What to Do After a Crypto Scam

Short answer: stop sending money, contact your exchange today, report it, and ignore anyone who offers to get your crypto back for a fee. Crypto is hard to recover, but acting fast gives you the best chance and stops you losing more.

First, stop the losses

1. Don't send any more money. If you're told to pay a tax, fee, or deposit to unlock your balance, that is part of the scam. The balance isn't real.
2. Stop all contact with the scammer, but don't delete anything. Keep the messages, they are your evidence.
3. If you shared your recovery phrase or let someone access your device, create a new wallet with a new recovery phrase and move any remaining crypto into it immediately. Remove any remote access app they asked you to install.

Contact your exchange or app today

If you bought or sent the crypto through an exchange or app, contact it through its official website or app, not through any link or number the scammer gave you. Tell them it was fraud and give them the scammer's wallet address and the transaction IDs. Exchanges can sometimes freeze funds that reach accounts they control, but only if they hear about it quickly.

If you paid for the crypto with a bank card or bank transfer, call your bank as well, using the number on the back of your card.

Gather your evidence

1. The wallet addresses you sent crypto to
2. Transaction IDs (sometimes called transaction hashes), dates, and amounts
3. The website or app name and address the scammer used
4. Screenshots of chats, emails, texts, and social media profiles
5. Any phone numbers, usernames, or names they gave you

Report it

Reporting helps police trace scam networks, and sometimes leads to money being frozen or returned. In the US, report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In the UK, report it to Report Fraud, or to Police Scotland if you live in Scotland. Elsewhere, contact your local police or national fraud reporting service. Report it on the platform where you met the scammer too, such as the dating app or social network.

How to spot a fake recovery service

1. They contacted you first, often on social media or by message, and somehow know details of your loss.
2. They ask for payment upfront, especially in crypto or gift cards, or for "fees" or "taxes" to release your funds.
3. They claim to work with the FBI or a government agency. The FBI has warned that fake law firms do exactly this.
4. They guarantee results. Nobody can guarantee recovering crypto.
5. They avoid video calls or won't show proof of a real law licence you can check yourself.

Look after yourself

Crypto scams are run by organised criminal groups who do this full time. Being targeted doesn't mean you were foolish. Talk to someone you trust, and expect more scam attempts in the coming months, because victims' details are often shared between scammers. Be extra careful with anyone new who brings up money.

Want to know how to recognise the next one before it starts? Read How to Spot a Crypto Scam Before You Lose Money.

Sources: FTC: What to know about cryptocurrency and scams · ASIS Security Management: FBI 2025 report on cryptocurrency scams · Infosecurity Magazine: Fake law firms con victims of crypto scams, warns FBI