Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 15, 2026

Dusting attack

A dusting attack or dust attack is an attack on a cryptocurrency wallet that sends tiny amounts of cryptocurrency to that wallet in order to uncover the identity of the wallet's owner. Information can then be used to obstruct receiving legitimate payments or phishing scams.

Last revised
Jun 15, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
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130 w
Citations
5
Source
Wikipedia ↗

A dusting attack or dust attack is an attack on a cryptocurrency wallet that sends tiny amounts of cryptocurrency (known as "dust") to that wallet in order to uncover the identity of the wallet's owner.1 Information can then be used to obstruct receiving legitimate payments2 or phishing scams.1

Victims are sent a token to their wallet via an airdrop.3 When the victim attempts to cash out the token, the sender is able to access the wallet through the smart contract attached to the token.4

References

References

  1. "CryptoCurrency glossary of terms – Letter 'D'". Portugal News. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  2. "Crypto Dust and Dusting Attacks Explained". Gemini. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  3. "Trading Meets Excellence". NEXDEX. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  4. Carroll, Rob. "5 Tips To Help You Avoid A Scam Blockchain Project". Benzinga. Retrieved 28 March 2022.