Ledger has asked resellers and distributors in parts of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to stop selling its hardware wallets and remove them from store shelves while the company investigates reports that some devices were tampered with.

The request applies to sellers in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Ledger said the only confirmed incidents so far are limited to Southeast Asia, and it has not verified any crypto drain tied to a device bought elsewhere.

Regional suspension request widens

The company disclosed the broader reseller request in a post on X on Tuesday. According to Ledger, the measure is precautionary and is tied to an ongoing investigation into where the alleged tampering took place in the distribution process.

Ledger said it is trying to determine both who modified the devices and at what point in the supply chain the changes occurred. The company has not announced a conclusion from that review.

Issue first surfaced through a reseller case

The wider halt follows Ledger’s earlier instruction to reseller CryptoBilis to stop sales and shipments. That initial case became public on Oct. 9 after reports of stolen cryptocurrency were linked to devices bought through the reseller.

Ledger’s latest statement indicates the company has since broadened its response beyond that single seller, covering multiple markets in the region while the investigation continues.

Reports have appeared outside the region

After the issue became public, some users in other regions, including Europe, reported finding signs they believed pointed to device tampering in products bought from retailers.

Even so, Ledger said the only confirmed incidents remain in Southeast Asia. It added that it has not verified any theft connected to a device purchased outside that region.

What Ledger says is not affected

Ledger said it has no indication that its own infrastructure, internal systems, services or direct sales channel were compromised. That statement leaves the current focus on the reseller and distribution chain rather than on the company’s official sales route.

For now, the next confirmed step is the ongoing investigation into how the affected devices were altered and where in the chain the tampering occurred. Until that review is completed, resellers in the named markets have been asked to keep sales suspended and products off shelves.

Source: cointelegraph.com