Someone sends Telos (TLOS) with a short account name and a memo, convinced the string is unique “like a bank IBAN”. The transfer confirms on-chain. The coins do not arrive where they expected. The confusion is technical, and fraudsters lean on it.
Telos forked from the EOSIO family. Both use human-readable account names rather than long hex addresses, and exchanges often credit deposits with a shared deposit account plus a memo (or tag) that identifies the customer. Uniqueness holds inside one chain. A name that is valid on Telos can look identical in format to an EOS-style account. If a helper in a chat hands you “the TLOS deposit” that is actually their controlled account — or a lookalike registered on a related network — the chain will still execute the send. You have not broken cryptography; you have paid the wrong person.
Security write-ups on WAX / Telos / EOS-style “arbitrage” chats describe the same theatre: a small profitable test transfer, then a larger send to an account the stranger registered to resemble an exchange deposit. Always open the exchange deposit page yourself, select Telos explicitly, and copy address and memo from there. Never paste strings from Telegram. A block explorer confirmation only proves delivery to that account, not that the account belongs to your exchange login.
If the coins are gone, do not send a second “recovery” amount. Contact the exchange with the transaction ID if an official deposit was involved; otherwise treat it as a wrong recipient and report through normal channels.
Start at Get help for reporting routes. Read Fake recovery before paying anyone who claims they can reverse a confirmed transfer.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.