# Similar Exchange Deposit Addresses to Trick Users

> Hackers often exploit accounts that bear resemblance to legitimate exchange accounts in order to carry out scams and fraudulent activities.

Canonical: https://help.blockzhub.io/articles/similar-exchange-deposit-addresses-to-trick-users

## 1.0 Introduction

When transferring your EOS tokens from a hardware or software wallet to an exchange, it's crucial to exercise caution. **Many exchanges have their own designated EOS accounts** for deposits. However, it's essential to be aware of homonymic accounts, which resemble legitimate exchange accounts. These homonymic accounts have similar names or addresses to the real exchange accounts, which can be misleading and result in mistaken asset transfers. Therefore, it's essential to thoroughly verify the authenticity of the recipient account before making any transfers to avoid potential losses or complications. Often, hackers use homonymic accounts to steal funds.

## 2.0 **Exchanges, Legitimate Accounts, and homonymic accounts**

The following table displays notable exchanges worldwide, their verified accounts, and accounts with similar names. Please note that the list of accounts with similar names is not exhaustive, as other accounts may resemble legitimate exchange accounts.

|  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Exchange** | **Legitimate Account** | **Homonymic Accounts** |
| Binance.com | **binancecleos** | binanceclaos  binanceclbos  binanceclcos  binancecldos  binanceclzos  binancecl1os  binancecl2os  binancecl3os  binanceclbin  binanceclaim |
| Bitfinex.com | **[bitfinexdep1](https://bloks.io/account/bitfinexdep1)** | bitfinexdep2  bitfinexdep5  bitfinexdepa  bitfinexdepz  bitfinex.com  bitfinex.eos  bitfinex.net  bitfinex.mlt |
| Gate.io | **gateiowallet** | gateiowa11et  gateiowa1let  gateiowaalet  gateiowaflet  gateiowazlet |
| Kraken.com | **[krakenkraken](https://bloks.io/account/krakenkraken)** | krakenkra1en  krakenkra5en  krakenkracen  krakunkraken  krakenkraaen  krukenkraken |
| Kucoin.com | **[kucoindoteos](https://bloks.io/account/kucoindoteos)** | kucoindot1os  kucoindot5os  kucoindotaos  kucoindotdos  kucoindotzos  qucoindoteos  kucoin1oteos  kucoinboteos |
| mexc.com | **[mxcexdeposit](https://bloks.io/account/mxcexdeposit)** | mexcedeposit  mxcexdepoait  mxcexdepocit  mxcexdepoiit  mxcexdefosit  mxcdepositex |
| nexo.com | **nexoeoschain** | naxoeoschain  nexoboschain  nexodoschain  nexoeosahain  nexoeoszhain  nexoeos1hain  nexoeos5hain |

## 3.0 **Best Practice when Transferring EOS to an Exchange**

To ensure a secure transfer of EOS from your wallet to an exchange, obtaining the deposit address and memo from the exchange is essential. Avoid relying on memory or saved data from elsewhere. The accompanying image displays the deposit address and memo for depositing EOS to Binance exchange for a specific Binance user. It's important to note that each user may have a unique memo. The recommended approach is to **copy the deposit address and memo from the exchange and paste them directly into your wallet** for enhanced security. Meticulously read the displayed message before transferring your assets.

![Deposit EOS in Binance Account.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/blockzhub-help-center-public-images/articles/9ac4ed53-50c1-4995-9ea7-d5313e2bc714/2d0ac31d3cb9.png)

Screenshot by: Sukanta Manna

**Notes:**

*i) Name of the coin - **EOS***

*ii) Selected Network - **EOS***

*iii) Deposit Address - **binancecleos***

*iv) Memo - \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* (Unique to your account)*

*v) Important message from the Exchange.*

## 4.0 Risks Associated with Mistaking a Homonymic Account for a Legitimate Exchange Account

If you mistakenly transfer your EOS to a homonymic account, it may be **difficult or impossible to recover** them. Always verify the recipient's account information and exercise caution when transferring assets. If you are a victim of a major hacking incident, you may seek help from [Recover+](https://help.eossupport.io/en/articles/6233639-recover-r).

## 5.0 Conclusion

Exercising due diligence is the most effective measure to safeguard your assets against unauthorized transactions. When transferring assets to an exchange, obtaining the deposit address directly from the exchange itself is crucial rather than relying on memory or saved notes. It's also important to be aware of homonymic accounts, often exploited by hackers for scamming purposes. Stay vigilant and verify the authenticity of accounts to ensure the security of your assets.

---

Author: Sukanta Manna

Editor: Markus Hinrichs, Randall Roland

Sources & References:

* [How to do Due Diligence.](https://help.eossupport.io/en/articles/6814704-how-to-do-due-diligence)
* [Scam Prevention.](https://help.eossupport.io/en/collections/3054104-new-to-eos-start-here#scam-prevention)
* [Recover+](https://help.eossupport.io/en/articles/6233639-recover-r)