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Category: Hacks → Wallet Drainers & Malicious Token ApprovalsHacksWallet DrainersRouter ScamsReading time: 10 minutes
Risk level: High
Target audience: Ethereum/Uniswap users

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Meet Ngozi

Ngozi actively trades on Uniswap V3. She follows official Uniswap announcements and sees (via a Twitter link) that Uniswap V4 is launching with a new router contract. The tweet directs her to a “migration portal” where she can swap her V3 positions to V4. She clicks the link and lands on what appears to be an official Uniswap site. The page explains the V4 benefits and asks her to “approve the new V4 router” to migrate her liquidity. She approves what she thinks is the official Uniswap V4 router contract. Actually, it’s a fake contract that drains all her tokens.

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Where the Scammer Won

  • Twitter link: The link came from what appeared to be an official announcement, but was actually a fake account or compromised account.
  • Migration language: “Migrate to V4” sounded legitimate and necessary.
  • Official-looking site: The fake site perfectly cloned Uniswap’s design.
  • Router approval: Approving a router contract sounds normal for protocol upgrades.

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Red Flags Ngozi Missed

  • Official Uniswap would announce upgrades on uniswap.org, not Twitter links to third-party sites.
  • “Migrate” and “upgrade” language is weaponized by scammers to sound legitimate.
  • Router contract address wasn’t verified on EtherScan before approval.
  • No official announcement on Uniswap’s verified channels.

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How Router Upgrade Scams Work

What happens: Scammer posts fake announcement about protocol upgrade, often via compromised Twitter account or fake account.
What happens: Fake site created claiming to be official migration portal for protocol upgrade.
What happens: Site asks user to approve “new router contract” for migration, which is actually a drainer contract.
What happens: Once approved, drainer contract moves all tokens from user’s wallet.

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Prevention

Always go to the official website directly. For Uniswap: app.uniswap.org (not via Twitter link).
Verify contract addresses for any “migration” or “upgrade.”
Check official channels: Verify upgrades on official website, GitHub, or verified social accounts.
Never trust Twitter links for protocol upgrades: Always navigate to official site manually.
Use transaction simulation: Modern wallets can show what router approvals actually do.

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If You Already Approved the Fake Router

1

Revoke Approval Immediately

Use Revoke.cash to revoke the router contract approval.
2

Move Remaining Funds

Create a new wallet and move all remaining funds immediately.
3

Report the Fake Site

Report to ChainAbuse and alert Uniswap’s official team.
4

Report the Twitter Account

Report the fake Twitter account that posted the link.

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Check Your Wallet

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References

  1. Uniswap - Official Website and Router Contracts
  2. EtherScan - How to Verify Contract Addresses
  3. ChainAbuse - Report Scam Addresses