How to report a crypto scam: a step-by-step guide

Step 1 — Stop paying and cut contact carefully

Make no further payments, regardless of what you are told about taxes, release fees, unlocking a wallet or a final verification step. Do not delete the accounts, chats or apps involved: they are your evidence. Screenshot everything before you block anyone.

• Never send another payment to “release” or “unfreeze” a balance
• Keep the conversation history intact before blocking the contact
• Revoke wallet approvals and move remaining funds to a new wallet with a new seed phrase
• Never share your seed phrase or private keys with anyone, including anyone offering help

Step 2 — Preserve the evidence you will need

Every report you file will ask for the same core facts. Assemble them once, in one folder, before you start.

• Every transaction hash (TXID) and the wallet addresses you sent funds to
• Dates, times, amounts and the coin or token used for each transfer
• The platform or website URL, plus screenshots of your account and “profits” dashboard
• All messages: WhatsApp, Telegram, email, SMS, dating or social apps
• Bank or card statements showing the fiat purchases that funded the transfers
• Names, phone numbers, email addresses and any ID or documents you were sent

Step 3 — Report to the exchange or wallet provider

If you bought or sent the crypto through a regulated exchange, contact its support or compliance team immediately and state clearly that you are the victim of fraud. Include the transaction hashes and the destination addresses. If the receiving address belongs to another exchange, ask your provider to escalate to that exchange's compliance team — exchanges can freeze accounts and preserve KYC records when they receive a credible fraud report in time.

Step 4 — Report to your bank or card issuer

Most crypto scams begin with a card payment or bank transfer to buy the crypto. Report that leg of the loss as fraud to your bank or card issuer in writing on the same day. Depending on the payment method and timing, a chargeback, an indemnity claim or a recall request may still be possible, and banks apply strict internal deadlines.

Step 5 — File an official report with law enforcement

An official report number is often required before an exchange, bank or regulator will act, so file it early even if you expect little immediate progress.

• United States: the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
• United Kingdom: Action Fraud, or Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland
• Canada: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
• Australia: Scamwatch and ReportCyber
• European Union: your national police cybercrime unit and national financial regulator
• Everywhere: your local police, to obtain a written report reference

Step 6 — Report to financial regulators and platforms

Regulators use victim reports to publish warnings and to build cases against operators, which can support later civil claims. Report the trading platform or “broker” to the financial regulator in its claimed jurisdiction, and report the accounts and adverts used to reach you to the relevant social, messaging or app platform so they can be taken down.

Step 7 — Have the funds traced while the trail is fresh

Blockchain transactions are public and permanent, which means a trained analyst can follow the flow of funds from your wallet to the services that received them. Tracing does not reverse a transaction; what it produces is an evidenced report identifying the counterparties and the exchanges holding the funds — the document that gives law enforcement, compliance teams and civil counsel something to act on.

Avoid the second scam: recovery fraud

Victim lists are resold, and a second wave of fraudsters targets people who have already lost money. No one can reverse a blockchain transaction, and no legitimate firm guarantees recovery or asks for payment in crypto.

• Treat any guaranteed recovery, or an upfront crypto “fee”, as a scam
• Ignore anyone claiming to be a hacker who can retrieve your coins
• Verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from a government agency independently
• All legitimate communication from our team uses an @globaldar.help email address

Frequently asked questions