Check the wallet installation source before connecting to a DEX

A fake wallet extension can imitate the product you know while collecting recovery material or altering transaction behavior. Install or verify wallet software through the project’s authentic distribution links, not merely a search result with a familiar icon.

Check the provenance

MetaMask’s guide to recognizing the genuine wallet recommends comparison with official product sources. Check the publisher and extension listing reached from the genuine site, along with any current verification instructions it provides.

Download counts, reviews and an app-store listing can support investigation but do not replace the official link match. A copied name can be convincing, especially when an advertisement appears above the genuine result.

Before importing any secret

Confirm the wallet software itself is genuine and that you intended a recovery operation. A swap website should not ask you to install a “patched wallet” or browser extension to release funds.

Hardware-wallet users should use the documented hardware connection path. Importing the hardware seed into an extension removes the key-isolation benefit.

If the installation was suspicious

Stop signing and assess whether secrets were entered or transactions authorized. Removing the extension does not revoke existing approvals or invalidate private keys it may have copied.

Use a clean environment for recovery planning and check current account activity. Keep the extension identifier and download source for reporting. Do not let an alleged support representative remotely install another unverified replacement while the original compromise remains unexplained.