Before you send crypto: the safety checklist

Crypto payments usually can't be undone. A one-minute pause is the best protection there is.

BeginnerAbout 4 minutesReviewed November 5, 2026

The short answer

Before you send crypto or approve anything in your wallet, stop and check: is anyone rushing you, did you reach the site yourself, are the coin, network, address and amount right, what permission are you granting, and is anyone asking for your seed phrase? If anything feels unclear, don't approve it yet.

The rule that never changes

Legitimate support will never ask for your seed phrase (recovery phrase) or private key. Not an exchange, a wallet maker, a lawyer, the police or the FBI. Anyone who asks for it, or asks you to type it into a website, is trying to steal from you.

The checklist

Tick each step as you go. Print it to keep next to your computer.

Your progress0 of 9 done

Stop. Is someone pressuring you to act right now, or telling you to keep it secret? That alone is a reason to wait. Anyone telling you to use a Bitcoin ATM is a scammer.
Verify the source. Did you go to the exchange, app or website yourself, rather than through a link, ad or message?
Check the coin and network. Does the receiver support exactly this coin on exactly this network? See wrong-network mistakes.
Copy the address from the source. Never from your transaction history, where address poisoning plants lookalikes. Use the receiver's deposit page or your saved address book.
Compare the whole address. Check the beginning, middle and end, on your hardware wallet's screen if you have one. Malware can swap a copied address.
Check the amount and fee. For a big amount to a new address, send a small test first, then copy the address fresh again for the main payment.
Read the permission. Is the wallet asking to send something, or to approve a contract to spend your tokens later? Avoid unlimited approvals and "permit" signatures you don't understand. See wallet drainers.
Seed phrase? If anything asks for your recovery phrase or private key, stop. It's a scam, every time.
Can you live with it if it's gone? Most crypto transfers can't be reversed.

Your ticks are saved only in this browser, so you can come back to them. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Why these steps matter

Every item stops a real, common loss. Pressure and secrecy are how pig-butchering and impersonation scams work; in 2025 Americans reported $11.4 billion in crypto-related fraud losses to the FBI. Copying from history is how one trader lost about $50 million to address poisoning in December 2025, even after a test transaction. And a single unread "permit" signature caused the largest wallet-drainer loss of 2025.

Not sure what you're looking at? Run it through the scam checker, read what happens when you send crypto, or see all the safety checklists.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel a crypto payment?

Only before it confirms, and only on some networks and wallets. Once confirmed, it usually can't be reversed.

What is a token approval?

Permission for a smart contract to move your tokens later. Malicious approvals are how many wallets get drained.

Should I always send a test transaction?

For large amounts to a new address, yes. But copy the address again from the trusted source for the main payment: scammers watch for test transactions.

Is my checklist progress saved?

Yes, only in this browser, so you can come back to it. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Where to next

CheckScam checker Next checklistBefore connecting a wallet EmergencyWallet compromised?

Sources

Written for beginners and checked against the sources listed. Last reviewed November 5, 2026. This page is educational and is not financial, tax or legal advice. How we write and check pages.