In the crypto world, you might sometimes notice a tiny transaction appear in your wallet — for example, 0.000001 USDT.
These extremely small amounts are called “dust.”
They’re almost worthless on their own, but sometimes they’re used as the start of a scam or tracking attack.
What is a Dusting Attack?
A dusting attack happens when hackers or scammers send very small amounts of crypto to many wallet addresses. They do this to analyze wallet activity or trick users into taking harmful actions. Usually, there are two goals:
Tracking wallet connections:
Attackers use these tiny transactions to analyze how wallets interact on the blockchain and figure out which addresses belong to the same person.
Once they identify a main or high-value wallet, they might later target that user with phishing or social-engineering attacks.Leading users into phishing or scams:
Some dust transactions include a memo (Tag/Note) or a token name that hides a malicious link.
If you click the link or interact with the unknown token (for example, approve or trade it), you could reveal your wallet permissions or private keys.
What’s the difference between Phishing and Social Engineering?
Phishing attacks – Fake websites or messages try to make you click a link, sign in, or enter your recovery phrase.
→ The goal: make you take the bait.Social-engineering attacks – Attackers pretend to be customer service, friends, or official staff to trick you into revealing information or performing an action.
→ The goal: make you open the door yourself.
Why can dust be used to “track” me?
Because blockchains are public, everyone can see every transaction. When you send or combine that dust with your main funds, attackers can analyze blockchain data to learn which addresses are linked.
Think of it like this:
Someone secretly drops a small note at your door, then watches where you throw it away — that’s how they trace your route.
What happens if I receive dust?
Don’t panic — receiving dust won’t directly steal your crypto. The real danger comes from what you do with it.
Risky actions include:
Clicking links in the memo or note
Approving or swapping unknown tokens
Sending or merging the dust with your main funds
If you ignore the dust, it’s basically just spam.
What should personal-wallet users do?
Do not interact: Don’t click unknown links. Don’t approve or trade tokens you don’t recognize.
Verify tokens: Use official blockchain explorers like Etherscan, BscScan, or Solscan to check if the token contract looks suspicious or is marked as a scam.
Separate wallets: Use different wallets for different purposes:
One for airdrops or testing.
Another for storing main funds: This prevents your main wallet from being linked to risky addresses.
What should exchange users do?
Automatic protection: Platforms like XREX automatically filter most dust transactions.
If your account features are temporarily limited, it’s a safety measure — normal access will be restored once the system confirms your account is secure.Double-check addresses: Always verify the entire wallet address when copying or pasting.
Fake addresses sometimes look almost the same (first or last few characters).Seek assistance: If you’re unsure about a transaction, contact XREX Customer Support directly.
Don’t reply to random messages or join unknown groups.
Quick self-check (3 steps)
Check the transaction source – Review from/to, memo, contract address.
Check token safety – Look up the token on Etherscan or TokenSniffer to see if it’s flagged as a scam.
Unknown and tiny? Do nothing. – If it’s a very small, unknown amount, the safest move is to ignore it.
Never enter your seed phrase or private key on any website, message box, or bot.
Summary: Stay calm, stay alert, and don’t interact
A dusting attack isn’t dangerous by itself — it’s more like a “tracking trap.”
If you stay alert, don’t click strange links, don’t approve unknown tokens, and keep your wallets separate, you’ll stay safe.
If you use XREX, rest assured that our system automatically detects and filters dust to keep your funds secure.
Dust may look tiny, but your caution makes a huge difference.