My paper wallet got hacked, what now?

Hey guys! So, last week my BTC disappeared from my paper wallet. Created it back in 2018 and never touched it since. Feeling super frustrated. Not just about the loss, but I can't figure out where I went wrong! The address it was sent to hasn't moved since, just one transaction. Weird, right?

Did you make it with any specific software? Was it on an isolated computer? And did you clean your system properly after?

Used WalletGenerator.net. Yeah, wiped my computer, then went online again. I don’t have the paper wallet anymore, it was a one-off.

1. Might be a reason 2. Could be 3. Definitely not. I made it offline and kept it on paper, nothing else.

But seriously, why is it still unspent? Should I reach out to every crypto market and report that address? Think it would help?

Unspent just means the BTC is still on that address. It’s like having cash in a thief’s wallet; it doesn’t mean they’ll spend it immediately.

Thanks for your input! Looks like I lost it for good. Lesson learned, but an expensive one.

You should definitely call the cops.

Sorry to hear about your loss. This topic comes up a lot lately. People think making a paper wallet is simple, but it’s risky.

Making paper wallets can be risky. Putting your computer back online was a bad move. Honestly, you should look at hardware wallets, they’re safer in the long run.

Wiping your hard drive should’ve cleared the private keys. I’d suggest using a Linux live disk next time to avoid leaving traces.

...And it saves you the hassle of wiping the disk and reinstalling everything. But yeah, you must’ve accessed the site and then went back online.

I think the hacker got your keys the moment you went back online. If you’d used the original code from GitHub, maybe it would’ve been different.

So sorry for your situation, it’s a lot of money. Reporting it to the police and exchanges might help make it harder for the hacker.

If you want, I can show you how to keep your funds secure next time. Paper wallets can be great for long-term storage if done right.

Yeah, but show me a case where anyone lost funds due to hardware wallet vulnerabilities. Most need physical access to the device.

Hardware wallets have issues too. But if the OP had one, we wouldn’t be having this convo right now.

Really sad for your loss. Quick question: did you encrypt it with BIP38? Would that have helped?

Encryption won’t help if the thief already has the private key.

Exactly what I thought. I made some paper wallets too, but I didn’t use WalletGenerator.net. I’d be devastated to lose my coins.