Solana Wallet Drained? What to Do in the First Hour
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If SOL or tokens left your wallet and you didn’t send them, assume the attacker still has access. Work through these steps in order. Speed matters for step 1.
1. Move what’s left to a brand-new wallet (now)
- On a device you trust, create a new wallet with a new seed phrase. Don’t import the old one.
- Send everything remaining from the old wallet to the new address. Start with the most valuable tokens; keep a little SOL in the old wallet to pay the fees.
- Never use the old wallet or its seed phrase again, including on other devices where it’s installed.
If your seed phrase leaked, the attacker can drain anything sent to the old address in future too, including staking rewards and airdrops.
2. Work out how it happened
| What happened before | Likely cause | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| You typed your seed phrase into a site, form or “support” chat | Seed phrase stolen | Old wallet is permanently compromised |
| You approved a transaction on a site (claim, airdrop, mint) | Malicious transaction or token approval | Only what you approved may be at risk, but treat the wallet as unsafe |
| You stored the phrase in photos, cloud notes or email | Account or device compromise | Change passwords, check those accounts’ security |
| You installed a “wallet” from an ad or unofficial store | Fake wallet app | Remove it; check other installed extensions |
Look at the theft transaction on Solscan: when it happened and what you signed just before usually points to the cause.
3. Report it
- Exchange: if the stolen funds went to an exchange deposit address (explorers often label them), contact that exchange from its official site with the transaction links. Exchanges can sometimes freeze funds.
- Police: file a report. You’ll need it for any exchange freeze and for taxes. In the US you can also report to the FBI’s IC3; in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Keep a list of every transaction signature and address involved.
4. Beware “recovery” scams
After a theft, victims get contacted by “recovery experts”, “blockchain investigators” or fake police offering to get the funds back for an upfront fee. These are almost always a second scam. Legitimate law enforcement doesn’t charge you.
5. Prevent it next time
- Seed phrase on paper only, never typed into anything but the official wallet app. Full guide.
- Keep long-term savings on a hardware wallet: a stolen computer or a bad approval can’t move funds without the device.
- Use a separate “hot” wallet with small amounts for trying new apps.