A crypto investor lost $50 million in less than 60 minutes to a classic “address‑poisoning” scam — not a hack, not a phishing link, but a clever manipulation of transaction history.
🔍 How It Happened❓️
🔹️User initiated a withdrawal from Binance, sent a small test transaction.
🔹️Copied the recipient address from their own transaction history which had been "injected with a fake, look‑alike address" by the scammer.
🔹️Funds flowed automatically from USDT → DAI → ETH → Tornado Cash - making recovery impossible.
⚠️ Why This Scam Works❓️
🔸️Fake addresses blend in — only differ by a few characters at the start/end.
🔸️Users trust their own wallet history - but malware or clipboard hijacks can alter it.
🔸️Test transactions give false confidence - they verify the network, not the recipient.
🛡️ How to Protect Yourself❓️
✅ Never copy addresses from history — type or scan QR codes.
✅ Always verify "first 5 + last 5 characters" of any address.
✅ Use an address book or labeled watchlist in your wallet.
✅ Enable anti‑phishing alerts in MetaMask, Phantom, Trust Wallet, etc.
✅ For large sums, use a hardware wallet to avoid clipboard attacks.
✅ Treat every send as high‑risk - no “quick test” shortcuts.
🚨 What to Do If You’re Targeted❓️
1. "Contact your exchange" immediately - they may freeze the outbound transaction.
2. "Report the address" to blockchain forensic firms like Chainalysis or TRM Labs.
3. "Share the scammer’s address" publicly - warn the community before others get hit.
💡Bottom Line
👉This wasn’t a technical breach but it was a "social engineering trap".
👉The best defense is "constant vigilance" and "manual verification". Don’t let a $50M lesson become yours.
👉Share this article. Warn your network. Stay safe.
#CryptoSecurity #ScamAlert #AddressPoisoning #BlockchainSafety #CryptoInvesting
