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Stop sending money, preserve the evidence, and report the incident through several complementary channels: the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the appropriate securities or commodities regulator, your state authorities, and the exchange involved. File quickly even if you have not lost money. No agency can promise recovery, and anyone demanding an upfront fee to retrieve cryptocurrency is a likely follow-on scam.
What to do in the first hour
Stop the transfer and cut off the scammer
Do not send another payment, including a supposed tax, validation charge, release fee, gas fee, or “recovery” deposit. These demands are part of the scam, not a legitimate step for unlocking an account or withdrawing a balance. Do not warn the suspected criminals that you are reporting them; an alert can prompt them to delete accounts, move funds, or target you again. The FBI’s cryptocurrency-investment-fraud guidance says to stop sending money and report the conduct through IC3. It also says the FBI will not ask you for money or direct you to continue the conversation in a private messaging application. Read the guidance at fbi.gov.
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Protect accounts you may have exposed
- Contact the exchange, bank, card issuer, or payment service through a website or telephone number you locate independently. Ask for its fraud or account-security process and tell it whether a transfer is pending.
- Change passwords for the exchange, email, and any account that reused the same password. Turn on multifactor authentication, revoke unfamiliar sessions or API keys, and check forwarding rules in your email.
- If you disclosed a seed phrase or private key, treat the wallet as compromised. Move any remaining assets to a newly created, secure wallet only after recording the evidence and checking the destination address carefully. Never send the seed phrase to support staff or a purported investigator.
- Save evidence before blocking accounts or deleting applications. Blocking contact can wait; preserving the original material cannot.
If you paid from a bank account or card, ask the institution whether it can place a fraud alert, stop an uncompleted transfer, or document the payment. A bank generally cannot reverse a confirmed blockchain transaction, but prompt notice can help with a card dispute, wire recall request, or account takeover. Keep the bank’s case number with your other records.
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Preserve the evidence investigators can use
Cryptocurrency transactions are recorded on a blockchain, but an investigator still needs the addresses, network, timestamps, communications, and off-chain payment trail that connect a transaction to a person or service. Make a read-only copy of files where possible and keep originals in a secure location. IC3’s form does not accept attachments, so you must retain the original files while pasting the important facts into the complaint. IC3 explains the attachment limitation in its FAQ and evidence expectations in its cryptocurrency-fraud public service announcement.
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| Evidence | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Blockchain details | Sending and receiving wallet addresses; blockchain or network name; asset and amount; transaction hash or ID; date and time | Allows investigators and an exchange to trace the movement of funds and distinguish similarly named assets or networks. |
| Funding trail | Exchange, kiosk or ATM used; bank account or card statements; deposit and withdrawal receipts; confirmation emails | Links the on-chain transfer to an identifiable account and payment method. |
| Scammer identity clues | Name or alias, telephone number, email, social profile, Telegram or WhatsApp handle, claimed company, and payment instructions | Provides identifiers that may connect complaints from different victims. |
| Web and software artifacts | URLs and domains, app names, QR codes, advertisements, referral codes, and screenshots showing balances or demands | Preserves the interface and infrastructure even if the page or app later disappears. |
| Communications | Complete emails with full headers, texts, chats, voice-message files, and call records; do not rely only on cropped screenshots | Shows promises, pressure tactics, instructions, and the account used to contact you. |
| Chronology | A dated timeline from first contact through every payment, follow-up demand, and information disclosure | Gives a reviewer a clear sequence and highlights when additional fraud occurred. |
Use a plain text or spreadsheet timeline with one row per event. Include the local time zone, and preserve the original time shown by the service. Record how the contact began—an advertisement, dating app, social-media message, job offer, wrong-number text, or referral—because that pattern can connect your complaint to others. Note every promise about guaranteed returns, withdrawal deadlines, account “taxes,” or personal coaching. If you are unsure whether a value is correct, label it as approximate rather than guessing. IC3 says to report even when transaction information is incomplete; submit what you have and explain what is missing.
Do not alter screenshots by adding annotations to the only copy. Keep an untouched original and make a separate working copy if you need to highlight a phone number or wallet address. Export chat histories when the service permits it, and save the sender’s profile page, not just individual messages. For email, save the message with full headers because routing information can be more useful than a screenshot. Store copies in a secure drive or offline media and limit access to people helping with the complaint.
File the FBI report through IC3
IC3 is the FBI’s primary online intake for cryptocurrency and other cyber-enabled crime. A complaint creates investigative intelligence; it is not a case number that guarantees a refund. The FBI’s public service announcement instructs victims to report promptly at ic3.gov, even when a loss did not occur. A failed transfer, an attempted impersonation, or a fake investment site can still help investigators identify infrastructure before it is reused.
Step-by-step
- Go directly to ic3.gov by typing the address or using a bookmark. Select File a Complaint. Check the domain carefully; look-alike sites can collect your personal information.
- Read the terms and complete the complainant information. Use a safe email address and phone number that investigators can use to reach you. If an account was taken over, use a contact method the intruder cannot access.
- Describe the first contact, the story or investment promise, the instructions you received, each payment, and every later demand. State clearly whether money or cryptocurrency was lost, is still moving, or was blocked. Identify anyone who impersonated a bank, exchange, government agency, celebrity, or romantic partner.
- Enter each asset, amount, network, wallet address, transaction hash, exchange or kiosk, and date and time. Include bank or card details that funded the purchase without posting full account numbers unless the form specifically requests them.
- Paste key excerpts from chats and list all URLs, domains, usernames, telephone numbers, email addresses, app names, QR codes, and claimed businesses. Since attachments are not accepted, explain that you have retained the original screenshots, exports, headers, and files.
- Review the narrative for accuracy, submit it, and save the confirmation information. If the form cannot accept a field, state that limitation and provide the best identifying detail available. Do not wait for perfect records before filing.
Put the most useful identifiers near the beginning of the narrative: transaction hashes, destination addresses, the name of the exchange, and the date of the last contact. Then explain the story in chronological order. If there were several transfers, number them and give the amount and asset for each. Mention assets sent on different networks separately; a wallet address on one network may not identify the same destination on another.
You can also contact a local FBI field office if circumstances require direct contact, but use the official FBI directory rather than a number supplied by the person who contacted you. Do not pay anyone who claims to be an IC3 employee and offers to “prioritize” your report. Keep the confirmation page or number, but do not assume that receiving one means an agent has opened an investigation.
Choose the other federal reporting routes
Different agencies collect different kinds of complaints. Filing with more than one is appropriate when the conduct crosses jurisdictions; it is not a sign that one report was rejected. Customize the description for each portal so the agency can see why the conduct falls within its authority.
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| Route | Best fit | What to submit or request |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Cyber-enabled theft, online investment schemes, impersonation, hacked accounts, and cryptocurrency transfers | Complete transaction and communication details, wallet addresses, hashes, identifiers, and a chronological narrative. The form does not accept attachments. |
| Federal Trade Commission | Consumer fraud, deceptive investment or business claims, impersonation, and unwanted payment demands | File at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Explain the promise, the deceptive conduct, the payment method, and the contact information used. |
| Securities and Exchange Commission | Offers or sales that may involve securities, investment contracts, token promotions, or an alleged investment professional or platform | Use the SEC’s complaint system at sec.gov/tcr and identify the product, promoter, platform, and transaction. |
| Commodity Futures Trading Commission | Fraud or manipulation involving commodities, derivatives, futures, options, or certain digital-asset trading activity | Submit a complaint at cftc.gov/complaint with the contract or trading details and the parties involved. |
| The exchange or wallet service | Unauthorized account access, a pending withdrawal, a compromised account, or a transfer sent to or from the service | Use the service’s independently verified support or fraud channel. Provide the transaction hash, destination address, time, and account identifier. |
The FTC’s consumer guidance lists the FTC, SEC, CFTC, IC3, and the exchange used to send or receive funds as complementary reporting choices. It is available at consumer.ftc.gov. Select the agencies that match the actual conduct rather than filing a vague, identical narrative everywhere. If you are uncertain whether a token or trading product is a security or commodity, describe the facts and let the agency assess the classification.
Report to the exchange safely
Use a browser bookmark or type the exchange’s known official domain yourself. Do not click a support link, call a telephone number, or reply to an email supplied by the scammer. The FBI warns that fraudsters create convincing “support” and recovery accounts; its public service announcement on cryptocurrency recovery scams is at ic3.gov. Ask the exchange whether it can flag the receiving address, secure your account, preserve relevant records, or review a pending transaction. Provide the exact hash and network, not just a dollar estimate. Do not assume a report will reverse a confirmed blockchain transaction.
Find and contact your state regulators
Start with the securities regulator
Use NASAA’s Contact Your Regulator directory to locate your state or territory’s securities administrator. State jurisdiction can follow your residence, the business or promoter’s location, where the solicitation occurred, or where the transaction has a connection. Explain those connections in the complaint, especially if the promoter operated from another state. If you moved during the events, identify both residences and the dates involved.
Add the other state channels that fit
- Department of financial services or banking regulator: appropriate when a money transmitter, financial-services business, or payment provider may have violated state requirements.
- Attorney general: useful for consumer-protection complaints, deceptive advertising, and patterns affecting residents. Include the business name, advertising language, and any losses or attempted losses.
- Local police or sheriff: consider a report when there was identity theft, threats, an in-person cash or kiosk transaction, or another local crime. Bring your timeline and confirmation numbers from online reports.
Washington’s Department of Financial Institutions illustrates this multi-channel approach in its current “pig-butchering” guidance at dfi.wa.gov. Your state may use different names, forms, or document-upload rules, so follow the instructions on the regulator’s official site. A state complaint may be useful even when the promoter is overseas because the regulator can coordinate with other states and identify victims in its jurisdiction.
What to expect after filing
Most reporting portals do not provide an immediate investigation update. Agencies use complaints to identify infrastructure, connect victims, support subpoenas or enforcement, and warn the public. Keep every confirmation number, submitted narrative, and copy of the evidence you retained. If an agency requests additional information, verify the request through a published official contact channel before sending sensitive documents. An investigator may ask for a clearer transaction hash, an unedited export, or permission to contact an exchange.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesReporting is worthwhile even when the amount was small or the transfer failed. FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “The best way to help stop these crimes is for people to report them to ic3.gov, even if they did not suffer a financial loss.” The FBI’s 2024 release, which reports 2023 data, recorded more than 69,000 cryptocurrency-fraud complaints and over $5.6 billion in reported losses; about $3.9 billion was attributed to investment fraud. Those figures cover the stated 2023 reporting year and should not be treated as current-year totals. The release is at fbi.gov.
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State enforcement activity also shows why a complaint can matter beyond one transaction. NASAA’s 2025 enforcement page, based on 2024 data from 49 U.S. states and territories, reports 8,833 investigations and 1,183 enforcement actions. See the page at nasaa.org.
Can you get the cryptocurrency back?
There is no guaranteed recovery process. A blockchain transfer generally cannot be canceled by an agency after confirmation, although an exchange or law-enforcement action may sometimes freeze assets that remain on a controlled platform. Your report supplies intelligence and may support an investigation; it is not a promise that funds will be returned. The practical objective after a confirmed transfer is to stop further loss, protect accounts, preserve traceable records, and respond quickly to legitimate requests.
Be especially cautious after filing. Recovery-room operators monitor victims’ posts, stolen contact lists, and fake complaint databases. They may claim to be investigators, lawyers, regulators, exchange employees, or IC3 staff and demand an upfront tax, retainer, release charge, or cryptocurrency payment. NASAA describes these schemes in its recovery-room advisory at nasaa.org. The FBI has separately warned about scammers impersonating IC3 at fbi.gov.
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- Do not pay an unsolicited recovery service or share your seed phrase, private key, exchange password, or one-time authentication code.
- Do not move the conversation to an encrypted or private messenger merely because the contact claims to be an official.
- Verify an agency independently using its official domain and published contact information. A legitimate agency will not require cryptocurrency to open or accelerate a complaint.
- Preserve the recovery pitch as new evidence and add it to your existing reports.
A practical reporting checklist
- Stop all payments and avoid contacting the suspected criminals about your report.
- Secure email, exchange, banking, and wallet accounts; change reused passwords and enable multifactor authentication.
- Export chats and emails, save full headers, capture webpages and app details, and write a dated timeline.
- Record wallet addresses, network, asset, amount, transaction hash, exchange or kiosk, and funding account.
- Submit the FBI IC3 complaint at ic3.gov, even if information is incomplete or no money was lost.
- File with the FTC and, when the facts fit, the SEC or CFTC.
- Report through the exchange’s independently verified fraud channel.
- Use NASAA’s directory to contact your state securities regulator, then add the state financial-services department, attorney general, or local police as appropriate.
- Store confirmation numbers and original evidence securely; never pay a person who promises guaranteed recovery.
Important limits and changing forms
Agency forms, portal addresses, and submission requirements can change. Recheck each official portal when you file, and use the current instructions shown there. The reporting principles remain consistent: stop the loss, preserve originals, provide precise transaction identifiers, choose agencies by jurisdiction, and independently verify every person who contacts you afterward.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently asked questions
Where do I report a crypto scam first?
Stop the loss and file with IC3 at ic3.gov as soon as you can. Then report the consumer-fraud aspects to the FTC, use the SEC or CFTC when the product or trading activity fits, notify the exchange, and contact your state regulator. These routes serve different purposes and can be used together.
Should I report a scam if I did not lose money?
Yes. The FBI asks people to report attempted fraud and failed transfers as well as completed losses. An attempted scheme can reveal a wallet, domain, phone number, or script that links to other victims.
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What information does IC3 need?
Give the wallet addresses, blockchain network, asset and amount, transaction hash, date and time, exchange or ATM, bank or card funding trail, contact details, URLs, app names, and a chronological account of what happened. IC3 accepts the facts even when some transaction information is missing, but its form does not accept attachments.
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Use NASAA’s Contact Your Regulator directory and select your state or territory. Explain your residence, the promoter’s location, the solicitation method, and where the transaction occurred so the office can assess jurisdiction.
Can an agency reverse my blockchain transfer?
Usually not after confirmation. An exchange or law-enforcement action may sometimes freeze assets still held on a controlled platform, but no reporting portal can promise a refund. Report promptly and preserve the exact transaction identifiers.
Is a recovery service contacting me another scam?
An unsolicited person who promises guaranteed recovery, claims to be IC3 or a regulator, or demands an upfront tax or cryptocurrency payment is a strong warning sign. Verify every contact through the agency’s independently published website, never share keys or passwords, and add the approach to your complaint.
Should I attach screenshots to my IC3 complaint?
No attachments are accepted through the IC3 form. Keep the original screenshots, exports, email files, and headers securely, and paste the key facts and identifying text into the narrative. Other agencies may have different upload rules, so follow each portal’s instructions.
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No. You can file the agency complaints yourself and should not delay while looking for representation. If you consult a lawyer, independently verify the lawyer’s identity and be wary of anyone guaranteeing recovery or requesting payment in cryptocurrency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I report a crypto scam?
Start with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, then use ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the SEC or CFTC when appropriate, the exchange involved, and your state regulator.
What if I do not have the transaction hash?
File anyway. IC3 says to report with incomplete transaction information. Provide the exchange, approximate date, asset, amount, wallet address, and any receipt or screenshot, then update the record if you later obtain the hash.
Can I get my crypto back?
There is no guaranteed recovery. A confirmed blockchain transfer is generally irreversible, though an exchange or law-enforcement action may sometimes freeze funds that remain on a controlled platform.
How do I recognize a recovery-room scam?
Treat unsolicited recovery offers, impersonated officials, guaranteed results, and upfront tax, retainer, release, or cryptocurrency demands as likely scams. Verify contacts through official domains and report the approach.
The Bottom Line
Stop paying, secure exposed accounts, preserve original records, and file quickly with IC3. Add the FTC, SEC or CFTC, the exchange, and your state authorities according to the conduct and jurisdiction. Report even attempted fraud, never send a recovery fee, and independently verify anyone who contacts you afterward.
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