Ethereum experiences large-scale address poisoning attack: 116,000 victims, $740,000 evaporated

LiquiditySurfer · 2026-01-20T06:20:10+00:00

Recently, Ethereum has experienced an abnormal surge in transactions. Security researchers reveal that this is due to large-scale address poisoning attacks. Attackers forge wallet addresses, causing users to make incorrect transfers. Already, 116,000 users have been affected, with losses exceeding $740,000. Users should carefully verify addresses to avoid being scammed.

LiquiditySurfer

2026-01-20 06:20:10

Abstract generation in progress

【CryptoWorld】Recently, there has been a strange surge in transactions on Ethereum, and address activity is also skyrocketing. Security researcher Andrey Sergeenkov revealed the truth — behind this is a large-scale address poisoning attack.

How does it work? Attackers forge wallets that are almost identical to normal addresses, using this “dust attack” to trick users into transferring funds to the wrong address. It sounds a bit unbelievable, but some people have fallen for it.

After the Fusaka upgrade, Gas fees have dropped significantly by over 60%, which ironically gives these malicious actors an opportunity — lower costs enable them to launch larger-scale attacks. According to data, over 116,000 users have been affected, with more than $740,000 stolen in total.

If you frequently interact on Ethereum, be sure to verify addresses carefully, especially when receiving unfamiliar airdrops or needing to transfer funds. Take an extra look to avoid being scammed.

ETH-6,96%

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EthSandwichHero

· 18h ago

Damn, here we go again? Every time Gas gets cheaper, someone starts causing trouble. Truly despicable. --- 116,000 people? That number seems a bit exaggerated, feels like it's overstated. --- Copying and pasting addresses is an old trick that can't be older, and some people still fall for it? --- The blame for Fusaka's upgrade is a bit unfair, mainly because users are not paying attention. --- $740,000 has evaporated. On average, how much money was each person scammed out of? Do the math. --- Damn, now I have to carefully verify addresses again. So annoying. --- This kind of attack has existed for a long time, so why is it only now exploding on a large scale? --- Cheap Gas fees have turned out to be a bad thing, quite ironic. --- Every day, people are being phished. When will you guys learn to be smarter? --- Address poisoning can't be effectively prevented unless the ecosystem itself improves.

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ZenChainWalker

· 18h ago

11.6K people... How careless must that be? I never click on unfamiliar links. --- It's ironic that cheaper gas fees have become a bad thing. --- Even basic operations like verifying addresses can go wrong. The crypto world is truly full of pitfalls. --- 74 million USD just disappeared like that. Luckily, I don't have that much in my wallet. --- Dust attacks sound insignificant, but they're really hard to defend against. --- Why must I chase after these airdrops? Learned a painful lesson. --- What are the side effects of Fusaka's upgrade? This move is quite risky. --- Every time I say to be careful, someone still falls into the trap. --- This attack was massive. The ecosystem should reflect on this. --- I've said a thousand times about checking addresses, but some people still don't take it seriously.

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Layer2Arbitrageur

· 18h ago

lmao the irony—they optimize gas by 60% and suddenly we're getting honeypotted left and right. classic risk-reward curve inversion. 116k users down 740k is actually wild when you think about the per-user loss distribution... actually if people just ran basic address verification scripts before interaction, this evaporates instantly. no cap.

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PumpDetector

· 18h ago

ngl this is peak market psychology at work - gas fees drop, scammers go feral. seen this pattern before, always the same cycle... 116k victims though? reading between the lines that's institutional negligence wrapped in retail losses

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just_here_for_vibes

· 18h ago

11.6K people? Oh my, how careless must they be... I thought I was the only fool Damn, cheap Gas fees have become the accomplice? That logic is brilliant I have to carefully check the copy address three times before copying, you really can't trust anyone these days 740,000 gone, how big is this group's mindset? I'm scared to even transfer money Poisoning attacks are really hard to defend against, who would have thought there are such tricks That's why I now read the address three times before transferring, my OCD saved me Fusaka upgrade: I came to reduce gas, but unexpectedly helped scam... Haha Almost got caught before, now I hide whenever I see unfamiliar addresses, better to kill a thousand than miss one This is so savage, forging addresses and still fooling so many people, I really didn't expect Are we racing against risk? As I said, taking a second look can really save you a lot of money

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