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$5 Wrench Attack

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A $5 Wrench Attack is a physical or social engineering attack where an attacker uses coercion, intimidation, or violence—symbolized by a cheap tool like a $5 wrench—to force a Bitcoin user to reveal their private keys, seed phrases, or access to their crypto funds. Unlike digital cyberattacks (e.g., hacking or phishing), this attack targets the human element, exploiting physical or psychological vulnerabilities.

TLDR

Bad guys will kidnap you and torture you for your bitcoin.

Prevention Strategies:

1. Maintain OPSEC Avoid publicly disclosing Bitcoin holdings or wealth. Use pseudonyms online and limit sharing on social media.

1. Store seed phrases and hardware wallets in secure locations, such as a safe deposit box or a hidden safe Consider tamper-evident storage solutions. Remember that safe's are not safe!

1. Use multi-signature (multisig) setups requiring multiple keys held in different locations or by trusted parties, making coercion less effective.

1. Geographic Distribution: Store backups (e.g., seed phrase copies) in multiple secure locations to reduce the risk of losing everything in one attack.

1. Duress Codes: Some hardware wallets support duress PINs that unlock a decoy wallet with minimal funds, misleading attackers.

1. Wrench Defense: Set up a tripwire on a UTXO in a decoy wallet. Activate a silent alarm during a wrench attack and share your location with law enforcement or Liam Neeson.

1. Get a gun, consider self-defense training, and install a home security system.