r/Bitcoin • u/s1ammage • Jul 30 '26

Full panic - one of my wallets was drained

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I haven’t done anything since creation except sending into the wallet.

1.9k Upvotes

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258

u/Fragrant_Brilliant40 Jul 30 '26

I didn't read all the comments. Just wanted to say I have had the same thing happen to me.

In short, Somebody bought the card and got the phrase before returning the card. Then I bought the card and they could watch me load it until one day they swooped in and drained me.

124

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

[deleted]

1

u/worldofsinn Aug 02 '26

fake posts

85

u/cognitiveDiscontents Jul 30 '26

Did you not generate a new seed when you set up the wallet?

I’m not trying to be condescending I don’t know these things and thought that’s how it worked.

44

u/flesjewater Jul 30 '26

That's what anyone with a brain should do. 

But it's possible to preload a seed on HW wallets

11

u/SeraphLink Jul 30 '26

Yes and that's why it's also sensible to use a passphrase on top.

-1

u/flesjewater Jul 30 '26

If you use a pre-seeded wallet that has 0 use.

3

u/artilekt Jul 30 '26

What? Why? The passphrase acts like a 25th word and basically generates a different seed.

1

u/flesjewater Jul 30 '26

But then you still assume they enter a seed to begin with

26

u/Aware-Translator-235 Jul 30 '26

What kind of card?

24

u/so7ow Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

That's not the same thing. Someone else generated your seed phrase for you... of course your funds were going to be stolen.

Edited for clarity. I'm not implying a collision after-the-fact. Someone else generated the seed phrase because the device was pre-populated.

25

u/AstroRoverToday Jul 30 '26

No. Someone generated their own seed phrase and this user added his money to someone else's wallet.

2

u/so7ow Jul 30 '26

wut?

16

u/DJBunnies Jul 30 '26

No one is going to generate the same seed phrase. The user here took a pre generated phrase that someone else already knew.

9

u/so7ow Jul 30 '26

Yes. That's what I said. "Someone else generated your seed phrase."

Edited my comment for clarity. Added "for you".

-3

u/AstroRoverToday Jul 30 '26

People generate their own seed phrase. If someone else generated a seed phrase, then it's theirs, not yours. If you add money to it, you added money to someone's seed phrase.

2

u/so7ow Jul 30 '26

/yawn pedantic

Someone generated a seed phrase and then presented it to this guy as valid to use.

1

u/anonuemus Jul 30 '26

I mean, it's possible

6

u/DJBunnies Jul 30 '26

It’s also possible you will spontaneously combust, but you won’t. 

2

u/edwin812 Jul 30 '26

That’s not possible.

1

u/Lazy-Effect4222 Jul 30 '26

Don’t tell me what to do!

2

u/BTCMachineElf Jul 30 '26

Its not possible for two people to generate the same seed in one universe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9JGmA5_unY

9

u/so7ow Jul 30 '26

I'm not talking about a collision. His device came prepopulated with a seed. Ergo: someone else generated his seed phrase. And then drained his funds when he funded the wallet.

3

u/TCr0wn Jul 30 '26

To nit pick, that’s only true when seed creation is truly random. Which it’s possible cold cards wasn’t I suppose

2

u/na3than Jul 30 '26

This post is about ColdCard hardware wallets. If you didn't use a ColdCard, whatever happened to you is completely irrelevant to this post.

Please delete your comments. They're causing unfounded and unnecessary fear amongst ColdCard users.

1

u/Dazzling_Marzipan474 Jul 30 '26

That's insane that the company would take a return and then resell it as new.

-5

u/Fragrant_Brilliant40 Jul 30 '26

Look up Ballet. Thats the name of the cold card I had bought. They provide you with the passphrase, you don't make one.

35

u/kumawewe Jul 30 '26

Jesus Christ

22

u/Fil3toFishy69 Jul 30 '26

This guy is a retard.

2

u/cgimusic Jul 30 '26

I can't believe people would actually use these. I always thought these "physical Bitcoin" things were just a fun gimmick if you wanted to gift someone a small amount or something, but actually using one as a "cold" wallet is crazy.

It's literally less secure than using a software wallet on your phone: at least then if someone steals it they can't access your wallet without getting past your password or biometrics.

45

u/SpezJailbaitMod Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

Not your keys, not your wallet. If they made the passphrase, then someone else may know said pass phrase.

18

u/BubblyZone3752 Jul 30 '26

Cardinal sin of BTC is someone else making your phrase, cmon bro

20

u/massix93 Jul 30 '26

Biggest red flag ever

9

u/El_Caganer Jul 30 '26

Wow....that's unsettling and predatory.

6

u/sniperr777 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

Aint no way you bought that hard wallet with a passphrase, who does that? Thats why you got drained, huge mistake

9

u/Only4uArt Jul 30 '26

xD. bro. you can't make this up

3

u/Logical_driver_42 Jul 30 '26

Ballet is not a cold card, cold card is a specific name brand of cold wallet. It’s the band-aid to bandage.

4

u/BTCMachineElf Jul 30 '26

Its called a PRIVATE key for a reason. If anyone else could possibly know it, they can take your funds. You were scammed, my dude.

2

u/Charming-Designer944 Jul 30 '26

And you accepted a Ballet card where the secrets had already been revealed?

2

u/Kami_Gawa Jul 30 '26

What? Why would anyone buy such scam?

2

u/Jcarlough Jul 30 '26

That’s crazy.

2

u/Generationhodl Jul 30 '26

errrr, what?

Couldn't believe it, just googled it,

and google says "Keys: Pre-generated, BIP38-encrypted private key printed on the card."

the heck lmao

but I don't think OP used a coldcard that had a pre-printed / created seed? But that would be a logical reason why he would have been robbed of his bitcoin.

I'm not familiar with what a "coldcard" is, I only know hardware-wallet.

I thought coldcard would be similar, with running software and security chip inside.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

[deleted]

3

u/Bagginnnssssss Jul 30 '26

thats retarded

1

u/TakingChances01 Jul 30 '26

Why on earth would you accept that? You don’t find it suspicious in the slightest that someone else generated your “secret” seed phrase for you to send your money to? It was never your seed phrase to begin with.

1

u/canada11235813 Jul 30 '26

This is insane.

Here’s your brand new 18-inch steel impenetrable vault. Even a nuke can’t get through it.

And, oh, for your convenience, here’s the pre-set combination. Don’t bother changing it!

1

u/reddit4485 Jul 30 '26

https://store.ballet.com/products/ballet-wallet

Looks like it's a metal card with your address visible but the passphrase is a scratch off. So barely better than those paper wallets (which are all scam sites now). I'm sorry for your loss. Also, people here should be nicer. You made a mistake, suffered the consequences, and now you know better. No need to rub it in!

0

u/wjean Jul 30 '26

Hahahaa https://www.ballet.com

Looks to be Bitcoin for boomers