Free tool · crypto safety
Crypto Address Checker
Before you send crypto, confirm the address hasn’t been swapped for a lookalike. “Address poisoning” slips a near-identical address into your history — same start and end, different middle — hoping you’ll copy it by mistake. Learn how it works, then paste both addresses to check.
100% private. Addresses are compared entirely in your browser — nothing is sent to us, logged, or stored.
What Is Address Poisoning?
Address poisoning is a crypto scam that turns your own transaction history against you. An attacker plants a wallet address in your history that looks almost exactly like one you trust — same first and last characters, different middle — so that next time you pay, you copy theirs by mistake.
It exploits a simple human habit: we recognise a long wallet address by its start and end, and never read the middle. Because crypto transfers are irreversible, a single mistaken paste can cost everything you send — which is why this has grown into a multi-million-dollar attack.
How Address Poisoning Works
They watch your wallet
Automated bots scan public blockchains for wallets that just moved funds to a counterparty — an exchange deposit address, a friend, a business.
They craft a lookalike
They generate a “vanity” address whose first and last few characters match that counterparty’s. At a glance — which is all most people check — it looks identical.
They poison your history
They send you a tiny “dust” or even zero-value transfer from the lookalike. Now it sits in your transaction history, looking like an address you’ve used before.
You copy the wrong one
Next time you pay that counterparty, you copy the address from your history to save time — and grab the poisoned lookalike. The crypto goes to the attacker, and blockchain transactions are irreversible, so it’s gone.
Red Flags in Your Wallet
- A tiny or zero-value transfer from an address that “almost” matches one you’ve paid before.
- Unexpected token spam or dust landing in your wallet, especially just after you sent a payment.
- Clusters of small transactions appearing near the time you last paid a counterparty.
How to Check an Address
- 1
Verify the WHOLE address, character by character — never just the first and last few.
- 2
Never copy an address from your transaction history. Get it from the original, trusted source every time.
- 3
Save trusted addresses to a whitelist or address book, and reuse those, not your history.
- 4
For any large transfer, send a small test amount first and confirm it arrives before sending the rest.
- 5
Use a hardware wallet, which makes you confirm the real destination on a separate screen.
- 6
Compare the two addresses in the checker below before you hit send.
Use the Address Checker
Paste the address you’re about to send to and the one you meant to use — we’ll highlight the matching ends and the differing middle.
Paste both addresses to compare
Enter the address you’re about to send to, and the address you meant to use. We’ll show you exactly where they differ.
Scan Your Address Book / History
Paste several addresses (one per line) to check whether any two are dangerous lookalikes — a sign your history may already be poisoned.
If You Already Sent to the Wrong Address
Blockchain transactions can’t be reversed, so there’s no undo button — but act fast anyway. If the funds moved to an exchange, report it to that exchange immediately with the transaction hash; they can sometimes freeze the account. Save every detail: the addresses, transaction hashes, and timestamps.
Then read how to get your money back after a scam for the realistic odds and the steps — and ignore any “crypto recovery” service that asks for an upfront fee, which is a follow-up scam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tool send my wallet address anywhere?
No. The comparison runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is transmitted, stored, or logged — you can use it offline once the page has loaded.
What is address poisoning?
An attacker sends a tiny or zero-value transfer from a wallet address crafted to look like one you have paid before (matching first and last characters). It sits in your transaction history so that, next time, you copy the attacker’s address by mistake.
Why isn’t checking the first and last few characters enough?
Because that is exactly what attackers count on. A “vanity” address can match the ends of a real one while the middle is completely different — and the middle is where your money actually goes.
I sent crypto to a poisoned address — can I get it back?
Almost never — blockchain transactions are irreversible. If the funds landed at an exchange you can report it fast with the transaction hash and they may freeze the account, but recovery is rare. Ignore anyone who promises to recover funds for a fee; that’s a follow-up scam.
Does a hardware wallet help?
Yes. A hardware wallet makes you confirm the real destination on a separate screen, which defeats many address swaps and malware — though you still must verify the full address.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Add a Hardware Layer
A hardware wallet makes you confirm the real destination address on a separate screen — a strong defense against address swaps and malware.
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