> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.octane.security/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Explicit Balance Checks

Checking if the balance of an account is equal to a specific amount can lead to MEV exploits. An attacker can profit from front-running the user’s transaction or prevent the user from interacting with your contract altogether.

We recommend using the comparison operators `>`, `<`, `>=`, or `<=` instead of using the equality operator `==` when testing the balance of an account against a specified amount or the value of a variable. This helps mitigate MEV exploits where an attacker can front-run the user's transaction and deliberately deposit ether or another token to make the condition fail. For example, instead of: `if (balance == amount) { ... }` Use: `if (balance >= amount) { ... }` By using the comparison operators, you allow for a margin of error in the balance check, reducing the risk of exploits.

Octane will search for such errors, notifying you if you should change the comparison operator you’re using.