A fake version of Ledger Live distributed through the Apple App Store has been linked to a cryptocurrency theft of at least $9.5 million, with victims now describing devastating losses including entire retirement funds wiped out “in an instant”.
One victim, posting on
“I lost my retirement fund in a hack/scam… All my BTC disappeared in an instant,” he wrote.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT then traced the stolen 5.92 BTC, showing that it was quickly routed through a series of transactions to KuCoin deposit addresses, consistent with a broader laundering pattern identified in the incident.
Apple and KuCoin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
$9.5 million stolen from chains
User X @glove was not the only victim. The phishing campaign, active between April 7 and 13, affected more than 50 alleged victims on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, Solana and XRP compatible networks.
Three of the largest victims lost seven-figure sums, with $3.23 million in USDT stolen on April 9, $2.08 million in USDC on April 11, and $1.95 million in BTC, ETH, and stETH drained on April 8.
Cases like this typically trick victims into entering their recovery phrase into an app, giving attackers full access to their wallet.
Laundering via KuCoin and “AudiA6”
The stolen funds were routed through more than 150 KuCoin deposit addresses and linked to “AudiA6,” a centralized crypto mixing service known for charging high fees to hide illicit flows.
The use of a centralized exchange as a laundering platform is noteworthy given KuCoin’s recent regulatory issues. Austrian regulators banned the exchange from onboarding new EU users in February 2026, just months after receiving a MiCA license, and have already paid more than $300 million to US authorities to settle anti-money laundering violations in 2025.
App Store Scrutiny
Apple has removed the fake Ledger Live app from the App Store, but questions remain about how it passed scrutiny and how long it was available.
The scale of the losses, coupled with the fact that the app was distributed through Apple’s official marketplace, could put the company at legal risk, with ZachXBT suggesting the incident could form the basis of a class action lawsuit.
Growing threat
The incident highlights a persistent threat that has marred the crypto industry in recent years. In 2025, crypto investors lost approximately $17 billion to hacks and scams, with social engineering and phishing tactics leading the way in terms of attack vectors.
For the victims, the damage has already been done.
“I worked ten years for this,” the victim wrote. “Be careful out there.”
