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If your Ethereum recovery phrase (seed phrase) or private key may have been exposed, assume every account derived from it is at risk. On a trusted, malware-free device, create a completely new wallet with a new recovery phrase, transfer any remaining assets to addresses from that wallet, and stop using the compromised accounts. A new hardware wallet or fresh device cannot make an exposed phrase safe.
First, stop the exposure
Do not type a recovery phrase or private key into a website, form, chat, browser extension, or support ticket. Ethereum.org says that no legitimate service, support agent, or website will ever ask for these credentials. Ignore unsolicited “support” accounts and anyone who claims to be able to reverse a transaction or recover funds for a fee.
Disconnect from suspicious links and stop signing transactions until you understand what happened. Do not install a wallet extension supplied by someone in a message. Save screenshots and notes without copying the secret itself.
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“My wallet was hacked” can describe several different incidents. The response depends on whether an attacker obtained your master credentials, a device captured them, or a smart-contract approval granted limited spending permission.
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| Possible incident | What it means | Priority response |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery phrase or private key exposed | Someone may control every corresponding account and address. | Generate a new phrase and addresses, move remaining assets, then retire all accounts derived from the exposed phrase. |
| Malicious token approval | A contract may be authorized to move a specified token or amount. | Inspect and revoke unwanted approvals; migrate if keys may also be exposed or unauthorized transactions occurred. |
| Compromised device or fake extension | Passwords or wallet secrets may have been captured, but the full scope is uncertain. | Stop using the suspect environment, address the device and browser problem, then create fresh keys from a trusted environment. |
| Funds vanish whenever gas arrives | A sweeper bot may be monitoring the old address and automatically taking incoming funds. | Do not keep topping up or create more accounts under that phrase; obtain case-specific help through official channels. |
Review the affected address in a block explorer. Check the time, recipient, dapp, token and amount against your own activity. This can reveal whether a transfer was authorized, but it cannot prove that a device is clean or make an exposed key safe.
If someone may have your seed phrase or private key
1. Prepare a trusted environment
Use a device and browser profile you trust. If you saw malware, an unfamiliar extension, a fake wallet download, or other signs of tampering, address that problem before generating replacement keys. Do not create the replacement wallet on the suspect system and assume the secret is protected.
2. Generate genuinely new keys
- Open the wallet software through its known, official distribution channel.
- Create a new wallet that generates a new recovery phrase. Do not import the old phrase.
- Write the new phrase down privately and store it offline in a secure location. Never photograph it, place it in cloud notes, email it, or send it to support.
- Confirm that the new wallet displays addresses different from every address derived from the old phrase.
Do not add another account under the compromised phrase. Importing that phrase into a new hardware wallet is not a fix: all accounts derived from the phrase remain exposed. If the old wallet was created through a Google or Apple login and that login may be compromised, MetaMask advises against connecting the same login to the replacement wallet.
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Send the remaining ETH and tokens to addresses controlled by the fresh keys. Verify each destination character-by-character on the trusted device and send a small test amount first when practical. Include enough ETH for network fees, but do not fund the old wallet repeatedly if a sweeper may be watching it.
Ethereum.org and MetaMask recommend moving funds to a new secure wallet and discontinuing use of the compromised one. After the transfers settle, treat every account derived from the old phrase as retired. Do not continue using an old address merely because it still appears in your wallet app.
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When your wallet is draining or a sweeper takes every deposit
A sweeper bot can monitor a compromised address and submit a transaction as soon as ETH for gas arrives. If a deposit disappears immediately, adding more funds usually gives the sweeper another opportunity; it does not prove that a faster ordinary transfer will win.
- Stop sending routine gas top-ups to the draining address.
- Do not create additional accounts under the same recovery phrase.
- Record transaction hashes, timestamps and destination addresses.
- Use official wallet or network support for a case-specific assessment, without disclosing your phrase or private key.
There is no general promise that assets can be saved from a sweeper. A professional may need to evaluate timing and transaction construction, but anyone asking for your secret is unsafe.
If the problem is a malicious token approval
An approval is different from key theft. When you approve a token allowance, a smart contract may be permitted to transfer that token, sometimes up to a specified amount. The contract cannot automatically obtain unrelated assets solely because an approval exists.
- Identify the affected network and token in your wallet activity or a block explorer.
- Open an approval-checking route reached from official Ethereum guidance. Ethereum.org points readers to Revoke.cash and Etherscan’s Token Approval Checker.
- Revoke permissions you do not recognize or no longer need, using the wallet account that granted them.
- Wait for the revocation transaction to confirm, then inspect the allowance again.
Revocation is an on-chain transaction and requires a network fee; the current amount varies with network conditions. It limits the permission involved but cannot return assets already transferred and does not neutralize an exposed recovery phrase or private key. If unauthorized transactions occurred or the device may have leaked secrets, follow the fresh-wallet migration procedure as well.
Secure exchanges, email and other connected accounts
A wallet incident can expose more than on-chain assets. Change passwords for linked exchanges, email accounts and other crypto services, beginning with the accounts that can reset others. Enable two-factor authentication on crypto-related accounts, preferably with an authenticator app or hardware security key where available. Review active sessions, API keys, withdrawal addresses and login alerts, and remove anything you do not recognize.
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- Tap once to manage your entire crypto wallet across 90 blockchains - no USB cables or Bluetooth, no batteries, no setup. Access 14,100+ coins & tokens, DeFi, NFTs, and staking instantly from your phone
- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
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Preserve transaction hashes, suspicious URLs, wallet-extension names, messages and relevant dates for reports. Report through the appropriate official wallet, exchange, platform or law-enforcement channel for your jurisdiction. Never include the recovery phrase in a report.
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A hardware wallet can keep the private keys for a newly generated wallet offline and require confirmation on the device before signing. Ethereum.org describes hardware wallets as an offline-storage option, and MetaMask names Ledger and Trezor as examples.
It cannot repair a compromised phrase, invalidate old derived accounts, reverse a completed transfer or guarantee safety if the new phrase is copied elsewhere. Initialize it with fresh keys, verify the receiving address on the device screen, and keep the new recovery material offline. Never restore the exposed phrase to the hardware wallet as a supposed upgrade.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to expect about lost funds
Ethereum.org’s scam guidance states: “No one can reverse blockchain transactions.” Confirmed blockchain transfers generally cannot be undone unless the recipient voluntarily sends the assets back. Wallet support cannot roll back a confirmed transaction.
Be especially cautious of “recovery agents,” investigators or support representatives who demand an upfront payment, remote access or your seed phrase. A person who already stole funds may use public transaction data to make a convincing second offer. Do not pay or share credentials; preserve the evidence and report the scam.
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Checklist for the next 24 hours
- Stop entering or sharing the old phrase and private keys.
- Stop signing unfamiliar dapp requests.
- Inspect transfers and approvals in a block explorer.
- Clean or replace the suspect device and browser environment.
- Create a wallet with a completely new phrase on the trusted environment.
- Write and store that phrase offline; do not transmit it digitally.
- Move remaining assets to addresses from the new keys.
- Stop using every account derived from the exposed phrase.
- Revoke unwanted token approvals when approval abuse is the likely cause.
- Change related passwords, enable two-factor authentication and review sessions.
- Save hashes and messages for reports without revealing secrets.
Common questions
Is my seed phrase safe if I only typed it into a new wallet app?
No. If the app, extension or device was fake or compromised, assume the phrase was exposed and migrate to keys generated in a trusted environment.
Can I keep using an old account after revoking an approval?
Only if you have strong evidence that the keys were never exposed and the issue was limited to that approval. Any suspected phrase or private-key disclosure requires new keys and retirement of the old derived accounts.
Should I send more ETH to an address that is being drained?
Usually not. Immediate disappearance after a gas deposit is consistent with a sweeper bot. Repeated top-ups can simply fund the attacker.
Can wallet support recover my phrase?
No legitimate support service needs it. Keep the phrase private and use official channels only for guidance that does not require disclosure.
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