Fake wallet apps and browser extensions

Counterfeit wallets in app stores, extension stores and search ads steal seed phrases the moment you import them. How to make sure you install the real thing.

Last reviewed 2026-10-27 · 2 min read

On this page
  1. Where fakes show up
  2. How to install the real one
  3. Red flags
  4. If you entered your seed into a fake app
  5. Extensions in general

A fake wallet looks and works like the real one, until you type in your seed phrase, which is sent straight to the attacker. Fake wallet apps and extensions have been found in official app and extension stores, and are heavily promoted through search ads.

Where fakes show up

  • Search ads at the top of results for a wallet's name, leading to a lookalike download site.
  • App stores, under names like "Wallet Pro", "Official Wallet" or the real name with an extra word, sometimes with fake reviews.
  • Browser extension stores, copying the real extension's name and icon.
  • Direct download links in DMs, Discord and Telegram, for example "the new beta version" or "the version with airdrop support".
  • Compromised updates: on rare occasions, legitimate extensions have been taken over and pushed malicious updates.

How to install the real one

  1. Go to the wallet's official website by typing the address you have verified, not through a search ad.
  2. Use the download or store link from that official website. This makes sure you land on the right listing.
  3. Check the publisher name on the store page and compare it with the official site.
  4. Look at the details: download count, release history and reviews. A wallet with millions of users should not have a listing with a few hundred downloads.
  5. Avoid sideloading apps from outside official stores.

Red flags

  • The app asks you to import an existing seed phrase immediately rather than offering to create a new wallet.
  • It asks for more permissions than a wallet should need, such as accessibility services or screen recording.
  • Balances look wrong, or transactions fail with strange errors that "support" offers to fix.

If you entered your seed into a fake app

Assume the seed is compromised. From a clean device and a genuine wallet, create a new wallet with a new seed and move everything you can immediately. Then uninstall the fake app. See I've been hacked.

Extensions in general

Every browser extension you install can potentially read and change the pages you visit. Keep only the extensions you need in the browser profile you use for crypto, and remove ones you do not use anymore. See device hygiene.