Chapter 07 10 4 min read
Stay Safe Day to Day
Recognize scams, check payments carefully, and protect your privacy.
Keep your backup secret. Verify each payment yourself and reach support and software through known official channels. Pressure to act immediately is a reason to pause.
In this chapter
Make security a habit
Your wallet and backup are set up. Now the task is to use them carefully day to day. A hardware wallet can protect keys. It cannot decide whom you should pay or which information you should reveal.
Choose a quiet moment for a transfer. Being a responsible saver does not require changing your setup every day.
Fake support and urgent messages
Phishing uses a fake message, website, or app to trick you into doing something harmful. A familiar logo and polished writing do not prove authenticity. Threats of a supposed wallet suspension are designed to create pressure.
Open the known manufacturer’s website yourself instead of following a message link. Trezor describes these scams. Keep a verified bookmark and obtain wallet software from the official source.
Recovery words are not proof of ownership for support. Do not put them in a chat or web form or reveal them through screen sharing. Even official BitBox support does not need your backup, private keys, or passwords. A recovery you initiate using the exact device instructions is different from a stranger asking for your secrets.
An address needs to be verified
Malware can change a copied address. With a hardware wallet, compare the complete destination address, amount, and fee on its display with your intended payment. Do not confirm a mismatch.
Do not simply copy a destination from transaction history. Scammers can place similar-looking addresses there. Obtain the destination from a verified payment request; when receiving into your own wallet, verify the address on your device. Checking only its beginning and end is not enough.
A small test can help when learning a new process. It does not replace checking the following payment again. Both sides must use the intended payment method: Bitcoin on-chain and Lightning are different procedures.
Privacy is part of the picture
On-chain transactions are public. An address does not carry a name, but a purchase, payment, or published screenshot can connect it to you.
Use new receiving addresses when your wallet provides them. Do not publish balances, backups, or unnecessary transaction details. A fresh address does not guarantee anonymity. Bitcoin.org explains the limits.
A few routines to keep
- Update wallet software and devices through official update channels.
- Check your backup as described in the previous chapter, without entering real recovery words into unfamiliar checking tools.
- Contact support through the known manufacturer’s website. Unsolicited private help is not proof of expertise.
- Approve only actions you understand. If you are unsure, stop and resolve the question first.
Already shared a secret? Treat it as exposed and seek help through the official channel. A new device PIN does not make an exposed wallet backup secret again.