A honeypot token is a malicious smart contract designed to steal your money. It lets you buy tokens freely, but when you try to sell—your transaction fails. Your funds are trapped forever.
How Honeypots Work
Scammers embed hidden logic in the token's smart contract code:
Sell blockers: Only whitelisted addresses (the scammer) can sell
Hidden taxes: 95-100% sell tax drains your tokens
tx.origin tricks: Contract checks if you're the original buyer and blocks resale
Dynamic blacklists: Your address gets blacklisted after buying
Transfer restrictions: Code prevents anyone except the owner from transferring tokens
The Risks
💸 Total loss of funds: Once trapped, there's no way out
🎭 Fake legitimacy: Honeypots often mimic real projects with copied websites and social media
⚡ Speed: Scammers launch, pump, and abandon tokens within hours
📈 Rising threat: Thousands of new honeypot tokens are deployed daily
Quick Start
1
Get Contract Address
Copy the smart contract address from your wallet, DEX, or blockchain explorer. It should look like: 0x1234567890abcdef...
2
Paste & Scan
Paste the address into HoneypotScan and click "Scan Contract". We'll automatically detect which blockchain it's on (Ethereum, Polygon, or Arbitrum).
3
Review Results
Check the scan results:
✅ Safe: No honeypot patterns detected
🚨 Honeypot: Malicious patterns found - DO NOT BUY
Understanding Results
Risky Code Patterns
When honeypot patterns are detected, we show:
Pattern Name: Type of malicious code (e.g., "transfer_tx_origin")
Line Number: Where the risky code is located
Code Snippet: The actual malicious code
Common Honeypot Patterns
tx.origin abuse: Restricts transfers to contract deployer only
Hidden fees: Secret tax functions that drain your tokens
Transfer restrictions: Prevents selling or transferring tokens
Sell blocking: Allows buying but blocks selling
Whitelist-only: Only whitelisted addresses can transfer
Hidden sell tax: 95-100% tax on sells (you lose everything)
Best Practices
Always scan before buying: Don't trust, verify
Check multiple sources: Use other tools like Etherscan, DEXTools
Verify source code: Unverified contracts are red flags
Research the project: Check team, audit reports, community
Start small: Test with small amounts first
Trust your instincts: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
⚠️ Important: HoneypotScan is a tool to help identify scams, but it's not perfect. Always do your own research (DYOR) before investing. No tool can guarantee 100% safety.
What to Do If You Find a Honeypot
DO NOT BUY: Avoid the token completely
Warn others: Share the scan results in community groups
Report it: Report to the DEX, blockchain explorer, and community
Learn from it: Understand the patterns to spot scams faster