Digital assets marketplace Patricia has announced the loss of bitcoin and naira assets in a data hack.
According to the company, only its bitcoin and naira assets were compromised in its retail trading application, Patricia Personal, while all other crypto assets were unharmed.
“Our services are divided into three arms; Patricia Personal, Patricia OTC Desk, and Patricia Business. Not long ago, we were victims of a breach. Patricia Personal, the retail application was solely affected by this breach; BTC and Naira assets were compromised. Every other crypto balance remains unaffected, and we assure the public that our customers and merchants assets are secure,” the company said in a statement on Twitter.
The startup also reassured its clients and merchants that their assets were safe and that steps were being taken to recover the stolen assets.
The company stated that it has identified one of the perpetrators and has temporarily banned withdrawals on its mobile and online apps in order to assess the situation.
Patricia stated in an email to its users that it may have become a target for hackers due to its increased prominence as a bitcoin trading site.
The company, which was formed five years ago after Hans Fejiro’s gift card was stolen by criminals, began as a gift card exchange network.
According to reports, the firm currently conducts 30,000 daily transactions and services 850,000 users.
While without releasing specifics regarding the platform’s breach, the company stated in the email that it had identified an individual within the syndicated group who is responsible for the incident.
It stated its intention to follow up on this information and work with security authorities and other partners to undertake a complete audit of the situation and retrieve the funds.