Binance issued a security warning on September 26, 2026, alerting cryptocurrency users to an address poisoning scam that can redirect payments without compromising private keys or gaining direct wallet access.
According to Binance, attackers first identify a wallet that has previously sent funds to a familiar recipient. Because blockchain records are public, they can analyze transaction histories and choose a destination the wallet owner may use again. The scammer then generates a lookalike address with similar opening and closing characters.
The attacker sends a zero-value or small transaction from that fraudulent address to the target wallet. This plants the lookalike address in the victim's transaction history. When the user later prepares a larger payment to a trusted recipient, they may accidentally copy the fraudulent address from recent activity instead of a verified address.
Binance emphasized that long wallet addresses make this deception difficult to spot, especially when wallets display only the first and last characters. The exchange advises users to verify the complete address before sending funds, save trusted recipients in an address book, and make a small test transfer before moving larger amounts. The warning notes that Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain are among the networks where this technique has been observed.
A transaction history shows where activity occurred, but it does not verify which addresses are trustworthy. Checking the complete destination remains the critical step before approving an irreversible crypto payment.
