Topic
What is address poisoning?
Last reviewed:
- Quick fact 1
Scammers send tokens from addresses that look like ones you have used, hoping you copy theirs.
Source: FBI Denver: FBI warns of cryptocurrency token impersonation scam
- Quick fact 2
Wallets often shorten addresses, which hides the middle characters.
Source: FBI Denver: FBI warns of cryptocurrency token impersonation scam
- Quick fact 3
Address poisoning attacks have been rising on Ethereum.
Source: Etherscan: Address poisoning attacks are rising on Ethereum
The short lesson
Address poisoning is a copy-and-paste trap. A scammer creates an address that starts and ends with the same characters as one you use. Then they send a tiny amount, or a worthless token, from it to your wallet.
Now the fake address sits in your transaction history, right next to the real one. Many wallets shorten addresses to something like 0x12ab…9f3c, so the two look the same. Next time you copy an address from your history, you may copy the scammer’s.
How to protect yourself:
- Never copy an address from your transaction history. Use a saved contact or get it fresh from the receiver.
- Check the whole address, including the middle, not just the start and end.
- Send a small test first and confirm the receiver got it.
- Ignore unexpected tiny deposits and strange tokens. Do not interact with them.
Our Fee and network checker shows the start, end and length of a pasted address to help you compare.
Related terms
Go deeper in Lesson 5: What a transaction is
Common questions
Can address poisoning take my funds directly?
No. It only works if you send to the fake address yourself. That is why checking matters.
What should I do with a strange tiny deposit?
Ignore it. Do not send it back, and do not copy its address.
Can a sent transaction be reversed?
No. Once confirmed, nobody can undo it.
Does this happen outside Ethereum?
The trick can be tried on any chain where wallets show shortened addresses. Check every character.