How to Secure Your Wallet After Being Compromised

 

Report your lost or stolen cryptocurrencies, NFTs or other digital assets 

Once your wallet has been exposed to hackers, it is no longer a safe place to store your cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or other digital assets. It is an easy target for criminals.



You will need to fix the holes in your wallet security as soon as possible if you want to keep investing your money into crypto assets without losing even more.



Disconnect Any Trusted Apps


Your wallet may have been compromised after being connected to a malicious website. You can check your account’s connections by:


• Go to your account ‘Settings’ menu


• Select the ‘Trusted Apps’ section


• Manually revoke access to any suspicious connections


You can also check your accounts connections by searching for your wallet address on the following sites:

Etherscan

BSCscan

Uninstall the Extension

You’ll need to remove your wallet’s extension and app from all of your devices to make sure the software isn’t infected by any remaining malware. You can find specific instructions to remove this on your chosen browser below:

Chrome

Safari

Firefox

Edge

iPhone App

Android App

Scan Your Devices

Any device you have used with your compromised wallet will likely still be infected by malware that keeps your device connected to the hackers. Use a reputable antivirus software like Bitdefender, Malware Bytes or Spybot Search and Destroy to scan your devices and remove any malware that it might find.



Reinstall the Extension

Reinstall the extension and app on your chosen devices by selecting the correct option from the download page of your chosen provider’s official website:

Phantom

MetaMask

Create a New Wallet

If you want to keep trading in cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or other digital assets, you need to stop using your existing account as it will still be connected to the compromised wallet.

MetaMask

Open MetaMask and click ‘Get Started’


Click 'Create a Wallet' in the 'Yes, Let’s Get Set Up!' box


Create a password for your account. (Your password needs a minimum of 12 characters and should include 1 number & 1 special character.)


Watch the Video for tips on keeping your Secret Recovery Phrase safe.


Click on the box to reveal your Secret Recovery Phrase


Click through each of your Seed Words in order to confirm your Secret Recovery


Click 'All Done', and that’s it! You can rename your new account with the pencil icon in the accounts menu by clicking the three-dot menu on the top right.

Phantom

Open Phantom and click 'Create a New Wallet'

Create a password for your account. (Your password needs a minimum of 12 characters and should include 1 number & 1 special character.)

Hover over the box to reveal your Secret Recovery Phrase

Tick the box to confirm that you have saved your Secret Recovery Phrase 

Click 'Continue' and 'All Done', and that’s it! You can rename your new account using the Wallet Name field in the accounts menu. Open the settings menu in the top left corner, click on your wallet and select the three-dot menu on the top right.

Other Wallet Providers

To open a new wallet with a different provider, you’ll need to download the relevant extension from your chosen provider's official website. From there, follow the extension’s on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.



Safeguard Your New Secret Recovery Phrase

If your new wallet is held by a self-custodial provider like our partners MetaMask or Phantom, you will be the only one responsible for the safety of your cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or other digital assets.



The seed words in your Secret Recovery Phrase should be kept in a secure and private location that only you can access, and should not be shared with anybody.



We recommend keeping several physical copies of your Secret Recovery Phrase in multiple secure storage locations like a filing cabinet, safety deposit box or other private, lockable place.



You will never be asked to share your seed words by Asset Reality or any of our partners like MetaMask or Phantom. If anyone requests any part of your secret recovery phrase, they are trying to steal from you.


For More Help…

Check out our education centre to learn more about protecting yourself and your cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or other digital assets.