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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Check an exchange account for unfamiliar sign-ins, sessions, withdrawals, withdrawal addresses, API keys, and security changes. For a self-custody wallet, compare transactions with what you actually authorized and inspect connected apps and token approvals. If an exchange may be under active control, use its official lock option and contact support; if your recovery phrase or private key was exposed, move remaining assets to a new wallet with a new phrase. These account types have different controls, and confirmed blockchain transfers generally cannot be reversed.
First, identify what kind of account you use
A centralized exchange account is controlled through a provider’s service. The exchange may be able to end sessions, pause transfers, or investigate account activity. A self-custody wallet is controlled by its private key or recovery phrase; the wallet app displays activity, but blockchain transactions are generally not reversible.
| What to check | Exchange account | Self-custody wallet |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Sign-ins, sessions, withdrawals, saved addresses, API keys, and account changes | Transactions, recipients, dapps or contracts, and token approvals |
| Immediate containment | Use an official lock or freeze option if available; contact the provider | Move remaining assets to a new wallet if the secret was exposed; revoke suspicious approvals where possible |
| Reversibility | The provider may be able to restrict account activity or investigate; outcomes are not guaranteed | Confirmed on-chain transfers generally cannot be reversed |
How to check whether an exchange account was accessed
- Open the service safely. Use the official app or a URL you saved independently. Do not sign in through an unexpected email, text, social post, or search advertisement.
- Review sign-ins and sessions. Check recent account activity, active sessions, recognized devices, and security notifications. Compare an unfamiliar location or IP address with your own travel, VPN use, mobile network, and browsing before treating it as proof. Coinbase says its account activity tools show active sessions and authorized devices; remove access you do not recognize (Coinbase account-compromise guidance).
- Inspect money movement and access changes. Look for withdrawals, new or changed withdrawal addresses, trades or orders you did not place, new API keys, and changes to security settings. API keys can expose or operate account functions according to their permissions. Kraken advises contacting its security team about unfamiliar activity (Kraken compromised-account guidance).
- Check the email account tied to the exchange. Review forwarding rules, recovery addresses and phone numbers, and devices authorized to access email. A person who controls your email may be able to reset or approve access to the exchange, as Coinbase notes in its account-compromise guidance.
An unfamiliar sign-in by itself is not conclusive: locations can be imprecise, and VPNs or mobile networks can make activity appear to come from somewhere unexpected. A withdrawal, changed address, or security change you did not make is more serious evidence to investigate.
How to check a self-custody wallet
Match each unfamiliar transaction to something you did
Open the wallet’s activity view and inspect unexplained transactions on the relevant network. Check the time, destination address, dapp or contract involved, and amount or value. Compare them with a swap, deposit, contract interaction, or network fee you remember. MetaMask recommends using a block explorer to inspect these transaction details (MetaMask transaction investigation guidance).
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A transaction that succeeded and that you did not authorize is a serious warning. An explorer shows public transaction data, not who controlled an address or whether a real-world person authorized an action.
Review connected apps and token approvals
Check which dapps are connected to the wallet and whether you approved contracts to spend tokens. Connecting a site may expose your public address; a signed token approval can give a contract continuing permission to move particular tokens. Ethereum.org explains how to review and revoke approvals (Ethereum.org’s token approval guide). A suspicious approval is worth addressing even when no unexplained transfer has appeared yet.
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Do not follow links embedded in unfamiliar NFTs or tokens, and do not sign a transaction you cannot identify. Disconnecting a dapp is not the same as revoking an on-chain token approval.
What to do if an exchange account may be compromised
- Contain access through the official service. If the exchange offers a lock or freeze feature, use it in the official app or site and contact the provider’s official support or security channel. Coinbase’s Security Lock signs out all devices and pauses trading, transfers, and account changes while still allowing activity review and support contact (Coinbase Security Lock). Controls vary by exchange and region.
- Change credentials and end unknown access. Change the exchange password and the password for its linked email account to unique values. End unfamiliar sessions, remove unknown authorized devices and apps, and review or remove API keys you did not create. Kraken’s guidance recommends resetting the password and sign-in 2FA, removing active sessions and devices, withdrawal addresses, and API keys; recreate only API keys you still need (Kraken compromised-account guidance).
- Secure recovery and two-factor authentication. Verify the email account’s recovery methods and forwarding rules, and strengthen its two-factor authentication. Review the exchange’s 2FA settings and reset them if appropriate.
- Ask the provider to investigate specific activity. Give official support the withdrawal details, timestamps, and account changes you found. If funds appear to have reached another exchange, report that promptly; Ethereum.org recommends contacting a centralized exchange in that situation (Ethereum.org’s guidance).
What to do if a wallet secret or approval is at risk
If a recovery phrase or private key was exposed
Assume every wallet derived from that phrase or key is compromised. On a clean, trusted device, create a new wallet with a new recovery phrase and move any remaining assets to it. Do not merely import the old phrase into another app or device: that does not make the secret safe. Kraken’s wallet guidance also treats a compromised wallet as a key-security incident (Kraken Wallet compromise guidance).
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If an approval or dapp looks suspicious
Stop interacting with the site, disconnect it, and revoke suspicious token approvals using the wallet or a trusted chain-specific approval checker. Revoking permission can limit future use of that approval, but it cannot recover assets already transferred. Ethereum.org explains approval revocation and its limits in its token approval guide.
Preserve evidence and secure connected devices
- Save transaction hashes, addresses, timestamps, screenshots, relevant URLs, emails, and chat records.
- Contact the exchange or wallet provider only through its official support route. Report the incident to local law enforcement or the relevant regulator where appropriate.
- Secure devices and accounts connected to the wallet or exchange: check email recovery and forwarding, update software, and investigate suspicious downloads or remote-access tools. Kraken recommends device scans and email security steps, while Coinbase notes that malware can steal credentials and sessions (Kraken guidance; Coinbase guidance).
What you can and cannot recover
Confirmed blockchain transfers generally cannot be reversed. Kraken states, “Onchain transactions cannot be reversed” in its wallet-compromise guidance, last updated September 15, 2026 (Kraken Wallet guidance). An exchange may investigate or restrict a receiving account if stolen funds reach its platform, but that is not a guaranteed recovery route. Ethereum.org and Singapore Police advise contacting platforms promptly when relevant (Ethereum.org; Singapore Police crypto-scam advisory).
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Be wary of anyone promising to recover crypto for a fee; Ethereum.org warns that paid recovery offers are almost certainly a second scam. Never share your recovery phrase, private key, password, one-time code, or remote access to your device with someone claiming to provide support or recovery.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reduce the chance of another compromise
Use unique passwords for the exchange and its linked email, and protect both with strong two-factor authentication. A FIDO2-compatible hardware security key is one option for exchange sign-in 2FA; Kraken recommends hardware security keys (Kraken security-key guidance). A key can strengthen sign-in, but it does not inspect wallet transactions or recover stolen funds. Keep recovery phrases offline and never enter them into a site reached through an unsolicited message.
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