I just got my account emptied on Kraken then other day. As users of Kraken will know, with the default security settings, when you make a withdrawal, you get this Email:
Hi,
A withdrawal request has been made for the withdrawal address named b. If you requested this action, great, it was successful.
Thanks for choosing Kraken Bitcoin Exchange
The Kraken Team
Note: if you didn't request this action, your account may be compromised and you should do the following:
1) log into
https://www.kraken.com immediately and go to Account > Funding > Withdraw - you may be able to cancel the withdraw if you catch it soon enough.
2) change your password;
3) create a new set of two-factor authentications;
4) create a support ticket letting our support staff know about the incident:
https://support.kraken.com.
The IP recorded for this action was 5.185.87.61.
So basically, Kraken who are in the business of handling Joe Public's money, and therefore must also be in the online security business, have a default security procedure, of not asking Joe for Email verification to confirm withdrawal request, but simply telling him that a withdrawal attempt has been made, and that he has perhaps 45 seconds to cancel it before it is processed!?
Needless to say, I contacted Kraken support immediately about this, and here is the Email correspondence so far (basically, 'FU pal, you are bumped):
From: Joseph (Kraken Support) <
[email protected]>
Sent: 20 July 2016 23:35
To: Kraken User
Subject: [Kraken Support] Re: My Kraken account has just been robbed.
##- Please type your reply above this line -##
Joseph (Kraken Support)
Jul 20, 15:34 PDT
Hi,
I'm sorry for your loss.
Rather than email confirmations for withdrawals, we have a global settings lock feature that prevents attackers from adding new withdrawal addresses even after they have access to your account (and presumably also your email), and you can be alerted when an add is attempted. You didn't enable this security feature on your account.
I need to confirm your identity to get you access (at least to withdraw) with the account again. I'll look to write again in a few days about this. Let me know if there are any questions you have. I'm happy to answer them. Again, I'm sorry for what's happened.
Joseph
Kraken Client Engagement
We are currently working on your request (number 122464). You can give us more information by replying to this e-mail or visiting the support page at
https://support.kraken.com/hc/requests/122464.
This email is a service from Kraken Support. Delivered by Zendesk.
To which I replied:
From: Matthew *******
[email protected]>
Sent: 21 July 2016 08:22
To: Kraken Support
Subject: Re: [Kraken Support] Re: My Kraken account has just been robbed.
So, you have Email verification security features, that I, Joe Public, didn't enable? I would suggest that it is Kraken, who due to dealing in online finance, who are in the online security business, not Joe Public.
Kraken is basically the only crypto exchange that doesn't at least operate Email verification as default for withdrawals, one of their customers gets robbed and you turn around and basically say 'Sorry pal, but it's your loss', you never enabled some security feature hidden down the bottom of some sub menu'?
I mean seriously, an Email message stating something along the lines off "You have just made a withdrawal....if it really was you, then great, it was successful, if it wasn't then you have perhaps a few dozen seconds to cancel it"? I am not sure which jurisdiction Kraken is based in, but regulated exchange or not, I am sure that Kraken has a Duty of Care to exercise more caution than this, since they are in the business of handling other people's money. It isn't like this is the first incident of this. And since this same thing has happened many times before with Kraken (I googled it), why aren't Kraken insisting on basic Email verification, just every other crypto exchange under the sun does, as a bare minimum?
And what about all the spraff you have on your website about getting me to provide as much information possible, in order that you can identify the theft? You haven't asked me for any of that. instead, you have asked me to prove my identification in order to withdraw the remaining few Euro's in my account? On your website, you state that perhaps the theives may have obtained my password from other 'compromised' crypto sites. Perhaps that compromised crypto site is Kraken itself? Somewhere on your servers, is a copy of my Kraken password. One theory I have, is that the theives are operating within Kraken itself. If hackers could compromise an exchange thus gaining access to customers details (including passwords), then 'trusted' members of staff could also access this same information, and using the security loop hole, which for some reason Kraken leaves open, whereby the onus is on the customer to activate Email verification, customer's funds can then be stolen?
None of my other accounts have been compromised. Only Kraken. That tells me that the first place to start looking for the rat, would be with Kraken itself.
As I stated in my response to Kraken, none of my other accounts have been compromised (ever). Only Kraken, which makes me think that the rat is to be found under the floorboards of Kraken itself.