What Is a Dusting Attack (and Should You Worry)?

You notice a tiny, unexpected amount of crypto or a strange token in your wallet. That can be a “dusting attack” — and how you react matters.

What dusting is

Someone sends tiny amounts of crypto (“dust”) or worthless tokens to many wallets. The goals vary: to track and de-anonymise wallet owners, to advertise a scam, or to bait you into interacting with a malicious token.

The real danger

The dust itself usually can't hurt you. The danger is what it lures you to do: the token's name may be a phishing URL, or “claiming” / interacting with it sends you to a wallet drainer.

What to do

• Don't interact with unexpected tokens — don't swap, claim, or click their name/link.
• Don't visit any URL embedded in a token's name.
• Simply ignore the dust; you can leave it in your wallet.
• For privacy, avoid consolidating dust with your main funds.

Check before you touch

If you're curious what an unexpected token is, ChainInspector Suite lets you scan its contract safely without connecting your wallet — read-only, on your own PC.