Permit2, ERC‑2612 and Gasless Signature Scams: How New Approval Flows Let Scammers Drain Wallets — A Wallet‑Owner Defense Guide

Quick hook: a single 'gasless' signature can empty a wallet — and it’s happening now

New off‑chain approval standards (EIP‑2612 / “permit”) and Uniswap’s Permit2 were built to reduce friction and save gas. Unfortunately, attackers have weaponized these flow changes: phishing pages trick users into signing an off‑chain permit, then use that valid signature to grant contracts permission to transfer tokens — often before the victim notices. High‑value drains tied to Permit2 and permit signatures have been widely reported, showing this is a live and evolving risk for every wallet holder.

How these 'gasless' approvals work (plain language + mechanics)

ERC‑2612 / Permit (EIP‑2612): an ERC‑20 extension that lets a wallet owner sign an authorization (off‑chain) allowing a spender to move tokens without first sending an on‑chain approve transaction. The signed message is later submitted on‑chain by the spender to call permit. This removes an explicit approve transaction — and its visible gas — from the user's immediate experience.

Permit2 (Uniswap Labs): a more flexible system (AllowanceTransfer + SignatureTransfer) that supports broader, multi‑token, time‑bounded, and signature‑based flows so integrations and meta‑transaction systems can offer 'gasless' UX across many tokens — including tokens that don’t natively implement EIP‑2612. Because Permit2 can bundle approvals, a single signed payload can authorize access to multiple token allowances.

Why attackers like it: there’s no immediate gas prompt for the victim to scrutinize; the signature payload is often long and technical; and some defaults (e.g., unlimited or full‑balance allowances) can expose large amounts when users accept without inspecting limits. Attackers pair social‑engineering pages with fast on‑chain calls to consume a signed permit and drain funds within minutes.

Real‑world incidents and the trend

Since 2023–2024 the community has documented multiple high‑value losses that used permit/Permit2 flows. Reported cases include multi‑million dollar drains where victims signed permit‑style signatures on phishing sites, then discovered funds moved hours or minutes later. These incidents underscore how convenient UX changes can become scalable phishing attack surfaces.

Wallet and service providers have taken steps (improving signature UI/labels and warnings, and adding first‑time permit prompts), but these vendor mitigations are uneven and cannot stop a determined phishing page that tricks a user into signing. Expect attackers to keep adapting to UI changes.

Immediate steps if you are ever asked to sign a 'permit' or suspect you already did

1. Do not sign anything you don’t fully understand.If a dApp asks for a signature but you expected a simple page login or UI click, pause and verify the website and contract address.
2. Check the request carefully: for EIP‑712 typed data or long permit payloads, inspect who is listed as the spender/allowance target and whether the amount is unlimited. If the wallet UI shows an unfamiliar contract address or “Permit2 / AllowanceTransfer” wording you didn’t expect, cancel.
3. If you think you accidentally signed a malicious permit, act immediately:
   • Use a trusted approvals manager (Revoke.cash is widely used) or your block explorer’s Token Approval/TokenApprovalChecker to list and revoke permissions — sort by newest approvals first. Revocation costs gas but stops further automated drains.
   • Move any remaining assets to a new wallet that has never been exposed to the compromised seed/keys (after revoking approvals). If you suspect your seed phrase or private key has been exposed, create a new wallet and transfer funds. (If an attacker already has the signature and executes permit+transfer in the same block, revocation may be too late for those assets.)
   • Report the incident to the dApp/project on whose UI you signed, the wallet provider (e.g., MetaMask/ledger support channels), and file reports with any exchange that might receive drained funds. Record TX hashes and attacker addresses for law enforcement and chain‑analysis services.
4. Harden your process going forward: use minimal approvals (custom limits), avoid unlimited approvals, consider ephemeral wallets for airdrops/giveaways, and keep a small hot wallet for active trading while storing the bulk in cold wallets.

Tools, controls and practical defenses (checklist)

• Approval inventory & revocation: revoke.cash and Etherscan’s Token Approval Checker let you list and revoke active allowances across chains — make a habit of reviewing approvals after a dApp interaction.
• Use wallets that show typed data and spender addresses: prefer wallets and mobile apps that clearly label permit types and the spender contract (OKX and others have rolled permit UI warnings; review your wallet’s latest security settings).
• Hardware wallets help but are not foolproof: hardware devices require physical confirmation for signatures, which raises the bar — but they may still sign a permit if the device displays insufficient contextual info. Don’t assume a hardware wallet prevents approval‑based phishing entirely.
• Use ephemeral wallets for high‑risk interactions: a separate small‑balance wallet for claiming airdrops, minting, or trying new dApps limits exposure.
• Prefer audited dApps and official links: bookmark official dApp URLs; avoid clicking social links. Confirm contract addresses from project docs or trusted explorers before interacting.

Adopting these controls reduces the chance that a single signed permit becomes a catastrophic loss.

Final guidance: operational habits that save money and sleep

Permit2 and EIP‑2612 are legitimate, useful tools that improve UX — but they shift trust from visible on‑chain approvals to off‑chain signed authorizations that many users don’t parse. Treat any unexpected signature request the same way you treat a browser prompt that asks for your password: stop, verify, and only proceed after confirming the requester, contract address and the explicit allowance. Regularly audit and revoke old approvals, use ephemeral wallets for riskier interactions, and if you’re ever unsure, ask the project/community or pause the interaction until you can validate it. These habits are the best defense against permit/Permit2 phishing drains.

If you’ve been affected and want help walking through revocation, moving funds safely, or documenting transactions for a report — ScamWatch.com has step‑by‑step recovery checklists and a template for reporting to exchanges and law enforcement. Stay cautious.