have raised a serious security alarm regarding an emerging cryptocurrency scam specifically targeting early Bitcoin holders, with a primary focus on dormant wallets dating back to the foundational days of the network in 2011.
According to findings shared by the prominent research firm, the sophisticated campaign exploits long-inactive blockchain addresses by injecting deceptive transactions and misleading messages directly into the ledger. Attackers are utilizing OP_Return outputs—an optional field within Bitcoin transactions designed to store arbitrary data payloads on the blockchain—to broadcast their malicious prompts to anyone monitoring or analyzing these historic addresses.
In one particularly notable case highlighted by researchers, the perpetrators targeted the infamous "1Feex" wallet. This heavily monitored address currently holds approximately 80,000 Bitcoin, a massive fortune widely believed to have been stolen during the catastrophic 2011 hack of the early cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox.
Rather than attempting a direct technical exploit of the private keys, the attackers deployed a social engineering framework. They crafted an on-chain message that directs curious or concerned individuals to a fraudulent website meticulously designed to impersonate the defunct, historically prestigious Wall Street firm Salomon Brothers.
Fake Legal Claims and Sophisticated Impersonation
Upon visiting the fraudulent web portal, targets are greeted with a fabricated legal notice asserting that the associated dormant wallet is officially categorized as "lost or abandoned." The deceptive platform then invites supposed owners to verify their identity and reclaim their funds by executing an on-chain message signature using their private key, or alternatively, by submitting sensitive personal and financial documentation through an online contact form.
To create a veneer of legitimacy, the notice includes an aggressive deadline, warning that if no valid response or ownership claim is received by October 5, the wallet will be permanently deemed legally abandoned under spurious regulatory pretexts.
However, a closer inspection by BitMEX revealed that the website possesses zero credible operational or legal links to the real Salomon Brothers or its historic leadership team. Although the fraudulent site attempts to build false credibility by publishing a list of genuine individuals who actually worked at the renowned investment firm during the 1980s, none of these former professionals have any affiliation with the modern, spurious entity running the scam.
Security researchers noted that this tactical approach bears a striking resemblance to previous controversial attempts to claim ownership of the exact same Bitcoin address. Analysts pointed out that the methodology echoes prior legal maneuvers previously backed by prominent industry figures such as Calvin Ayre, who has historically funded legal actions involving the 1Feex Bitcoin address.
"The links between this company and this website are fake," BitMEX Research stated in their public warning. "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 Warnings and the Rise of Advanced Social Engineering
As details of the campaign spread across social media platforms and developer forums, cryptocurrency community members quickly weighed in to debunk the scheme’s technical premises. Experienced Bitcoin users pointed out that if a wallet owner ever needed to prove activity or operational control over an address, they could simply execute a minor, low-value transaction moving a fraction of a Bitcoin rather than interacting with suspicious legal entities or exposing private keys.
These glaring inconsistencies have led numerous analysts and blockchain sleuths to conclude that the campaign is merely one component of a much broader, highly calculated social engineering effort. The ultimate objective appears to be gathering sensitive personal information, credentials, or private keys under the guise of official legal compliance and regulatory oversight.
In light of these findings, BitMEX Research and other cybersecurity commentators have issued stark warnings urging users, asset recovery specialists, and early adopters never to interact with the suspicious contact forms, submit private documentation, or sign arbitrary messages prompted by unverified third-party websites.
The emergence of these inventive wallet-targeting schemes highlights the continuously evolving complexity and persistence of crypto-related fraud. This malicious trend unfolds against a backdrop of mounting financial losses across the digital asset ecosystem. According to industry data tracking cybercrime and heists, malicious actors managed to steal over $2.1 billion across 75 distinct security incidents during the first half of the year alone, marking a concerning 10% increase in total stolen funds compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
Asro 
Layla Zulfa 
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