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leakhigh2/20/2026

National Tax Service Crypto Wallet Seed Phrase Leak

National Tax Service (NTS)

South Korea’s National Tax Service accidentally exposed a cryptocurrency wallet’s seed phrase in publicized images from a law enforcement operation, leading to the theft of nearly $4.8 million in digital assets. The incident occurred in the third week of February 2026 during a seizure of $5.6 million in assets. Authorities have apologized and are working to recover the funds.

During a law enforcement operation targeting cryptocurrency financial misconduct in the third week of February 2026, the National Tax Service seized digital assets worth $5.6 million and stored them in a wallet they controlled. Officials shared photographs with the media, but one image visibly showed portions of the wallet’s seed phrase, a master recovery key. Hackers reconstructed the phrase and stole Pre Retogeum (PRTG) tokens valued at $4.8 million. The National Police Agency confirmed the theft, apologized, and pledged improved security protocols.

Tags

#government#crypto#leak#seed_phrase

Last updated: March 4, 2026