How to Know Your Ledger Wallet is Genuine

Key Takeaways

• There are 3 things to consider when checking if your Ledger wallet is genuine – the source, packaging, and connection with the Ledger Live app.

• Genuine Ledger wallets can only be gotten on the official Ledger e-commerce store and from official distributors and resellers.

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1. Point of purchase

Where you buy your Ledger device is very important if you are looking to have a genuine Ledger wallet. Scammers can create what looks like the real Ledger wallet to somehow have access to private information and steal your crypto assets.

Genuine Ledger wallet devices can only be gotten from the Official e-commerce website: Ledger.com and other Ledger-approved resellers.

Get the genuine.

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Depending on location, the Ledger devices can be purchased close to you on BestBuy, Official Amazon stores: in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, and other authorized resellers in your location. In India? See where to buy the Ledger Nano S wallet in India.

Your Ledger wallet is genuine if it comes directly from Ledger and other authorized resellers.

2. Physical check

Ledger wallets are produced from time to time, so there are usually slight changes in looks. Despite that, you should look out for the following

Unboxing a genuine Ledger Wallet

Genuine Ledger wallet package boxes do not have Anti-tamper seals. According to the company, these can be misleading as they are easy to counterfeit. Instead, a secure chip is used to prevent physical tampering of the device. So do not worry if you do not see any seal on the box. Instead, look out for the contents

Ledger Nano S Plus box

The Ledger Nano S Plus is packed in a Ledger-branded cardboard box and sleeve, with the following

• A USB A to USB Type-C cable
• An envelope containing 3 blank Recovery sheets.
• An envelope containing a Get started leaflet, a Use, Care and Regulatory Statement leaflet, and a Start your crypto journey securely with Ledger Live card.
• A keychain.

Ledger Nano X box

The Ledger Nano X is packed in a Ledger-branded cardboard box and sleeve along with the following:

• USB Type-C cable
• An envelope containing 3 Recovery sheets, a Get started leaflet, and a Use, Care, and Regulatory Statement leaflet.
• A Keychain accessory

Ledger Nano S box

The Ledger Nano S is packaged in just a Ledger-branded cardboard box with the following inside

• A Micro USB cable
• A Get started leaflet
• 3 Recovery sheets
• A Keychain and Lanyard.

Recovery sheets

The 3 recovery sheets inside a genuine Ledger wallet box are blank and not prefilled. Prefilled recovery phrase means someone other than you will be able to access and steal your crypto assets. You should not trust any recovery phrase not given by your device.

Your Ledger wallet is genuine only when the 24 words recovery phrase is generated by the device during the initial setup. This is the one you should trust and should write down on the recovery sheet as a backup. So if your recovery sheets are not blank on purchase, then it is not a genuine Ledger wallet.

Device check

When turned on for the first time, you should see the ledger logo and then “Welcome to Ledger Nano X – Press right to continue”  – for Ledger X or

“Welcome to Ledger Nano S” – for Ledger S, when you release the buttons.

There no predefined PIN on a genuine Ledger wallet.

3. Ledger Live authentication

The final and most important check to know if your Ledger wallet is genuine is by connecting the device to the Ledger Live app. Only a genuine Ledger Wallet will be able to connect with the app.

Ledger Live is the official and only app interface through which you can manage the crypto assets stored on your Ledger wallet. Each time a Ledger Wallet is plugged in, it conducts a genuineness check before the connection will be allowed. Only a genuine Ledger wallet device can pass this test by providing the required cryptographic proof using the secret key that is set in all genuine Ledger devices during manufacture.

To check if your Ledger wallet is genuine using Ledger Live, first, you have to be sure you downloaded and installed the real Ledger Live app.

If you are downloading from the Ledger website, be sure it is the real one. Confirm the link: https://www.ledger.com/ledger-live/download

After installing, go ahead to Set up your Ledger device with the Ledger Live app.

Your Ledger wallet is genuine if it passes the genuineness check issued by Ledger Live and connects to it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Can I use Ledger Live without Ledger?

No, you cannot use Ledger Live without Ledger. For you to be able to perform most transactions, you need your private keys and these are always stored in the Ledger wallet.

Q2. How do I know if my Ledger Live is legit?

Go to the Ledger Live Download: https://www.ledger.com/ledger-live/download or contact support: https://support.ledger.com/hc/en-us/categories/4404369571601?support=true to get a trusted download link. Ledger Live downloaded through these means is legit. 

However, if you are downloading from GitHub (new versions are no longer been distributed here), you need to verify the signature hash by comparing it with the one on the Ledger Live signatures page.

Q3. Is Ledger official on Amazon legit?

Ledger is official on Amazon for some countries. For countries such as the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan, there are official Ledger stores on Amazon where you can buy genuine Ledger wallet devices and accessories. You should however be careful to stick to only the official stores and not resellers on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know if your Ledger wallet is genuine, you should stay exercise safety measures to keep your assets secured. Like knowing how to spot crypto scams and being cautious about the safety of your recovery phase.