If someone mistakenly sent you 1 ETH, what would you do?

[Abiky]

Ethereum is becoming extremely popular nowadays with the rise of "De-Fi" apps and stablecoins. Most people are just into it in order to make a lot of money in the shortest time possible. Since they're newcomers into crypto, they can easily make mistakes when sending coins from one address to another. Now, imagine if you check your wallet and it has 1 ETH sent to you by a mysterious address. At current rates, that would be an average of $400 (USD) in your pocket.

What will you do if someone accidentally or mistakenly sent you 1 ETH? Will you donate it to a charity? Will you send it back to its original owner? If it were me, I'd return it back to its original owner as long as he/she is able to provide a signed message with the address' private key proving the coin's ownership. But since crypto is widely unregulated, anyone can do as they please.

Thoughts?

[MUG1WARA]

I used to make a mistake that you said, at that time I only lost 0.4 ETH but at that time the value was very valuable to me, and at that time I always hoped that the owner of the wallet I sent would return the money because I really needed it, but all hope I was useless because he didn't return it. If that happens to me now then I will return it to that address because I'm afraid he will need money like I used to

[Little Mouse]

How can this even be possible at the first place? Do you think anyone will make such a mistake of typing an address instead of copy paste? I do not think so. Anyway, I would send it back to the sender as I do not have any greed to other peoples property,  asset.
Anyway, why this thread? Have you faced the same recently by any mistake?

[Genemind]

The chance of someone sending your wallet by mistake is really slim. Not unless someone had copy-pasted your address by mistake. With just one wrong character on the address, let's say you are writing your address manually which I hope no one is doing ,  your altcoin might end up being sent to a nonexistent or unowned wallet. You're very lucky  if this happens and I doubt if anyone would gladly return it especially if it's a huge amount.

[Bitstar_coin]

We are all human and nobody is above mistakes but the problem would be the person to whom you mistakenly send the 1eth to, is that person honest enough to send your eth back to you or not! It has to do with honesty, if not then just count yourself unlucky, it is better not to make such a mistake in the first place and try to br extra careful, double check the wallet address severally before sending.

[hatshepsut93]

A random person would never send you coins by mistake, it can only happen if they for some reason take your address from a block explorer, but the chance of it happening is extremely low. It's impossible to mistype an address, because it would invalidate the checksum and a transaction will fail.

Sending coins back is a bad idea, because the address might belong to a custodian, and if this custodian will be uncooperative, the coins will be lost. I'd rather wait and see if someone approaches me. I'd also post that I received coins by mistake on this forum and reddit to see if anyone would come to claim, but I won't specify the date, amount and addresses of the transaction.

[FinneysTrueVision]

A random person would never send you coins by mistake, it can only happen if they for some reason take your address from a block explorer, but the chance of it happening is extremely low. It's impossible to mistype an address, because it would invalidate the checksum and a transaction will fail.

It could happen if you accidentally misspell an ENS domain name in your wallet.

[coin-investor]

A random person would never send you coins by mistake, it can only happen if they for some reason take your address from a block explorer, but the chance of it happening is extremely low. It's impossible to mistype an address, because it would invalidate the checksum and a transaction will fail.

Sending coins back is a bad idea, because the address might belong to a custodian, and if this custodian will be uncooperative, the coins will be lost. I'd rather wait and see if someone approaches me. I'd also post that I received coins by mistake on this forum and reddit to see if anyone would come to claim, but I won't specify the date, amount and addresses of the transaction.

This is for me the best option it's a big amount so I will wait for the sender to communicate with me because with that amount I'm sure he will take some time to look for you, we do not know what really happen we can only speculate, maybe it's an airdrop or payment from your bounty that is converted to Ethereum, the owner should come forward and send me details why he sent that amount to my address,
of course, I will send him back if he can prove he is the owner of the Eth and the reason why he sent it.

[Btra]

If, anyone sends me 1 ETH by mistaken or knowingly then it is no question arising for me that I will send back to that unknown address. And, this has the reason that in 2017 approx. $15,000 someone stolen from my Ethereum account. That time required a lot of money so I request in many channels in the Telegram and other media, also I request the project owner but non of the positive response. So, at any cost, I wouldn't have return back the ETH if I get from unknown.

[joshua123]

Since I do know where the eth came from, I will find ways first to know why I received that. Cause maybe Ive joined some raffle or contest and got win. Someone will ptobably find me asking to return it but how do I believe its really him. I would return if its really done by mistake but I would asked for many details and proof that he is really the owner like signed message of the address.

[Free1bitco.in]

as long as he can still prove it's his, I'll give it back. To be honest, I would probably hold back and wait for the person to confirm that he is the owner of the Ethereum. if possible, I want to return it. however, donating it to a charity is the last resort if no one feels lost to ethereum in a few weeks or months. Well, I do this if it is really the wrong ethereum submission.

[NavI_027]

But since crypto is widely unregulated, anyone can do as they please.

Oh yes! This can significantly adds up to the persuading power of the tiny devil whispering on youtr left ear . Well, I won't be surprised if many refuse to give it back because it's really tempting not only knowing that 1 eth is a huge money but also the fact you might not be traced personally.

However, being a good human in nature, you should practice what is right and just even without the eyes of others looking at you. So if I'm on that situation, I will send it back especially that we are all in these trying times. I ought to do it becaus se don't know how much 1 eth means to him.  Besides, I'm not desperate to have money in the first place lol.

[larus]

I will send some back but not the whole amount. Fee for mistake

[tyoA7X]

I will be honest if that has 1 ethereum ask me back with clear evidence because I believe good deeds will be reward in the future

[Coin_trader]

Since I do know where the eth came from, I will find ways first to know why I received that. Cause maybe Ive joined some raffle or contest and got win. Someone will ptobably find me asking to return it but how do I believe its really him. I would return if its really done by mistake but I would asked for many details and proof that he is really the owner like signed message of the address.

The probability of finding you by the sender is too small because your ETH address has no detail attached that will point out to you. Beside that, it's only 1 ETH which I believe the owner will not gonna put too much effort on tracking the receiving address.

And also why do you need sign message for proof of ownership while you can just send it back to the owner if you really have the intention of giving it back. And also there is no airdrop that will give you 1 ETH even Elon Musk or Bill Gates.  

[Maestro75]

Ethereum is becoming extremely popular nowadays with the rise of "De-Fi" apps and stablecoins. Most people are just into it in order to make a lot of money in the shortest time possible. Since they're newcomers into crypto, they can easily make mistakes when sending coins from one address to another. Now, imagine if you check your wallet and it has 1 ETH sent to you by a mysterious address. At current rates, that would be an average of $400 (USD) in your pocket.

What will you do if someone accidentally or mistakenly sent you 1 ETH? Will you donate it to a charity? Will you send it back to its original owner? If it were me, I'd return it back to its original owner as long as he/she is able to provide a signed message with the address' private key proving the coin's ownership. But since crypto is widely unregulated, anyone can do as they please.

Thoughts?

Doing what you said you will do by asking the sender to sign a message will mean you need to be able to exchange mails with sender. Otherwise how do you make such a request get across to the sender. Do you include that in the address? So I think you are suggesting an impossible thing and that means you do not want to send it back. I will not send it back if someone mistakenly sends me ETH or any other token.

[raidarksword]

Finders keepers as they say, so i am keeping it there is nothing wrong with that maybe it's just a blessing in disguise, you never know it might happened in real life though chances are slim but it will take it.  
In my part sending that amount i will be double checking it just to make sure i got the real address so that no regret will happen in the end and that scenario even new to crypto will also do the same for sure.

[NoG-NoG]

If ever that there is someone mistakenly sent 1 ETH to me, I would gladly hold it and wait for the right time to have another bull run and then I would sell it  in a higher price so it would more profitable and I will always look to that person as a blessing in disguise to me.

[judeafante]

What will you do if someone accidentally or mistakenly sent you 1 ETH? Will you donate it to a charity? Will you send it back to its original owner? If it were me, I'd return it back to its original owner as long as he/she is able to provide a signed message with the address' private key proving the coin's ownership. But since crypto is widely unregulated, anyone can do as they please.

Thoughts?

In the first place, how did you know that it was accidentally sent unless the sender reach out to you to let you know that he sent you Ethereum by mistakes, we must first establish who owns it and why it was sent to our address and if he has a valid reason then I will send it back it's very seldom to happen that you got free Ethereum there's always a reason behind it not just by mistake.

[samuraijin]

I will return it if he asks for his money back, of course if something goes wrong like that usually comes from a beginner, so I will understand the mistake he made, I will return it to his wallet address