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If your seed phrase may have been exposed, treat every wallet account derived from it as compromised. On a clean, trusted device, create a wallet with a brand-new phrase, then transfer whatever assets you can to it. Do not import the exposed phrase into the replacement wallet or use it again. Anyone else holding it may have the same power to sign transactions, so this is urgent—but there is no guaranteed safe window or assurance that you will beat them.
What to do first
Stop using suspicious sites, apps, and devices. Do not re-enter the phrase to test it, and do not send it to anyone claiming to be support. In a self-custody wallet, the provider generally cannot rotate the exposed phrase, freeze the wallet, or reverse a transaction. Kraken’s guidance for a compromised seed-phrase wallet is to create a new wallet on a secure device, transfer remaining assets, and then stop using the compromised phrase: Kraken Support: My Kraken Wallet has been compromised.
If the device where you used the old wallet may have malware or remote-access software, do not create the replacement wallet on it. Use a different device you trust. The recovery phrase controls access to the wallet; anyone who obtains it may be able to control its accounts and assets. Ethereum.org explains the role of recovery phrases and key security in its Ethereum security and scam prevention guidance.
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Create a replacement wallet with a new phrase
- On the trusted device, use a reputable wallet’s option to create a new wallet. Choose the option to create a wallet, not to import or restore an existing one.
- Write down the newly generated phrase in its exact order and store it offline in a place only you control. Do not photograph it, save it in cloud storage, or share it with anyone.
- Confirm that you can access the new wallet and its receiving addresses before moving funds. An optional hardware wallet can keep the replacement wallet’s private keys offline, but buying one should not delay an urgent transfer. Ethereum.org describes the offline-key role of hardware wallets in its security guidance.
An exposed phrase cannot be made private again. Gem Wallet’s guidance states: “An exposed Secret Phrase cannot be changed, reset, or made private again.” Read its steps for an exposed secret phrase for further wallet-specific cautions; menu labels and workflows can vary by wallet.
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Move assets one at a time
For each asset, get a receiving address from the new wallet for the correct asset and network. Then use the matching asset and network in the old wallet to send it. Network mismatches can send assets somewhere they cannot be recovered, so do not assume that addresses or token names alone establish compatibility.
- In the new wallet, open the asset and choose Receive. Confirm the asset and network, then copy the complete receiving address.
- In the old wallet, open the same asset on the matching network and start a send or transfer.
- Check the full recipient address, asset, network, amount, and displayed network fee before confirming. If the wallet supports address verification by QR code or other trusted means, use it as an additional check.
- Submit the transaction, then check its status and confirm that the asset arrived in the replacement wallet. Repeat for each asset and network.
A confirmed on-chain transfer is generally final. Kraken says, “Onchain transactions cannot be reversed.” Ethereum.org likewise explains that there is no central authority that can reverse a confirmed transaction in its scam help and reporting guidance.
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Plan around fees and the risk of a race
Token transfers usually require the old wallet to hold the network’s native coin to pay transaction fees. The exact fee and transfer steps depend on the chain, asset, wallet, and network conditions. A wallet with tokens but no fee coin may be unable to move them.
Do not automatically send fee funds to the exposed wallet. If someone is monitoring it with automated software, newly deposited funds may be swept away. Repeatedly topping it up or retrying without a plan can increase losses, and having the same signing authority as an attacker means there is no guaranteed way to win the race. Gem Wallet discusses this risk and transfer checks in its exposed-phrase guidance.
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Prioritize transfers according to the assets’ value, available fee funds, and whether each asset can move now. If you cannot pay a fee safely or promptly, avoid improvising; consult the wallet’s official support documentation for that network’s supported procedure, without disclosing the phrase.
Check for assets that cannot move immediately
Review the old wallet for staked, locked, reserved, or contract-held assets as well as ordinary spendable balances. Unstaking or withdrawing may require extra transactions and a waiting period imposed by the relevant protocol. Those assets may not be available to transfer at once. Track what remains and monitor the old wallet until every asset that can be recovered has arrived in the new one.
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Distinguish phrase exposure from a malicious approval
A malicious dApp approval and an exposed phrase are different problems. Revoking an approval can limit a contract’s permission to spend particular tokens, and disconnecting an unknown dApp may reduce unwanted access through that connection. But neither action secures an exposed phrase: its holder may still sign transactions directly. Move recoverable assets to the new wallet first; treat approval review as an additional measure, not a substitute. Ethereum.org explains approval and scam-response steps in its scam help and reporting guidance.
After the transfers
- Stop receiving funds at addresses derived from the exposed phrase.
- Update saved withdrawal addresses and contacts to use the replacement wallet, and remove the old wallet from connected services where possible.
- Keep monitoring for assets that were locked or could not yet be moved.
- Preserve transaction IDs or hashes, wallet addresses, dates, amounts, screenshots, and relevant messages. These details can help when reporting a scam or contacting a service.
If funds were sent to a centralized exchange, contact that exchange promptly with the transaction details. Ethereum.org notes that an exchange may sometimes freeze an account flagged for fraud, but this is not guaranteed. Do not pay anyone promising to recover crypto for an upfront fee; recovery offers can be a second scam. See Ethereum.org’s reporting guidance for documentation and reporting considerations.
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