Theft Of $159K In Cryptocurrency Reported In Norwich: Police

NORWICH, CT — A theft of cryptocurrency worth about $159,713 was reported to the Norwich Police Department.

The department then notified state police about the theft March 15.

The victim reported that Bitcoin and Ethereum had been illegally removed from their cold storage wallet, known as a "wallet drainer."

Investigators traced the stolen cryptocurrencies to "two compliant exchanges where promptly issued freeze requests were sent and search warrants from the New London Superior Court for the seizure of the assets were granted," according to state police.

State police successfully returned cryptocurrency worth about $42,130.

State police had the following tips for cryptocurrency holders:

• Use two-factor authentication when allowed.
• When using cold storage devices (hardware wallets) keep your private keys safe and do not share with anyone.
• Create strong, unique passwords for your account(s).
• Beware of phishing or smishing attempts, double checking URLs and email addresses. Never click on suspicious links or download attaches from unknown sources.
• Keep software updated.