“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” — you have probably heard this proverb before. We have experienced it first-hand, as Trezor clones have been released over the years of our activity. However, in recent weeks, we have discovered something more startling. A one-to-one copy of Trezor One. In other words, a fake Trezor device, manufactured by a different, unknown vendor.

While Trezor clones are marketed under a different name, manufactured by (legitimate) legal companies, allowing you to distinguish them from the original, a fake Trezor tries to replicate the original to the bone. It seeks to be as indistinguishable from the original as possible. It is not dissimilar to counterfeit brand clothing.

Similarly to clothing fakes, a fake Trezor One is often sold at a steep discount. This should act as the first red flag. Others will be described below.

More importantly though, let’s have a look at why fake Trezor devices can be a severe threat to your security. As we did not manufacture the device, we cannot guarantee its function. These fake devices are thus unsuitable for secure storage of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

You would not entrust your money to somebody who has already cheated you by selling you a different product than you thought you were buying. We, therefore, recommend not to use this device and report it to us, which would help us fight these scams and provide you with a legitimate device.

As soon as we learned about the existence of Trezor fakes, we have started to fervently pursue a number of legal and other steps to prevent those fakes from being produced and distributed, in order to protect you, our customers.

How to check if your device is genuine

The hologram

We are warning our customers about the hologram when logging for the first to the wallet.trezor.io.

If you suspect you have bought a fake Trezor One device, do not use the device and contact our support immediately.

Original Trezor One holographic seal (above) in contrast with fake holographic seal (below)

A fake Trezor Box (on the left) in contrast with Original Trezor Box (on the right)

Fake holograms are often very similar to those used on our older packaging (Trezor packaging timeline). If you purchased your device in our shop or at one of the authorized resellers in 2017 or 2016, there are overwhelmingly big odds that there’s nothing to worry about and your device is genuine.

How to shop for a genuine Trezor One device

The simplest way to procure your genuine Trezor One is to buy it at the official Trezor shop, official Amazon shop or from official resellers. Be very cautious when buying on other marketplaces, such as eBay, Taobao, AliExpress, unknown Amazon resellers or other places. If you are not sure about the authenticity of the seller or the channel, always proceed with the official channels. You can find more information about the security elements both for Trezor One and Trezor Model T on our Wiki.