Is Your Ledger Device Authentic? Here’s How To Check
There are many horror stories about people losing their funds because they were tricked online. Now, this issue extends down to hardware wallets too. This is why it’s important to check that the ledger device you have is authentic and not a fake device. If you find a Ledger device to be cheaper than anywhere else, this is a clear sign that this might be a fraudster’s doing. Fake Ledger devices are now a common threat.
Today, we will cover the steps you need to take to ensure that your crypto will be stored securely and most importantly on a legit Ledger device.
Steps
Make sure you are using the latest version of Ledger Live.
Step 1: Ensure you purchased your Ledger device from the Ledger’s official website.
Step 2: Ensure that the contents of your box are exactly the same as those advertised on the official Ledger website. Use the image below to go through the contents of your box and tick them off as you go along.
Step 3: Ensure that your recovery seed paper is blank. If this is not the case, then it indicates the Ledger device has been used before, or it has been compromised. Do not use this.
Step 4: Set up a PIN directly linked to this device. If you own multiple devices it can be a problem not knowing which PIN, or worse, recovery phrase goes for which device. Most importantly, if you’re not able to set up a PIN then it indicates that the device has been tempered. Do not use this.
Step 5: Another way to verify that the Ledger device you have is legitimate is by running the ‘Genuine Check’ on the Ledger Live app. This check is cryptographic proof that only legit Ledger devices can complete and verify. If this fails, you should seek advice, and do not use the device.
Conclusion
It is absolutely necessary to ensure that the Ledger device you got is a genuine device and not one that is fake or one that has been tampered with. This can easily be done by going through the steps outlined above. It is best to be safe than putting your crypto at risk. Don’t assume this is all correct, do your part, ensure that what you think you have is exactly what you have. If in any doubt, then seek expert advice. You can do so by reaching out to the Ledger support team.
