{
  "slug": "token-approvals-and-permit2-how-wallets-get-drained-after-a-harmless-approve",
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Token Approvals and Permit2: How Wallets Get Drained After a Harmless Approve",
  "pageUrl": "https://etz-swap.com/blog/token-approvals-and-permit2-how-wallets-get-drained-after-a-harmless-approve",
  "cover": "https://api.etz-swap.com/api/v1/content?path=blog/token-approvals-and-permit2-how-wallets-get-drained-after-a-harmless-approve-cover.webp",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "ETZ Swap",
    "url": "https://etz-swap.com",
    "logo": "https://api.etz-swap.com/api/v1/content?path=blog/logo.webp"
  },
  "friendlyUrls": [
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      "anchor": "fake support chat"
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      "anchor": "best anonymous wallet guide"
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      "url": "https://etz-swap.com/blog/monero-wallets-guide",
      "anchor": "Monero wallets guide"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://etz-swap.com/blog/seed-phrase-storage-icloud-google-drive-password-manager",
      "anchor": "How to Store a Seed Phrase Safely"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://etz-swap.com/blog/deepfake-zoom-crypto-scams-calendar-invite-troubleshooting-trap",
      "anchor": "deepfake Zoom crypto scams"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://etz-swap.com/blog/fake-wallet-updates-verify-wallet-downloads",
      "anchor": "Fake Wallet Updates and Safe Downloads"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://etz-swap.com/blog/ai-bots-unmask-your-wallet-crypto-privacy-risk",
      "anchor": "How AI Bots Unmask Your Wallet"
    }
  ],
  "keyQuestions": [
    "Why do wallets get drained if I never shared my seed phrase",
    "Is approving a token the same as signing a message",
    "Why do people keep mentioning Permit2 after wallet drains",
    "Why does a claim page ask for unlimited approval",
    "Which approval requests are normal and which ones are red flags",
    "Can a safe-looking site still drain my wallet after I approve",
    "Should I use a separate wallet for claims, mints, and new apps",
    "How do I check what my wallet is really being asked to approve",
    "I already approved something suspicious. What should I do now"
  ],
  "quickSteps": [
    "Start from the official source only. If the route to the page is messy, do not connect your wallet yet.",
    "Run three screens before any approval or permit: source, technical ask, and economics. If one fails, stop.",
    "Treat unlimited approvals, SetApprovalForAll, and vague permits as hard slow-down moments, not routine clicks.",
    "Use a separate low-balance interaction wallet for claims, mints, and new apps. Keep savings elsewhere.",
    "Revoke old permissions on a schedule, and if something feels wrong, contain it fast: revoke, move assets, and retire that workflow."
  ],
  "recoveryDecisionTree": {
    "start": "You approved or signed something suspicious and now need to reduce wallet risk fast",
    "branches": [
      {
        "if": "You only approved a token or permit and assets are still in the wallet",
        "then": [
          "Review the spender and token scope before doing anything else",
          "Revoke the risky approval or permit as soon as possible",
          "Move important assets to a fresh wallet after revocation",
          "Stop using the same page, app, or route that triggered the request"
        ]
      },
      {
        "if": "Assets already moved out after the approval",
        "then": [
          "Treat the wallet workflow as compromised",
          "Revoke any remaining approvals linked to the same wallet",
          "Move any untouched assets to a fresh wallet",
          "Save TXIDs, timestamps, token names, contract addresses, and screenshots for your own records",
          "Ignore recovery agents, support DMs, seed-phrase requests, and remote-access offers"
        ]
      },
      {
        "if": "You are not sure whether the request was safe or malicious",
        "then": [
          "Pause all new wallet interactions from that device/session",
          "Check whether the request was narrow, understandable, and proportional to the action",
          "If the approval scope is vague, broad, or unlimited, treat it as suspicious",
          "Revoke first, then resume activity only from a clean and trusted route"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "riskNotes": [
    "A wallet can be exposed through granted permissions even when the seed phrase was never shared.",
    "Unlimited approvals and broad asset-control requests create more downside than most users expect.",
    "Permit2 is not automatically malicious, but it can appear inside unsafe flows and confusing prompts.",
    "A polished site does not prove a safe contract path, clean source, or proportional permission request.",
    "Old forgotten approvals remain part of your risk surface until you revoke them or the permission expires."
  ]
}