Metamask Wallet Users Are Advised to Avoid Copying and Pasting Addresses

Metamask Wallet Users Are Advised to Avoid Copying and Pasting Addresses

The crypto wallet app support team has advised Metamask wallet users to avoid the practice of copying and pasting wallet addresses. Metamask users should instead "develop a habit of thoroughly checking every single character of an address" before confirming a transaction. It will prevent users from becoming victims of an address poisoning attack.

Users Warned of Address Poisoning Attack

Metamask crypto wallet users should be wary of a new tactical ploy by scammers known as the address poisoning attack. The developers of the software cryptocurrency wallet have warned users to be cautious and avoid "carelessness and haste above all else." The Metamask team added that while the method of attack may seem harmless, "it can just as easily result in a loss of funds."

The January 11 statement explains how scammers use the new tactical ploy to steal from unsuspecting users. The Metamask Support team said cybercriminals and scammers often exploit common behaviors among crypto users, such as the copying and pasting of wallet addresses. Although this ensures that funds are sent to the correct address, the team warned that scammers are aware that many users are unwilling to memorize their wallet addresses. The statement said:

"Since they’re so long, crypto wallet addresses are typically shortened. You might see the first lot of characters only, or sometimes you may see the initial 5–10 characters and the final 5–10 characters, skipping the middle. This is how most people recognize addresses—not by knowing every single character but by becoming familiar with the start and finish. This is the tendency that address poisoning preys on."

Users Must Check Every Single Character in a Wallet Address

The Metamask Support team explained that scammers often initiate a poisoning attack by sending a negligible amount to a dummy wallet address that closely matches that of a Metamask wallet user. The scammer then waits, hoping the targeted user will "inadvertently copy their address from transaction history and paste it elsewhere."

Since transactions are said to be immutable or irreversible, when funds are sent to an incorrect address, they are lost forever. Therefore, wallet users need to take all precautions, including "checking every single character." The Metamask Support team said wallet users must try to end the practice of copying addresses from their transaction history.

Instead, wallet users should "develop a habit of thoroughly checking every single character of an address before you send a transaction."

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